For
Immediate Release
Wednesday March 5, 2014
Toronto, ON
– The Ontario Hockey League in association with the Greater Toronto Hockey
League today announced all competing teams for the 2014 OHL Cup Showcase
Tournament, hosted by the GTHL, to be played March 11-16, 2014, at Buckingham
Arena in Toronto.
The list of 2014 OHL Cup competing teams includes a total of 23 minor midget teams from across Ontario and the United States. The final tournament structure will include 20 spots with 17 guaranteed through league competition and the other three earned in a Wild Card series of games introduced to the tournament structure this season.
2014 OHL Cup Teams:
ALLIANCE (4):
Kitchener Jr. Rangers (Finalists – Championship Series still in progress)
Waterloo Wolves (Finalists – Championship Series still in progress)
Chatham Cyclones*
Brantford 99ers*
*Semi-Final Wild Card Series still in progress with winner qualifying for OHL Cup and loser to Wild Card ‘Play In’ Game.
GTHL (4):
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (Finalists – Championship Series still in progress)
Toronto Marlies (Finalists – Championship Series still in progress)
Mississauga Senators (Semi-Finalists)
Vaughan Kings (Semi-Finalists)
HNO (1):
Thunder Bay Kings
NOHA (1):
Team NOHA
OEMHL (2):
Ottawa Valley Titans (Champion)
Ottawa Jr. 67’s (Finalist)
OMHA (5):
Guelph Gryphons*
Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs*
Peterborough Petes*
Southern Tier Admirals*
Whitby Wildcats*
*Top 4 of 5 teams from OMHA Championship (to be played this weekend in Welland) qualify for the OHL Cup, 5th place team will compete in a Wild Card ‘Play In’ Game.
USA (2):
Elite Hockey Group
TPH Thunder
Wild Card ‘Play In’ Game Invites (4):
Don Mills Flyers (GTHL)*
Halton Hurricanes (OMHA)*
North York Rangers (GTHL)*
South Central Coyotes (OMHA)*
*Wild Card ‘Play In’ Game Invites were determined by a Tournament Selection Committee based on regular season, playoff, and tournament play.
The three Wild Card tournament spots will be determined among six teams that include the four Wild Card ‘Play In’ Game Invites, along with the loser of the ALLIANCE Semi-Final Wild Card Series, and the fifth place team in the OMHA Championship. Those six teams will play a one game ‘win and in’ scenario to qualify on Tuesday March 11 prior to the official start of the 2014 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament.
Wild Card ‘Play In’ Game matchups and schedule will be determined the evening of Monday March 10 with a complete OHL Cup Showcase Tournament schedule and divisional alignment to be released thereafter.
The OHL in association with Rogers TV is also pleased to announce coverage of the OHL Cup on Rogers TV Cable 10/63 in Toronto/Scarborough. Broadcast coverage will include nightly games from the round-robin along with both Semi-Final matchups and the Championship Final. Schedule details are available at www.RogersTV.com/ohlcup. Additional airtimes will also be available on Rogers TV Sports+ for Rogers digital customers across Ontario on channels 368 (SD) and 369 (HD). Visit www.rogerstv.com/sports for complete broadcast schedule.
Last season the Oakville Rangers captured their first OHL cup title with a 5-1 win over the Toronto Marlies led by tournament MVP Adam Craievich who was later selected in the third round of the 2013 OHL Priority Selection by the Guelph Storm.
A total of 13 players that competed in the 2013 OHL Cup were selected in the first round of the OHL Priority Selection including nine of the top 10 players such as Travis Konecny (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs - 1st overall to the Ottawa 67’s), Dylan Strome (Toronto Marlies – 2nd overall to the Erie Otters), Matthew Spencer (Oakville Rangers – 3rd overall to the Peterborough Petes), Lawson Crouse (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs – 5th overall to the Kingston Frontenacs), Hayden McCool (Whitby Wildcats – 6th overall to the Niagara IceDogs), Kyle Capobianco (Oakville Rangers – 7th overall to the Sudbury Wolves), Mitchell Stephens (Toronto Marlies – 8th overall to the Saginaw Spirit), Nikita Korostelev (Toronto Jr. Canadiens – 9th overall to the Sarnia Sting), and Brett McKenzie (Oakville Rangers – 10th overall to the North Bay Battalion).
Three of the last six players selected first overall in the NHL Draft are OHL and OHL Cup graduates including Taylor Hall of the Edmonton Oilers, John Tavares of the New York Islanders, and Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning. 2011 NHL Rookie of the Year Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes also competed in this event, as did 2010 OHL Cup MVP Sean Monahan currently starring with the Calgary Flames in his first NHL season. Monahan was one of five OHL Cup graduates selected in the first round of the 2013 NHL Draft along with current OHL stars Darnell Nurse of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Bo Horvat and Max Domi of the London Knights, and Jason Dickinson of the Guelph Storm.
For more information please visit www.ohlcup.ca.