OHL: A Major Improvement

The new look St.Mikes Majors not only sport new jerseys and a new rink but they also sport a new coach. Well, kind of. Coach Dave Cameron returns to the fold after a brief two-year stint in the AHL with the Binghamton Senators. The franchise leader in wins by a coach will look to restore some pride back into the program that was lost during the Stefanski years.

The Mississauga St. Michael's Majors acquired several key players after unloading many of their stars in recent years. The future looks bright for the organization, as they have the coaching now to get them back to respectability. McKeen's looks at three "minor" Majors including Casey Cizikas, as well as several prospects eligible for the NHL draft in 2008.

Tim Billingsley (2008), D, St.Mikes

Was not overly used in many offensive situations last year .. lack of confidence with the puck crippled his game slightly last season but with the new coaching staff and changes to the backend, Billingsley should see his icetime flourish .. a steady, no-nonsense defender whose size and mobility aid him in defending .. his reverse skating is a positive, as he can keep up with most forwards and make strong defensive reads .. his great range of motion is what helps him see the ice with more regularity .. he takes great pride in his defensive game and it is improving drastically in his second season .. he is still raw in terms of his overall offensive potential .. he can make a good pass out of the zone but is still very apprehensive with the puck .. he gets some PP time but does not always protect the line well and loses many battles along the boards, as he fails to control and settle down pucks .. needs to assert himself more and play with an edge .. he has already exceeded his PIM totals from last season in the first 15 games so he is showing a willingness to be tougher .. could warrant NHL draft considerations and follow a similar development path to that of Drew Scheistel.

Cameron Gaunce (2008), D, St.Mikes

Originally slated to go the school route, Gaunce quickly reconsidered his options following the organization's changes in arena venue and coaching staff .. an offensive-minded defenseman who is used extensively on the PP .. shows poise and patience with the puck .. he has a hard shot and couples it well with good vision on the ice, making his play a little less readable .. has a physical dimension to his game .. he is not afraid to go into the corners and dig the puck out for himself and battle down low .. his feet are slightly heavy .. he is rigid and relies more on his ability to keep forwards to the outside so he can pin them against the glass .. his speed is average, as he struggles with his first step .. still learning to adapt to the pace of the OHL, he is prone to some mistakes in his own zone.

Justin Larson (2008), LW, St.Mikes

Acquired in the Justin Donati deal, the Majors add a power forward with size and game-breaking potential .. has yet to make the necessary adjustments to the OHL and still struggles to keep up at times .. his skating is ok, as it is backed by a long stride however, his speed is very limited due to his lack of a first step .. his overall balance comes into question, as he often falls down when checked .. his upper body appears to be well developed however, his core strength and lower body strength are areas that need to be concentrated on .. his hands are quicker than his feet .. he can stickhandle effortlessly when standing still but is unable to generate much space for himself due to his lack of overall speed .. he hits and uses his body well in front and along the boards .. continues to be a pet project that may pay dividends toward the end of the season.

Michael Pelech (2008), LW/C, St.Mikes

Pelech showed signs of being able to dominate this year, as he ended the season with 12 points in his final eight games .. this year however, he has taken a step backwards and seems almost content to play in the scenery .. has the size and tools to take over a game however, he rarely uses his size to his advantage electing to make pathetic stick checks, as opposed to asserting his body and hitting a player off the puck .. he plays with little emotion and at times does not care that he loses the puck and the play is going in the other direction .. he is lazy defensively .. big body but does a horrible job protecting himself from being hit .. an average skater, he uses his size to stickhandle but is only effective in PP situations .. despite his increase in points, he has failed to take over games even in the absence of Matt Caria with added icetime.

Dylan O'Neil (2009), C, RW, St.Mikes

The pressure of being the first round selection may have been too much for O'Neil to endure .. he struggled to find any ice under the tutelage of coach Stefanski .. slotted on the third line, he plays more of a checking role, as he is not allotted many offensive chances .. he uses his speed to pester the opposition off the puck .. he can and will battle in traffic areas but he is still grossly underdeveloped and as a result, loses many of the battles he engages in .. he plays well defensively, as he is responsible in his own end .. has not grown or matured offensively however, time is thankfully on his side due to his late birth date.

Casey Cizikas (2009), C, St.Mikes

Third overall selection has stepped in admirably and earned his ice with his gritty, skilled two-way play .. a fixture on special teams already as a 16-year-old, his game has matured considerably .. always moving his feet and buzzing around the goal .. is sensationally strong for his size and weight .. has already earned the respect of older players, as he commands time and space .. will get physical and stick players, as he has a mean streak in him .. he is a deceptive skater capable of stealing pucks and causing turnovers in the neutral zone .. competes hard on all faceoffs using his feet or body to win them .. he is a good scorer in close but also boasts a sensational one-timer slapshot .. already on the first line due to a rash of injuries, he has made the most out of his icetime .. he is certainly future captain material, as he embodies a work ethic that is married with a solid skill set.

Brett Flemming (2009), D, St.Mikes

Fleming has been in and out of the lineup splitting time with the Burlington Cougars of the OPJHL .. had a bit of a rough training camp, as he was hit hard and suffered a concussion .. did not play extensively in the early stages of the game due to the closeness of the score .. when the game was out of reach for the Majors, he saw his icetime increase .. a swift, stealth-like skater with blinding quickness and tremendous mobility .. fast feet and first step explosiveness allow him to keep up at this level of competition .. his puck skills are still unpolished .. his strength and conditioning will slowly come along, as he is still young and has plenty of time to mature .. he shows considerable promise, as he was the sixth defenseman (23rd overall) taken last in last year's OHL entry draft .. coach Cameron has a good way of developing young defenseman and did so for Kevin Klein.