OHL: Justin Time

The OHL season opened on Friday night with an air of optimism from both the Barrie and St. Michael’s camps. The Colts, led by super sophomore Bryan Little, have a nice blend of youth and experience, and look poised to make a statement in the OHL’s Central Division. The St. Michael’s Majors, in contrast, are looking to repeat last year’s Eastern Conference Championship run under the tutelage of new head coach Bud Stefanski, and the stellar goaltending of star Justin Peters. Here is a look at some of the top performers from the 3-3 tie.

Tyler Haskins (Detroit), C, St. Michael’s

The slender pivot is a strong two-way player with a good understanding of the game .. uses his body effectively to set picks and create space for his teammates, but got called for an interference penalty in the third period when he took the technique a little too far .. generated numerous chances in around the net by cycling and moving the puck smartly .. could do with adding muscle to strengthen his shot and his ability to protect offensive space down low .. will be counted on to be a leader in the dressing room, in addition to spearheading the offense this season.

Ryan Wilson (2005), D, St. Michaels

The stocky sophomore is now playing alongside Scott Lehman on the top pairing .. saw plenty of time on the powerplay, where he unleashed a howitzer in the third period to tie the game .. partly due to the bad ice, Wilson had a tough time handling the puck on numerous occasions, resulting in some dangerous-looking giveaways .. displayed impressive courage when he took on Barrie tough guy Andrew Shennan, not backing down from one of the OHL’s more feared fighters .. will have plenty of opportunities to impress the scouts with his new heightened responsibilities for the Majors, and should be a fairly high pick in next year’s draft.

Ryan Rorabeck (Carolina), RW, St. Michaels

Now wearing an ‘A’ for the Majors, the steady Rorabeck has been thrust into a prominent offensive role in his fourth season with the Majors given the graduation of star captain Tim Brent and reliable veteran Sal Peralta .. a solid player at both ends of the ice, but didn’t do anything tonight that would suggest he’s prepared to shoulder a major load .. might be too much for him under the heightened scrutiny of the opposition’s top defensive players each night.

Scott Lehman (Atlanta), D, St. Michaels

The third-year blueliner is an excellent skater and took the opportunity to join the rush on numerous occasions .. loves to lug the puck up ice, but has a tendency to do too much, and will have to learn to involve his teammates more effectively .. plays with an edge, but tends to lose many of his physical one-on-one battles .. wearing a full face-shield from a pre-season injury .. the club’s de facto top defenseman, Lehman will get a chance to develop his game playing against the league’s top offensive stars this season.

Justin Peters (Carolina), G, St. Michaels

The Majors were under siege from the Colts attack in the first period, and Peters faced 13 shots, surrendering two goals .. managed to settle himself and the team down over the final two periods, displaying his usual cool self between the pipes .. his main strengths remain his unflappable nature and excellent puckhandling ability .. should flourish carrying a heavy workload this season for Stefanski.

Bryan Little (2006), C, Barrie

The OHL’s answer to Sydney Crosby, Little is a speedster with impressive puckhandling skills and uncanny offensive instincts .. already named an assistant captain in the OHL .. always plays with poise and calm .. moves the puck up ice quickly and accurately, and gains impressive speed through the neutral zone .. his line, with Dan Speer and Hunter Tremblay, was dangerous all night, and combined for five points .. following a phenomenal rookie campaign, he looks to have an expanded role in Barrie with the graduation of Cory Stillman, and should challenge for the league scoring title this season

Evan Brophey (2005), RW, Barrie

A slick skater with balance and speed, Brophey is especially dangerous on the rush when he gets outside on the defender .. has the ability to skip past defenders at top speed utilizing a variety of dazzling stick moves .. the Kitchener native has the potential to be a highlight-reel player, but must continue to improve his ability to get open for teammates .. also shows a propensity to fade out of the game when he doesn’t get a taste of the puck for prolonged periods.

B.J. Crombeen (Dallas), RW, Barrie

Entering his senior season, Crombeen will be looking to make Canada’s national junior team this time, as well as establish himself as the OHL’s top power forward .. dominant in the face-off circle, Crombeen’s size and skating ability makes him almost impossible to contain at this level, however, he didn’t seem to have too much jump in his step in this one, and settled for outside shots, and skating wide circles around the net.

Steve Spade (2006), D, Barrie

Displaying newfound composure and size on the ice, Spade looks ready to take on added responsibilities on Barrie’s blue line .. with the departure of super Colt Jeremy Swanson, there is plenty of icetime to lay claim to, and Spade looked ready to assert himself on opening night ..played physical, made smart outlet passes, and has improved his balance .. all in all, a promising performance.