OHL: Release The Hounds

Backed by hard work and the coaching of Craig Hartsburg, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds exceeded expectations this season. The Hounds pulled off an opening round upset by eliminating the Saginaw Spirit and found themselves down three games in the second round before storming back to win three straight to force a Game 7, before finally losing to the top team in the OHL, the London Knights. Even though the Hounds lost the series, they look to be in good shape next season, as they will have plenty of talented overage players to fill the void of those not returning. McKeen's reviews several Greyhounds who had a strong postseason.

Josh Godfrey (2007), D, Sault Ste. Marie

Was a complete one-man wrecking crew against Saginaw, as he scored seven goals in the series .. blistering shot from the point, the Knights did a good job of neutralizing him and getting a player on top to challenge his shot more .. made the adjustment and delivered passes with precision in an attempt to breakdown the London box .. average feet that hinders him from joining the rush freely .. he skates smoothly, as his change of direction is good .. should continue to be the go-to-guy on the backend and improve upon his offensive totals .. his OHL career may follow that of Danny Syvret, passed over only to be drafted at a later date.

Jake Muzzin (2007), D, Sault Ste. Marie

First rounder of 2004 failed to play in a game in his rookie season due to an off-ice weight lifting accident .. did not play as much as he should have throughout the season, which affected his confidence levels .. saw more time in the London series .. boasts impressive size .. a safe, reliable defender who will stay committed to his defensive assignments .. not much offence to his game if any at all .. slows down with the puck and is very methodical with it .. takes his time to unleash his shot .. decent skater, his long stride allows him to garner speed .. has trouble pivoting and looses footing down low, as his mobility suffers due to his shaky balance .. still learning the ropes.

Chris MacKinnon (2007), LW, Sault Ste. Marie

Super-slick speedster was relied upon heavily to put pressure on the forecheck creating turnovers against a slow-footed London defence .. first-step quickness and fluidity in his skating stride allow him to play at this level .. he showed little to no fear and willingly charged the net and went to dirty areas to score .. still has minor bouts of inconsistency and needs to be reminded to move his feet at times .. still rather lean, he would benefit greatly from a serious off-ice workout regime.

Cody Thornton (FA), RW, Sault Ste. Marie

Could have been one of the best overage players available this season .. did a phenomenal job leading his team all season .. does everything a captain would do, hits, competes, scores and leads by example with his work ethic .. slightly on the small side, he should be able to off set that area of concern with his feistiness .. he does a good job of getting behind defenders and making plays by getting to loose pucks or receiving a back door pass .. uses wristshot in traffic with modest success .. shoots too often which results in him failing to see and/or use his linemates .. vision at times is debateable .. should be able to hone his skills in the ECHL next year with a promotion to the AHL with the right organization.

Jiri Tlusty (Tor), LW, Sault Ste. Marie

Content to play to the level of competition in the regular season, Tlusty elevated his game to monumental proportions in the playoffs .. was a complete wrecking ball against the Spirit .. protects the puck so well and he drove to the net making it almost impossible to stop him without drawing a penalty .. great sense and anticipation, he moves to open ice so well and always has the puck on his blade .. challenged defenders and made many nice plays down low to generate offence .. hard to contain against the boards, as he is not only strong but also slippery .. size and puck skills make players respect him thus opening up more room for himself .. can make solid tape-to-tape passes .. his play and development in the OHL was well served under coach Hartsburg, as the experience helped all facets of his game .. not likely to come back, as a roster spot on the Marlies is all but guaranteed.

James Livingston (2008), RW, Sault Ste. Marie

Represented Ontario at the Canada games in Whitehorse capturing the gold medal .. hulking first rounder is a complete animal on the ice .. he is not always thinking, which will hurt his team in the future with unnecessary penalties and costly positioning, as he always looks to make contact with a player .. squat down skater, his stride is super long however, his first step is slightly off .. great reach which enables him to create turnovers .. has scoring ability however, he failed to capitalize on his chances this season .. should be a key contributor in all areas of the ice next year and should start to impose his will on others, as he is a mean player.

Sean Jones (2008), LW, Sault Ste. Marie

Livingston's teammate last season with the York Simcoe Express, the two played with one another this year as well .. there is no doubting his puck skills and ability to make moves at top speed however, he still struggled in the playoffs as to what would work and what would not .. he tried to beat two guys at the line instead of making the simple dump in and he did not move his feet enough taking too long to make a pass .. all of these faults resulted in fewer shifts for .. his speed and shot release are his best weapons .. experience this year should better prepare him next year but his slight frame (5'9, 160) is a glaring concern.