2007–08 OHL season


The 2007–08 OHL season was the 28th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams played 68 games each during the schedule, that started on September 19, 2007, and concluded on March 16, 2008. The Mississauga IceDogs relocated to the Gatorade Garden City Complex in downtown St. Catharines after getting approval of the team's sale to Bill Burke by the Board of Governors on June 5, 2007. The team was renamed the Niagara IceDogs. The Toronto St. Michael's Majors replaced the IceDogs in the Hershey Centre, renaming themselves, the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors. The Kingston Frontenacs moved late-season from the Kingston Memorial Centre to the new K-Rock Centre, which opened on February 22, 2008. On the afternoon of February 18, 2008, Windsor Spitfires team captain Mickey Renaud died after collapsing at his home, at age 19, of the rare heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The playoffs began March 20, with the Kitchener Rangers winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions. The Rangers were also chosen before the start of the season to host the 2008 Memorial Cup tournament.

Regular Season

Final standings

Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title

Eastern conference

Western conference

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes
PlayerTeamGPGAPtsPIM
Justin AzevedoKitchener Rangers67438112469
Brett MacLeanOshawa Generals61615811942
John TavaresOshawa Generals59407811869
Luca CaputiNiagara IceDogs665160111107
Steven StamkosSarnia Sting61584710588
Chris TerryPlymouth Whalers684457101107
Jack CombsSaginaw Spirit67425810093
Michael SwiftNiagara IceDogs683862100130
Dustin JeffreySault Ste. Marie Greyhounds5638599730
Josh BaileyWindsor Spitfires6729679632

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games Played; Mins = Minutes Played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against Average
PlayerTeamGPMinsWLOTLSLGASOSv%GAA
Mike MurphyBelleville Bulls4929423673111030.9292.24
Kyle GajewskiSault Ste. Marie Greyhounds60356239161314530.9132.44
Josh UniceKitchener Rangers422376306129740.9082.45
Thomas McCollumGuelph Storm51297825173312440.9142.50
Steve MasonLondon / Kitchener4225303271210630.9162.51

Playoffs

Conference quarterfinals

;Eastern conference
;Western conference

Conference semifinals

;Eastern conference
;Western conference

Conference finals

J. Ross Robertson Cup

J. Ross Robertson Cup Champions Roster

Playoff scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes
PlayerTeamGPGAPtsPIM
Justin AzevedoKitchener Rangers2010263633
Mikkel BoedkerKitchener Rangers20926352
Matt BeleskeyBelleville Bulls2112213323
Matthew HalischukKitchener Rangers201616320
Nick SpalingKitchener Rangers201416309
Nazem KadriKitchener Rangers209172626
Jan MursakBelleville Bulls219152410
P. K. SubbanBelleville Bulls218152328
Mike DucoKitchener Rangers201662237
Michael SwiftNiagara IceDogs10991822

Playoff leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games Played; Mins = Minutes Played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against Average
PlayerTeamGPMinsWLGASOSv%GAA
Bryan PittonBrampton Battalion5333141000.9381.80
Thomas McCollumGuelph Storm10596551910.9371.91
Steve MasonKitchener Rangers5313501010.9461.92
Mike MurphyBelleville Bulls1910851444210.9272.32
Josh UniceKitchener Rangers169481143810.9152.41

All-Star teams

First team

The OHL All-Star Classic was played February 6, 2008 at the Steelback Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, won 8–7 in a shootout by the Eastern Conference. The skills competition was held the previous night on February 5, with the Eastern Conference winning 19–18.

Awards

2008 OHL Priority Selection

On May 3, 2008, the OHL conducted the 2008 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection. The Sudbury Wolves held the first overall pick in the draft, and selected John McFarland from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. McFarland was awarded the Jack Ferguson Award, awarded to the top pick in the draft.
Below are the players who were selected in the first round of the 2008 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
#PlayerNationalityOHL TeamHometownMinor Team
1John McFarland CanadaSudbury WolvesRichmond Hill, OntarioToronto Jr. Canadiens
2Greg McKegg CanadaErie OttersSt. Thomas, OntarioElgin-Middlesex Chiefs
3Steven Shipley CanadaOwen Sound AttackIlderton, OntarioElgin-Middlesex Chiefs
4Erik Gudbranson CanadaKingston FrontenacsOrleans, OntarioOttawa Jr. 67's
5Ryan Spooner CanadaPeterborough PetesKanata, OntarioOttawa Jr. Senators
6Ryan O'Connor CanadaBarrie ColtsHamilton, OntarioToronto Jr. Canadiens
7Tyler Toffoli CanadaOttawa 67'sScarborough, OntarioToronto Jr. Canadiens
8Devante Smith-Pelly CanadaMississauga St. Michael's MajorsScarborough, OntarioToronto Jr. Canadiens
9Tyler Seguin CanadaPlymouth WhalersBrampton, OntarioToronto Nationals
10Brandon Saad United StatesSaginaw SpiritGibsonia, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh Hornets
11Gregg Sutch CanadaSarnia StingNewmarket, OntarioYork-Simcoe Express
12Cody McNaughton CanadaGuelph StormEtobicoke, OntarioToronto Jr. Canadiens
13Christian Thomas CanadaLondon KnightsToronto, OntarioToronto Marlboros
14Freddie Hamilton CanadaNiagara IceDogsSt. Catherines, OntarioToronto Marlboros
15Sam Carrick CanadaBrampton BattalionGoodwood, OntarioToronto Red Wings
16Kevin Bailie CanadaOshawa GeneralsBelleville, OntarioQuinte Red Devils
17Cam Fowler United StatesWindsor SpitfiresFarmington Hills, MichiganUSA U17
18Brock Beukeboom CanadaSault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsPort Perry, OntarioCentral Ontario Wolves
19Stephen Silas CanadaBelleville BullsGeorgetown, OntarioHalton Hills Hurricanes
20Jeff Skinner CanadaKitchener RangersMarkham, OntarioToronto Nationals

2008 CHL Import Draft

On June 29, 2008, the Canadian Hockey League conducted the 2008 CHL Import Draft, in which teams in all three CHL leagues participate in. The Sudbury Wolves held the first pick in the draft by a team in the OHL, and selected Nikita Filatov from Russia with their selection.
Below are the players who were selected in the first round by Ontario Hockey League teams in the 2008 CHL Import Draft.
#PlayerNationalityOHL TeamHometownMinor Team
1Nikita Filatov RussiaSudbury WolvesMoscow, RussiaMoscow HC CSKA-2
4Edgar Rybakov LithuaniaErie OttersVilnius, LithuaniaMoscow HC CSKA-2
7Andrei Loktionov RussiaWindsor SpitfiresVoskresensk, RussiaYaroslavl Lokomotiv-2
10Richard Panik SlovakiaWindsor SpitfiresMartin, SlovakiaTrinec HC Zelenzarny Jr.
13Adam Sedlak Czech RepublicPeterborough PetesOstrava, Czech RepublicVitkovice Ostrave Jr.
16William Wallén SwedenMississauga St. Michael's MajorsStockholm, SwedenDjurgarden IF Jr.
19Tomas Rachunek Czech RepublicSault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsZlin, Czech RepublicVsetin Jr.
22Sergei Sheleg BelarusSudbury WolvesMinsk, BelarusMinsk Junost 2
25Phillip Grubauer GermanyBelleville BullsRosenheim, GermanyStarbulls Rosenheim Jr.
28Jakub Svoboda Czech RepublicSaginaw SpiritPrerov, Czech RepublicBrno Kometa Jr.
31Miroslav Preisinger SlovakiaSarnia StingBratislava, SlovakiaBratislava Slovan Jr.
34Robert Kousal Czech RepublicOshawa GeneralsPardubice, Czech RepublicPardubice Jr.
37Sergei Korostin RussiaLondon KnightsProkopievsk, RussiaTexas Tornado
40Evgeny Grachev RussiaBrampton BattalionYaroslavl, RussiaYaroslavl Lokomotiv-2
43Maximilian Englbrecht GermanyNiagara IceDogsLandshut, GermanyLandshut EV Jr.
46Evgeny Molotilov RussiaGuelph StormMoscow, RussiaMoscow Dynamo-2
49Richard Jarusek Czech RepublicSaginaw SpiritBrno, Czech RepublicBrno Kometa Jr.
52Kirill Polozov RussiaBarrie ColtsUfa, RussiaUfa Salavat Yulayev-2
55Jan Latal Czech RepublicPlymouth WhalersStredokluky, Czech RepublicKladno Jr.
57Simon Groenvaldt DenmarkKitchener RangersRodovre, DenmarkRodovre Mighty Bulls