Haliburton County Huskies coach Ryan Ramsay predicts it’ll be a rat race for playoff positioning over the next several weeks, with the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) regular season into its penultimate month.
The hometown team sits third in the East Conference with 53 points from 37 games, boasting a record of 26 wins, 10 losses and one overtime defeat. They’re four points back of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens in second place, and nine behind the table-topping Trenton Golden Hawks.
It was a busy festive period for the Huskies, who played five games between Dec. 20 and Jan. 6, going 3-1-1. They bested the Markham Royals 5-2 in road action Dec. 20; fell to the Golden Hawks 2-0 on Dec. 21; defeated the Stouffville Spirit 4-1 on Dec. 29; and beat nearby neighbours the Lindsay Muskies 7-2 in the ‘Battle of Hwy. 35’ on New Year’s Eve.
The team dropped its first game of the new year Jan. 6, a 4-3 double overtime loss on the road to the Cobourg Cougars.
“I think we played pretty well for the most part over the holidays – we had some good crowds in here [at S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena], which always helps with the atmosphere and the energy levels of the boys,” Ramsay said. “I like the look of our team… I’m seeing improvements every game.”
With the OJHL trade deadline Jan. 10, Ramsay has been busy tweaking his young squad.
There have been six new additions since Dec. 20 – sixfoot-three defenceman Luke Hampel arrived from the King Rebellion in exchange for forward Adam Smeeton and blueliner Ryan Fairbairn. Ramsay said Hampel is a large-bodied defenceman who will be relied on to play big minutes down the stretch. He had five points in 19 games with the Rebellion this season.
The rights to 20-year-old left winger Tai York came via the Cobourg Cougars – where he played for part of the 2021/22 season. The Cougars secured defenceman Carson Littlejohn in the deal. York has enjoyed a blistering start to his Huskies career, putting up nine points in five games after scoring five in 14 for the Sioux Falls Stampede in the United States Hockey League.
With rookie goaltender Carter Nadon sidelined for the remainder of the season through injury, Ramsay went shopping for a backstop who could compete for Tyler Hodges for starts. He landed on Stephen Toltl, a 19-year-old who played in six games for the Spirit this season, going 2-4 and boasting a 2.69 goals against average and .921 save percentage. He most recently represented the Greater Sudbury Cubs in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Daniel Vasic, an 18-year-old centreman, arrived via the Leamington Flyers – where he put up 18 points in 22 games.
A fifth deal was announced Jan. 7, with forward Nolan Ling returning to the OJHL after a season-and-a-half with the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he put up 34 points in 90 games. He previously appeared for the Golden Hawks, Cougars and Toronto Patriots during the 2021/22 and 2022/21 seasons.
There was another move on Jan. 8, with Ramsay securing 18-year-old centreman Kieran Litterick from the Pickering Panthers. The coach said the six-foot-two forward is a “big time” improvement down the middle. Ryder Dagenais and William Stewart were sent to Pickering as part of the deal.
“We think we have a really good team now, but everyone else is improving too,” Ramsay said. “There’s always a need to get better – there’s no such thing as a perfect team.”
Ramsay will be hoping his young charges are as close as possible to perfect Jan. 11 as the Canadiens visit Minden for a much anticipated four-pointer. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m.
“JRC is always a good team – we’re right on their tail and trying our best to chase them,” Ramsay said. “It’s a big game – always an interesting match-up… we’re both fast and skilled teams. We’re going to have to play hard, not turn the puck over, and stay out of the penalty box, which has been a little bit of a problem lately.”
