OHL Announces Minor Midget Top-10 Rankings for 2016 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament, News (Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario)

The weekly rankings are determined by a panel of OHL Central Scouting Staff and represent the top teams that are competing to play in the annual year-end championship tournament which takes place March 15-21, 2016.  All games will be played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto until the Championship Final moves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Monday March 21.

Minor Midget Rankings for the 2016 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament – Week 11

Three teams from the GTHL have officially qualified for the 2016 OHL Cup by advancing to their league Semi-Finals including the Mississauga Rebels, Toronto Marlies, and Toronto Red Wings.  They will be joined by the winner of the first round playoff matchup between the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and the Don Mills Flyers.  The loser of that matchup along with the Mississauga Senators, Markham Majors, and Vaughan Kings will compete in the GTHL Wild Card Series where two winners will earn automatic placement into 2016 OHL Cup Wild Card Play-In Games. 

Semi-Finals match-ups are also set in the ALLIANCE featuring the Waterloo Wolves against the Kitchener Jr. Rangers, and the London Jr. Knights against the Windsor Jr. Spitfires.  Both series winners will earn automatic entry into the 2016 OHL Cup, with the losing teams competing in a Semi-Final Wild Card Series with the winner also granted a berth in the tournament.  The fourth place team will be eligible for an OHL Cup Wild Card Play-In Game.

The OHL Cup continues to showcase 20 participating teams from across Ontario and the United States, but as of February, 2016, 15 of the 20 spots are now guaranteed through league competition.  The 15 guaranteed spots include all four GTHL Semi-Finalists, and the top four teams that place at the OMHA Championship.  Three teams from the ALLIANCE will still be guaranteed a spot in the tournament including the Champion and Finalist, along with the winner of a best-of-three Semi-Final Wild Card Series to be played between the losers of the two league Semi-Finals.  Two tournament entries are reserved for United States competition, while both an HNO and NOHA representative will also compete. 

Also announced in February, 2016, is the addition of one Wild Card Play-In Game whereupon the final five entries at the 2016 OHL Cup will now be Wild Cards determined among 10 teams that will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario.  The 10 competing teams aiming for the final five tournament spots will now include five teams named by the Tournament Selection Committee based on regular season, playoff, and tournament play.  The other Wild Card Play-In Game spots will continue to include the fifth place team at the OMHA Championship, and the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series.  Two spots in Wild Card games are also reserved for GTHL teams.  The two competing GTHL teams will be determined through a pair of Wild Card Play-In Series matchups involving the four GTHL teams who qualified for the playoffs but lost in the first round.  The final spot in a Wild Card will be reserved for the winner of an OMHA SCTA Consolation Game that features both teams who lost in the SCTA Tournament Semi-Final.  The OMHA teams eligible for this matchup will be determined annually based on the league not hosting the OMHA Championship.  All five Wild Card games will take place on Tuesday March 15 with specific matchups and times of play to be determined by random draw among the 10 competing teams on Monday March 14.

Last season the Toronto Marlboros captured their fifth OHL Cup title in 11 years with a 3-2 overtime win over the Don Mills Flyers. Marlies forward and OHL Cup MVP Ryan McLeod followed up older brother Michael McLeod's MVP effort in 2014 with three goals and four assists in the tournament.

McLeod was one of 12 first round draft selections from 2015 OHL Cup teams, including six of the top ten picks. Those names include David Levin (Don Mills Flyers - 1st overall to the Sudbury Wolves), Ryan McLeod (Toronto Marlboros - 3rd overall to the Flint Firebirds), Brady Gilmour (Quinte Red Devils - 6th overall to the Saginaw Spirit), Ben Jones (Toronto Marlboros - 7th overall to the Niagara IceDogs), Matthew Strome (Toronto Marlboros - 8th overall to the Hamilton Bulldogs) and Markus Phillips (Toronto Titans - 9th overall to the Owen Sound Attack).

Five first round selections in the 2015 NHL Draft are also OHL Cup graduates including Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros/Edmonton Oilers), Dylan Strome (Toronto Marlboros/Arizona Coyotes), Mitch Marner (Don Mills Flyers/Toronto Maple Leafs), Lawson Crouse (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs/Florida Panthers) and Travis Konecny (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs/Philadelphia Flyers).

Notable OHL Cup graduates currently playing in the NHL include Taylor Hall (Greater Kingston Frontenacs/Edmonton Oilers), John Tavares (Toronto Marlboros/New York Islanders), Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers/Tampa Bay Lightning), Tyler Seguin (Toronto Nationals/Dallas Stars), 2013 Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban (Markham Islanders/Montreal Canadiens) and 2010 OHL Cup MVP Sean Monahan (Mississauga Rebels/Calgary Flames).

For more information, please visit ohlcup.ca.