Defending OHL Goaltender of the 12 months Jacob Oster will hope to steer the Oshawa Generals to ther Memorial Cup in 2024-25. Photograph by Goodall Media
The preseason version of the Canadian Hockey League Prime 10 Rankings for 2024-25 have been launched with OHL golf equipment taking 4 of the spots, together with the Oshawa Generals at #8.
Sitting atop the listing to start the common season is the Medication Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League, adopted by the Brampton Steelheads and London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.
The rankings have been decided with enter from NHL Central Scouting forward of the beginning of the common season, which formally begins this Friday. The Saginaw Spirit will increase their 2024 Memorial Cup Championship banner Friday, September 27 at residence in opposition to Windsor. Oshawa opens its season the identical day on the street in Kingston.
The Generals residence opener is Sunday, September 29 vs Ottawa.
Set to function as many as six NHL prospects together with 2023-24 CHL Rookie of the 12 months Gavin McKenna, Medication Hat come into the season because the top-ranked crew within the CHL and looking for a primary Memorial Cup look since 2007.
At #2 is the Brampton Steelheads, who will rejoice their first yr in Brampton after their transfer from neighbouring Mississauga. Having added some expertise, along with their younger stars benefiting from a yr’s price of expertise, the Steelheads seem poised for a particular season of their new residence.
Defending OHL champion London Knights maintain down the #3 spot within the early rankings, returning a good portion of their roster that fell only one recreation wanting lifting the Memorial Cup final June.
The ‘Q’ has the following three spots, with Moncton Wildcats at #4, Rimouski Oceanic at #5 and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at #6. Prince George Cougars of the western league sit at #7 within the pre-season rankings.
Followers in Oshawa have excessive hopes for the Generals this yr, who can be bringing again a lot of the roster that carried the membership to the OHL championship closing after a sluggish begin that noticed them preventing for playoff positioning at Christmas.
A 12-game profitable streak within the new yr carried them into their first OHL closing since 2015, a yr the crew received their fifth Memorial Cup.
On the backend, Oshawa needs to be anchored by defencemen and NHL prospects Luca Marelli (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Ben Danford (Toronto Maple Leafs), with 2023-24 OHL Goaltender of the 12 months Jacob Oster within the internet. Oster led the OHL with 35 wins final season whereas setting a brand new membership mark with 3,569 minutes performed in a single season. Up entrance, Oshawa is predicted to see the return of an elite ahead group together with Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Geese), whose return to Oshawa can be delayed till someday in October as he recovers from a foot fracture sustained throughout his offseason coaching. Calum Ritchie (Colorado Avalanche) is one other who could possibly be an enormous issue for the Generals this season, however the latter will rely upon whether or not he cracks the Avalanche roster.
Winnipeg Jets 2023 first-rounder Colby Barlow can also be rumoured to be heading to Oshawa in a commerce as soon as he’s returned from Winnipeg, additional bolstering the Generals assault.
A crop of 20-year-olds that would embrace the likes of forwards Luke Torrance, Dylan Roobroeck and/or Luca D’Amato ought to assist make the 2024-25 Generals squad a pressure to be reckoned with within the OHL beneath new head coach Steve O’Rourke.
Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) at #9 and Kelowna Rockets (WHL) at #10 spherical out the rankings.
Oshawa Generals after profitable the Bobby Orr Trophy as Jap Convention champions final season
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