OHL Players Hope Super Series Wins Give Them Edge

Today 40 players from across Canada meet in Toronto to start team Canada’s World Junior Selection camp.

12 of those players are from the OHL (thanks to the addition of Jesse Blacker). Each one participated in this year’s Subway Super Series. Team OHL was the only team to defeat the Russians this year 4-0 and 2-1 (so). The Russians won the event for the first time in the eight years it’s gone on. With Canada’s first game of the WJC against a very similar Russian team, the OHL players hope that their showing in the Super Series will give them an advantage heading into camp.

The CHL and Hockey Canada use the Subway Super Series as a precursor for the Canada’s selection camp. In the past, players have played their way on and off team Canada with their performance during the series. Former Barrie Colt captain Stefan Della Rovere made team Canada based on his performance two years ago whereas at the same time former Windsor Spitfire Taylor Hall played his way off the team.

This year Kevin Prendergast took over as head scout for Hockey Canada and he felt that the series was invaluable for him and his crew.

“It certainly was this year”, said Prendergast. “I don’t know what it was like in the past but the Russians brought over a hell of a team this year.”

Team OHL took advantage of a road weary Russian team in the first game and was saved by Casey Cizikas’ shorthanded, game tying, goal in the third period of game two.

“That was a really fun game,” recalls Cizikas with a smile on his face. “They were really good. I went out there, I knew how I had to play to get noticed. Just get the puck deep, work it and get in front of the net for the point shots and just don’t give up any odd man rushes. Always back check. I thought I did a good job and I got rewarded there [with the goal].”

“[The Russians] gave us some good indications as to where some of our players we felt were either high or low on our list and that changed our thought process,” says Prendergast.

A player that is currently on the outside looking in, Ryan Murphy, hopes that his play was enough to warrant an extra long look in camp. The Kitchener Rangers’ defenceman is a dynamic offensive threat every time he’s on the ice and could fill the role that Ryan Ellis did two years ago in Ottawa as the seventh defenceman.

“It was really important”, says Murphy about his game in the Super Series. “I knew who was watching and at the same time I just tried to put it in the back of my head and play my game. I think I did a pretty good job of that.”

Murphy finished the game with no points, a +1 and two minutes in the box for interference.

“I would have liked to have put some points up but yea I was a bit nervous knowing that all the Hockey Canada guys were there.”

With camp starting tomorrow Murphy will have to get over those nerves if he wants to be playing in Buffalo over Christmas and not Kitchener.

Third overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Erik Gudbranson had a solid showing in both games for team OHL. He finished with one assist, +3 and four penalty minutes.

“I played my game,” says Gudbranson. “I threw the body around, I made simple plays and good passes. I think it went well.”

There are 10 other OHL players that feel the same way about their Super Series performances. They are all hopping the same thing that their two victories over the Russians will give them the edge leading into camp.

“As a measuring stick it was a great opportunity for the coaches and myself to look and say ok these are the type of players we’re going to need to beat this [Russian] team,” concluded Prendergast.