OHL: Top Dog OSullivan

This year the Mississauga Ice Dogs have it all: depth, talent, solid goaltending and excellent team speed. Spearheading the Dogs' attack is Minnesota Wild's draft pick Patrick O'Sullivan. OHL correspondent Doug Evinou was at a recent Ice Dogs' match against the St. Mike's Majors, and posts this report on some of the promising Mississauga skaters.

Patrick O'Sullivan (MIN), C, Mississauga

Incredibly poised with the puck; elite puck skills and excellent over-all vision of the ice .. dangerous on the rush due to uncanny ability to for nifty puck control at top speed .. loves to create on the power play, where he is adept at manipulating the puck to buy time for a teammate to work into open ice .. found Adam Abraham on the side boards with a breath-taking pass, connecting for a power play marker early in the second period .. carried the puck through the neutral zone and sprung Jordan Owens with a pass that led to the eventual game winning goal .. his four assists this night now gave him fifteen points in only six games .. does an adequate job in the face-off circle with quick hands and smarts, but size will cost him some battles against bigger centers .. named the Ice Dogs' captain for the 2004/05 season .. an under-sized pivot, therefore must continue to upgrade his speed and ability to make decisions quickly to succeed at the pro level down the road .. one of junior hockey's most exciting players.

Dustin Jeffrey (2006), C, Mississauga

Mississauga's first selection in the 2004 OHL draft (17th overall) centers the Ice Dogs' third line alongside Atlanta draft pick Chad Painchaud .. a tall skater with good speed and agility, he already looks acclimatized to the OHL game .. made a no-look pass to the point in a four-on-four situation, but the defender was out of position which allowed Majors' forward Cal Clutterbuck to take the puck for an unimpeded breakaway and a goal .. sees a regular shift, and has earned coach Greg Gilbert's trust with otherwise conscientious defensive play .. a talented and promising rookie who should be able to help fill O'Sullivan's shoes next season when the Ice Dogs' captain graduates.

Kyle Quincey (Det), D, Mississauga

Part of the return in last season's Rob Schremp trade .. a leader on the Ice Dogs' blue line .. one of three assistant captains on the roster .. a rangy defender who plays well in all situations .. sound positioning and defensive play .. a talented power play specialist; worked the puck to O'Sullivan in the second period on a play that resulted in a Tom Zanoski power play goal .. uses his nice size to intimidate in the defensive zone .. has the quickness to compensate for the few mistakes he does make .. one of the prime OHL rearguards this season.

Adam Abraham (2005), D, Mississauga

Coming off a productive rookie campaign (24 points) .. a well-balanced skater who can lug the puck up the ice and shows potential as an offensive defenseman .. unloads a powerful right-handed shot from the point .. on a second period power play, made an informed decision to sneak in from the point and made no mistake converting a cross-ice Patrick O'Sullivan pass past Justin Peters up high .. will benefit this season from the tutelage of his defensive partner Kyle Quincey .. sub-par height is an issue, but he is solidly built at around 200 lbs .. strong enough on his skates and is expected to stand his ground at higher levels of play in the future.

Cody Bass (2005), C, Mississauga

Starting to come into his own .. so far producing at near a point-a-game pace this season .. speed and ability to move the puck are strengths .. named an assistant captain of the Ice Dogs; an indication of leadership qualities and confidence from coach Greg Gilbert .. picked up a second assist on Tom Zanoski's empty net goal .. his comfort level is partly due to the fifteen pounds of muscle he has added since last season .. should garner a lot of attention from NHL scouts as the season progresses.

Chad Painchaud (ATL), LW/RW, Mississauga

(editor's note: Painchaud was traded to Sarnia) Speedy winger is playing on the Ice Dogs' third line alongside rookie Dustin Jeffrey .. plays a feisty two-way game .. sees some duty on the power play, and registered a freebie assist on O'Sullivan's seeing-eye pass to Adam Abraham in the second period .. has grown an inch since his draft year .. exhibits excellent skating abilities and consistent effort, although overall offensive potential is not elite.

Brandon Elliott (TB), D, Mississauga

Big, bruising rearguard is one of the OHL's most respected heavyweights .. an intimidating presence on the ice .. close to matching his offensive total from 03/04 (four points) with a goal and two assists in four games thus far .. puck control skills are rough and need considerable work .. opposing forwards routinely strip him off the puck and skipped past him with little chips down the ice .. size and fighting prowess are pro-worthy, but future will be cloudy unless he polishes his puck skills.

Game Notes

The Mississauga Ice Dogs sat star goaltender David Shantz in the match, letting newly acquired Michael Ouzas start against his former teammates. Ouzas stopped 29 shots en route to victory in his first appearance this season. Although not expected to play a lot this season, Ouzas will likely hold down the fort while Shantz attends Canada's National Junior Team Camp and possibly the tournament itself (in late December and early January).