AS discussed here recently, many players from Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario have performed admirably over the years in the Ontario Hockey League.
They were all scouted, recruited and eventually drafted by OHL clubs before making the trek to the major junior ranks.
Looking to find out what exactly the birddogs thought about some of these local standouts in the league, we reached out to a long-time OHL executive to ask him to dig into his notes from over the years to get his input on what exactly some of these locals brought to the ice in their time there.
Jeff Twohey, who spent 29 years with the Peterborough Petes, including scouting and 17 as their general manager, as well as a stint as GM with their rival, the Oshawa Generals, is about as knowledgeable as they come when it comes to eying talent.
Boasting 600 victories in the league as a GM along with being part a number of championship clubs, Twohey drafted many star players in the OHL, including the likes of Eric and Jordan Staal.
More recently he spent seven seasons as the assistant director of amateur scouting with the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes, so his pedigree alone shows his opinions are highly valued.
With that, here is Part I of ‘Twohey’s Take’ on a number of players from the region and what they brought in their time in the OHL:
MARC STAAL, (D) SUDBURY WOLVES: (A two-time OHL first team all-star and league Top D award winner. Also won gold twice for Canada at the World Juniors.)
TWOHEY’S TAKE: Like the other Staals; high-end character and a very smart player. Quietly very efficient, very steady and reliable. Not a lot of offensive flare but, you win with the defensive ability that he brings.
MIKE TOMLAK, (C) CORNWALL ROYALS: (200 games played; 255 points, including 183 assists.)
TT: I remember him in Cornwall as a big imposing center. He was not overly physical, but had a great reach, really good puck skills and offensive instincts. He got steadily better every year it seemed.
TREVOR LETOWSKI, (C) SARNIA STING: (248 points in 187 games. He also won World Jr. Gold for Canada as both a player and coach.)
TT: Trevor was another Thunder Bay player that I always liked. But I failed to step up early enough and draft him. Like a lot of these players, Trevor was a very cerebral player. Smart and skilled, but lacked size. He would be an even bigger star in today’s game. Great vision.
CAMERON MANN (RW) PETERBOROUGH PETES: (Over a point-per-game performer with 253 in 230 outings. A two-time OHL first team all-star and 1996 Memorial Cup MVP.)
TT: He came to us in Peterborough as a raw, talented, immature young kid. Learned how to maximize his ability from playing with players like Jamie Langenbruner. High-end offensive skill, but very deadly on the PK as well. Back in ’96, he had the most dominant playoff performance I’ve ever seen.
JEFF RICCIARDI, (D) OTTAWA 67S: (Produced 156 points from the back end in 239 games. Was a second team all-star in 1991-92 with the 67s.)
TT: A smaller defenceman that was very strong. Played extremely hard and could back it up. We played against him a lot when he was in Ottawa and he was a player that you always respected.
MIKE RICHARDS, (C) KITCHENER RANGERS: (Produced nearly 300 points in the OHL. Won a Memorial Cup with Kitchener in 2003 and a World Jr. Hockey Championship in 2005.)
TT: When I think of Richards, I think of a player with not only talent, but a very relentless, competitive style of play. I saw him play in Kenora and really liked him but, never got a shot at him. Good player.
Next week more local OHL scouting reports from Jeff Twohey.