Otters Talk, a weekly one-hour Internet chat session focusing on your favorite team and league, has been moved to 10 p.m. tonight. The chat returns to Tuesdays at 9 p.m. next week.
Head to www.goerie.com/ottersot and click on the Otters Talk link. Type your name in the login box to enter the room. A password is not needed. For more information about Otters’ coverage, call Victor Fernandes at (814) 870-1716 or e-mail him at victor.fernandes@timesnews.com.

The OHL has suspended Erie Otters defenseman Brian Shaw for the final six games of the season for his game misconduct against Niagara Sunday. He received a 5-minute major penalty for checking from behind, a 5-min. fighting penalty and a game misconduct in the second period.
The game misconduct prompted an automatic review by league officials. Footage of the play showed Shaw’ check sending an IceDogs’ player hard into the boards, Ted Baker, OHL vice president, said Tuesday. “The league has always expressed concern over illegal use of sticks and checking from behind,” Baker said. “It’s an infraction we want to eliminate from our game.”

– Victor Fernandes

The OHL has instituted the mandatory use of neck guards in the regular season and playoffs, beginning with Monday’s games, commissioner David Branch announced Tuesday in a prepared statement.
In light of Florida winger Richard Zednik’s recent neck injury, the league’s Competition Committee and Executive Committee presented a recommendation for mandatory neck protection to the Board of Governors. Zednik suffered a severed carotid artery when teammate Olli Jokinen’s skate sliced into his neck on Feb. 10 at HSBC Arena in Buffalo.
“The Ontario Hockey League has a responsibility to continually address the best interests of the players,” Branch said. “We are of the opinion that the introduction of the wearing of neck guards will only serve to enhance the health and welfare of all players in our league.”

* Palmieri AHL-bound?: Right wing Nick Palmieri will join a New Jersey Devils’ affiliate, potentially the AHL’s Lowell (Mass.) Devils, after the Otters’ season ends next weekend, he said Friday. “It will be a good experience,” said Palmieri, who expects to learn his destination from Devils’ officials next week.
Center Zack Torquato also has spoken with Detroit officials about gaining professional experience after the season. But the Red Wings don’t have an ECHL affiliate, Torquato said, “So it will be tough.” The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Griffins are the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate.
* Special visit: Goaltender Jaroslav Janus has spent the past week playing in front of his father, Frantisek, and his sister, Daniela. With their Slovakian flags and scarves, his family members cheered loudly from their Tullio Arena seats for the past four home wins. “It should be like that from everybody,” Janus said with a laugh.
His mother, Jana, who doesn’t like flying, and his brother, Frantisek, didn’t travel to Erie. But, Jaroslav Janus said, “It’s been really good. I’m happy (my father and sister are) here.” Tonight, they will watch the Otters face Plymouth before returning home Sunday.
* Injury update: Defensemen Paul Cianfrini (sprained medial collateral ligament in left knee) and Tyler Hostetter (concussion) and forward Jordan Skellett (swollen right thigh) rejoined the Otters’ lineup Friday. Defenseman Robyn Sertic (undisclosed injury) missed the game.
* Around the rink: The Otters also scratched defensemen Mitch Gaulton (left elbow), Frank Grzeszczak (team-imposed, indefinite suspension and Brian Shaw (league-imposed, six-game suspension). … Knights winger Akim Aliu is serving an indefinite suspension while awaiting the OHL’s ruling on his game misconduct last weekend against Sudbury. … London also scratched defenseman Tony DeHart and forwards Jordan Shine and Daniel Erlich (concussion).

The Erie Otters’ Justin Hodgman, 19, has signed a professional contract with the Fort Wayne Comets for the rest of the International Hockey League season, the veteran center said Monday.
Hodgman capitalized on his career-best season (34 goals, 76 points) and assistant coach Peter Sidorkiewicz’ connections. Sidorkiewicz played for the Komets in three different seasons – 10 games in 1984-85, 11 games in 1993-94 and 16 games in 1994-95. He referred Hodgman to club officials.
“I wanted to play at a higher level at the end of the year to see what it’s like,” he said. “It’s not one of the best pro leagues. But it’s still a pro league. You’re playing with men. You’re playing at a faster pace.”
Hodgman heads to Fort Wayne, Ind., next Monday or Tuesday. The last-place Otters, who won’t make the OHL playoffs, finish their season Saturday night against Guelph at Tullio Arena. The Komets (43-12-5-1) lead the IHL standings by 27 points. They are the first club to clinch a playoff spot.
Right now, Hodgman expects to rejoin the Otters next year for his overage season. If the Komets offered him a contract for next season, Hodgman said, “you’d want to take a look at it. But my heart’s in Erie. So I’m pretty sure I’ll be back for my OA year.”
In other news, right wing Nick Palmieri, 18, will head to New Jersey after the season ends for a routine physical examination by the Devils’ medical staff. After that, he could join the Lowell (Mass.) Devils, the NHL club’s AHL affiliate. He signed a three-year, NHL entry-level contract with New Jersey in October.
Defenseman Josh Kidd, 19, should learn this week whether Los Angeles will place him with the AHL’s Manchester (N.H.) Monarchs or ECHL’s Reading Royals. He remains unsigned by the Kings. Left wing Luke Gazdic, 18, is uncertain if he will play with one of Dallas’ affiliates.

– Victor Fernandes

The Erie Otters recalled rookie defenseman Brett Cook, 16, from the Huntsville Muskoka Otters, Erie’s Jr. A affiliate in the Ontario Hockey Association. Cook (6 feet, 1 inch, 178 pounds) will meet the club in Sarnia, Ontario, in time for Thursday’s game against the Sting. He had one point, an assist, in three games with the OHL’s Otters earlier this season. He will wear No. 28.
The Otters also signed center Michael Cazzola, 17, a 13th-round pick (No. 241 overall) in the 2007 OHL Priority Selection. Cazzola (5 foot, 7 inches, 160 pounds), a late cut from Otters’ training camp last summer, had 16 goals, 44 points and 66 penalty minutes in 40 games with Guelph Jr. B, his hometown team. He will practice with the team today and play in the three-game weekend. He will wear No. 13.

– Victor Fernandes

Offense
No. Name GP Goals Assists Pts. P/M PIM
25 Justin Hodgman 61 34 42 76 -11 75
22 Zack Torquato 63 24 40 64 -26 101
9 Ryan O'Reilly* 58 18 32 50 -13 14
19 Nick Palmieri 47 27 17 44 -27 112
39 Kelly Geoffrey 64 11 25 36 -19 49
12 Sean Jones 43 12 19 31 -4 29
21 Jordan Skellett 62 11 20 31 -25 66
23 Luke Gazdic 65 17 11 28 -32 137
18 Shawn Szydlowski* 63 8 16 24 -18 50
20 Robyn Sertic*# 53 4 16 20 -13 26
2 Josh Kidd 40 5 7 12 -17 67
7 Frank Grzeszczak@ 35 1 11 12 -22 32
8 Paul Cianfrini 38 4 7 11 -1 39
10 Tyler Hostetter* 54 1 9 10 -18 31
4 Mitch Gaulton# 19 2 5 7 -10 19
14 Anthony Peluso^ 21 3 3 6 -12 41
40 Ronny Rogers^ 23 3 3 6 -4 44
27 Doug Clarkson* 16 3 2 5 -1 14
24 Michael Liambas 57 0 5 5 -6 155
5 David Shields* 57 1 3 4 -24 31
15 Stanislav Polodna^ 21 0 4 4 -15 4
17 Brian Shaw 50 0 4 4 -23 83
11 Josh Sidwell*^ 14 3 0 3 -9 2
29 Shayne Taylor^ 22 3 0 3 -15 24
28 Brett Cook*^ 3 0 1 1 0 6
36 Kyle Ramsay^ 10 0 1 1 +1 0
8 Matthew Paton* 10 0 1 1 -2 2
13 Michael Cazzola* 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Patrick Lee^ 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Samuel Coyne*^ 1 0 0 0 0 0
13 Dan Pinkney^ 1 0 0 0 0 2
33 Justin Garay^ 5 0 0 0 0 2
3 Lyon Messier*^ 8 0 0 0 -4 4
1 Shane Owen* 21 0 0 0 0 2
32 Jaroslav Janus* 47 0 0 0 0 6
Totals 65 195 304 499 -370 1,269

Goaltending
No. Name GP Min. W L OTL SL GA GAA Shots Saves Save Pct. SO
32 Jaroslav Janus* 47 2,700 12 29 2 1 198 4.40 1,856 1,657 .893 0
1 Shane Owen* 21 1,037 4 12 0 1 101 5.84 739 638 .863 0
33 Justin Garay^ 5 172 1 3 0 0 18 6.28 119 101 .849 0
Totals 65 3,909 17 44 2 2 317 4.87 2,714 2,396 .883 0
* Rookie # Injured ^ Not on the team @ Suspended

Power Play
Home – 35-of-193 (18.1 pct.)
Away – 22-of-169 (13.0 pct.)
Overall – 57-of-362 (15.7 pct.)
Goal leaders: Hodgman 19, Palmieri 13, O'Reilly 5, Gazdic 4, Peluso 3, Torquato 3, Kidd 3
Short-handed goals against: 10

Penalty Killing
Home -- 131-of-177 (74.0 pct.)
Away -- 151-of-218 (69.2 pct.)
Overall -- 282-of-394 (71.5 pct.)
Short-handed goals: 16 (Torquato 5, Hodgman 3, O'Reilly 3, Sertic 1, Geoffrey 1, Palmieri 1, Jones 1, Skellett 1)

Goals by Period 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total GPG
Otters 71 64 58 1 2 196 3.0
Opponents 104 104 113 2 2 325 5.0

Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total SPG
Otters 690 721 628 20 2 2,061 31.7
Opponents 845 909 882 16 2 2,654 40.8

Home
15-17-0-1, 31 points, 112 goals for, 134 goals against
Away
2-27-2-1, 7 points, 85 goals for, 191 goals against

Attendance
Home
33 dates: 111,506 (average 3,379)
Away
32 dates: 130,082 (average 4,065)

Offense
Goals
No. Name Club GP Goals
1. Brett MacLean^ Oshawa 60 59
2. Steven Stamkos Sarnia 58 55
3. Luca Caputi Niagara 65 50
4. Chris Terry Plymouth 65 44
5. Ryan McDonough Saginaw 63 42
T21. Justin Hodgman Erie 61 34

Assists
No. Name Club GP Assists
1. Justin Azevedo Kitchener 64 79
2. John Tavares Oshawa 56 75
T3. Ryan Wilson Sarnia 55 62
T3. Joshua Bailey Windsor 65 62
T5. 2 tied with 59
7. Brett MacLean^ Oshawa 60 58
T25. Justin Hodgman Erie 61 42

Points (overall)
No. Name Club GP Pts
1. Justin Azevedo Kitchener 64 120
2. Brett MacLean^ Oshawa 60 117
3. John Tavares Oshawa 56 114
4. Luca Caputi Niagara 65 109
5. Chris Terry Plymouth 65 100
T19. Justin Hodgman Erie 61 76

Points (rookies)
No. Name Club GP Pts
1. Patrick Maroon* London 61 88
2. Taylor Hall* Windsor 60 79
3. Mikkel Boedker* Kitchener 59 68
4. Ryan Ellis* Windsor 60 60
5. Phil Varone* London 64 55
6. Ryan O’Reilly* Erie 58 50

Power-play goals
No. Name Club GP PPG
1. Brett MacLean^ Oshawa 60 30
2. Nick Spaling Kitchener 53 24
3. Steven Stamkos Sarnia 58 21
T5. Justin Hodgman Erie 61 19
T5. 2 others tied with 19

Short-handed goals
No. Name Club GP SHG
T1. Dustin Jeffrey Sault Ste. Marie 54 7
T1. Brandon MacLean Sault Ste. Marie 66 7
T3. Luca Caputi Niagara 65 6
T3. Kevin Baker Oshawa 66 6
T5. Zack Torquato Erie 63 5
T5. 2 others tied with 5

Goaltending
Wins
No. Name Club GP W
1. Kyle Gajewski Sault Ste. Marie 58 37
2. Mike Murphy Belleville 48 35
3. Steve Mason Kitchener 41 31
4. Josh Unice* Kitchener 40 30
T5. 2 tied with 26
T23. Jaroslav Janus* Erie 48 12

Goals-against average
Name Club GP GAA
1. Mike Murphy Belleville 48 2.23
2. Kyle Gajewski Sault Ste. Marie 58 2.46
3. Thomas McCollum Guelph 48 2.47
T4. Josh Unice* Kitchener 41 2.53
T4. Steve Mason Kitchener 41 2.53
28. Jaroslav Janus* Erie 47 4.41
Minimum of 1,260 minutes played

Save percentage
No. Name Club GP SV %
1. Mike Murphy Belleville 48 .930
2. Jeremy Smith Plymouth 40 .921
3. Andrew Perugini Sarnia 49 .917
4. Steve Mason Kitchener 41 .916
T5. 2 tied with .914
22. Jaroslav Janus* Erie 47 .893

Shutouts
No. Name Club GP SO
T1. Josh Unice* Kitchener 40 4
T1. Chris Carrozzi Mississauga 46 4
T1. Thomas McCollum Guelph 48 4
T4. 6 tied with 3
* Rookie ^ Former Otter

Eastern Conference
b Team GP W L OTL SL Pct. Pts.
1 xyz-Belleville Bulls 65 46 13 4 2 .754 98
2 xy-Brampton Battalion 65 39 22 1 3 .631 82
3 y-Oshawa Generals 65 37 16 5 7 .662 86
4 y-Niagara IceDogs 65 39 25 0 1 .608 79
5 y-Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 65 30 31 2 2 .492 64
6 y-Barrie Colts 66 28 32 3 3 .470 62
7 y-Ottawa 67's 65 27 33 2 3 .454 59
8 y-Peterborough Petes 65 27 35 0 3 .438 57
9 Kingston Frontenacs 65 24 39 0 2 .385 50
10 Sudbury Wolves 66 17 44 2 3 .295 39

Western Conference
Pos. Team GP W L OTL SL Pct. Pts.
1 xyz-Kitchener Rangers 65 52 10 1 2 .823 107
2 xy-Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 66 42 18 2 4 .682 90
3 y-Windsor Spitfires 65 38 15 7 5 .677 88
4 y-London Knights 65 36 23 4 2 .600 78
5 y-Plymouth Whalers 65 34 26 2 3 .562 73
6 y-Guelph Storm 65 32 24 5 4 .562 73
7 y-Sarnia Sting 65 35 28 2 0 .554 72
8 y-Saginaw Spirit 65 32 25 6 2 .554 72
9 Owen Sound Attack 66 20 39 2 5 .356 47
10 Erie Otters 65 17 44 2 2 .292 38
x-division leader/champion; y-clinched playoff spot; z-conference champion
Notes: Top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs; four division winners earn the top spots.

Victor Fernandes ranks the top 10 OHL teams every week:

No. Club Record Last week
1. Kitchener 52-10-1-2 No. 1
2. Belleville 46-13-4-2 No. 2
3. Sault Ste. Marie 42-18-2-4 No. 3
4. Windsor 38-15-7-5 No. 5
5. Brampton 39-22-1-3 No. 6
6. Oshawa 37-16-5-7 No. 4
7. Niagara 39-25-0-1 No. 8
8. London 36-23-4-2 No. 7
9. Plymouth 34-26-2-3 No. 9
10. Guelph 32-24-5-4 No. 10

The OHL has suspended Erie Otters winger Luke Gazdic for the final two games of the season for his game misconduct in Friday’s loss to Sarnia. He removed his neck guard before his first-period fight with veteran winger Devin DiDiomete. Gazdic will miss tonight’s game in London and Saturday’s season finale against Guelph at Tullio Arena.

– Victor Fernandes

* Grzeszczak on block: The club will attempt to trade defenseman Frank Grzeszczak in the offseason, Sherry Bassin, managing partner/general manager, said Saturday. He has been serving an indefinite suspension at home in Plantation, Fla., the past six weeks for violating team rules. He also served a week-long suspension in October for conduct detrimental to the team.
“We had to make some decisions about what our value system is. People have to live with what we think is right,” Bassin said. “He’s not a bad person. But fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. He will not be part of this team.”
* Bassin supports Sertz’ move: Bassin learned about Ron Sertz’ new position with the Erie-bound National Basketball Development League’s expansion team about three weeks ago. Despite popular opinion, Bassin doesn’t consider the move as a conflict of interest. Sertz, who resigned as Otters’ director of operations Feb. 18 after 12 seasons with the club, will serve as the basketball team’s president. He will remain a minority owner with the Otters. The club honored Sertz before his final game Saturday.
“It’s a different demographic (group),” Bassin said. “Our kids are part of the community. Our kids come for three, four years and live in the community and get really involved in the community. … That’s another reason we have to become more competitive because our fans have been pretty loyal to us.”
* Torquato AHL-bound: Center Zack Torquato will join Grand Rapids, Detroit’s AHL affiliate, this week, he said Saturday. He could make his professional debut Wednesday, when the Griffins play the Toronto Marlies, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ affiliate, at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Ryan Martin, Red Wings’ director of hockey administration, informed Torquato of his call-up Friday night. “He told me there were a few injuries, so they were going to bring me up right away,” Torquato said. “I met a few guys at (Red Wings’) training camp (last fall), so that will be good. So (I’ll) just get there, get comfortable and get ready to play.”
* Coaching update: Bassin remains confident he and coach Robbie Ftorek will work out the financial portion of a new contract. “It isn’t signed, but we’re both committed,” Bassin said. “Now we’re going to get it done.” Meanwhile, Bassin will begin speaking with assistant coaches Peter Sidorkiewicz and Mike Stapleton in the offseason. Both have one year left on their three-year deals.
* Gazdic plays: Left wing Luke Gazdic played in Saturday’s season finale, despite arriving at Tullio Arena expecting to serve the final game of an OHL-imposed, two-game suspension. Before the game, he learned that league officials reduced his suspension to one game. He received a game misconduct Thursday in Sarnia for removing his neck guard before a fight. He missed Friday’s game in London.
“You take off the helmet. You take off the elbow pads. It was just sort of routine,” Gazdic said of taking off his neck guard. “I went to the box and they told me I was done. It was tough that I missed (Friday) night’s game. But I found out that I was playing, so I’ll make the best of it.”
* Around the rink: The Otters scratched defensemen Mitch Gaulton (left elbow), Brian Shaw (league-imposed suspension and Grzeszczak. … Guelph scratched defensemen Ben Chiarot and Travis Gibbons and wingers Leigh Salters and Tyler Melancon. … The Otters raised $4,605 during the Breast Cancer Awareness Game on March 8 at Tullio Arena. The proceeds benefit the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation in Erie.

– Victor Fernandes

The Erie Otters will select No. 2 overall in the 2008 OHL Priority Selection. Sudbury secured the No. 1 pick in the May draft with a 5-1 loss in Ottawa Sunday. The Otters (18-46-2-2) finished with 40 points, one ahead of Sudbury (17-46-2-3). The Otters moved ahead of the Wolves with a season-ending 7-5 win against Guelph at Tullio Arena Saturday night.
Forward John McFarland, captain of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens minor midget AAA club, is widely considered the best prospect. He topped International Scouting Services Inc.’s list of top prospects.
Forward Gregg Sutch (York Simcoe minor midget AAA), forward Austin Watson (Detroit Compuware minor midget AAA), defenseman Jonathan Merrill (Detroit Little Caesars major midget) and forward Steven Shipley (Elgin Middlesex minor midget AAA) complete ISS’ top five.
Meanwhile, the first-round series in the OHL playoffs were set Sunday and will begin Wednesday.
The matchups are:
Western Conference: No. 1 Kitchener vs. No. 8 Plymouth, No. 2 Sault Ste. Marie vs. No. 7 Saginaw, No. 3 Windsor vs. No. 6 Sarnia, No. 4 London vs. No. 5 Guelph.
Eastern Conference: No. 1 Belleville vs. No. 8 Peterborough, No. 2 Brampton vs. No. 7 Barrie, No. 3 Oshawa vs. No. 6 Ottawa, No. 4 Niagara vs. No. 5 Mississauga St. Michael’s.

– Victor Fernandes

Otters Talk, the weekly one-hour Internet chat session focusing on your favorite team and league, will wrap up the season Tuesday. The room opens at 9 p.m. Head to www.goerie.com/ottersot and click on the Otters Talk link. Type your name in the login box to enter the room. A password is not needed.
Meanwhile, Hockey Talk returns March 25 at 9 p.m. and will continue through the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Let’s discuss any level of hockey – from youth to the NHL. For more information, call Victor Fernandes at (814) 870-1716 or e-mail him at victor.fernandes@timesnews.com.

Erie Otters defenseman Josh Kidd, 19, will join the Manchester Monarchs, the Los Angeles Kings’ AHL affiliate, Kidd said Monday. He heads for Manchester, N.H., on Tuesday to begin practicing with the club. Kidd, who remains unsigned by the Kings, was uncertain when he would play in his first game.
“I get a chance to make an impression and hopefully get closer to doing that,” Kidd said of potentially signing his first professional contract. He had five goals, 13 points, a minus-21 rating and 69 penalty minutes in 43 OHL games this season. He missed two months with a pelvic condition. He has 18 goals, 50 points, a minus-68 rating and 229 penalty minutes in 232 OHL games the past four seasons.
Kidd joins center Zack Torquato (Grand Rapids – AHL) and forward Justin Hodgman (Fort Wayne – IHL) in playing on the pro level. Right wing Nick Palmieri heads to New Jersey this week to learn if he will play for Lowell (AHL). Meanwhile, left wing Luke Gazdic awaits word from Dallas.

– Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters statistics
(final)
Offense
No. Name GP Goals Assists Pts. P/M PIM
25 Justin Hodgman 64 37 43 80 -10 75
22 Zack Torquato 66 25 42 67 -33 112
9 Ryan O'Reilly* 61 19 33 52 -18 14
19 Nick Palmieri 50 28 18 46 -30 122
39 Kelly Geoffrey 67 13 26 39 -21 49
12 Sean Jones 46 12 20 32 -6 29
21 Jordan Skellett 65 11 20 31 -27 72
23 Luke Gazdic 67 17 12 29 -30 144
18 Shawn Szydlowski* 66 9 16 25 -21 57
20 Robyn Sertic*# 53 4 16 20 -13 26
2 Josh Kidd 43 5 8 13 -21 69
7 Frank Grzeszczak@ 35 1 11 12 -22 32
8 Paul Cianfrini 41 4 7 11 -4 39
10 Tyler Hostetter* 57 1 10 11 -17 31
4 Mitch Gaulton# 19 2 5 7 -10 19
27 Doug Clarkson* 19 3 3 6 0 14
14 Anthony Peluso^ 21 3 3 6 -12 41
40 Ronny Rogers^ 23 3 3 6 -4 44
5 David Shields* 60 1 4 5 -24 31
24 Michael Liambas 60 0 5 5 -7 169
15 Stanislav Polodna^ 21 0 4 4 -15 4
17 Brian Shaw 50 0 4 4 -23 83
11 Josh Sidwell*^ 14 3 0 3 -9 2
29 Shayne Taylor^ 22 3 0 3 -15 24
28 Brett Cook* 6 0 1 1 -2 10
36 Kyle Ramsay^ 10 0 1 1 +1 0
8 Matthew Paton* 13 0 1 1 -3 9
11 Patrick Lee^ 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Samuel Coyne*^ 1 0 0 0 0 0
13 Dan Pinkney^ 1 0 0 0 0 2
13 Michael Cazzola* 3 0 0 0 -1 0
33 Justin Garay^ 5 0 0 0 0 2
3 Lyon Messier*^ 8 0 0 0 -4 4
1 Shane Owen* 24 0 0 0 0 2
32 Jaroslav Janus* 48 0 0 0 0 6
Totals 68 204 316 520 -401 1,337

Goaltending
No. Name GP Min. W L OTL SL GA GAA Shots Saves Save Pct. SO
32 Jaroslav Janus* 48 2,729 13 29 2 1 200 4.40 1,867 1,666 .892 0
1 Shane Owen* 24 1,188 4 14 0 1 116 5.86 834 718 .861 0
33 Justin Garay^ 5 172 1 3 0 0 18 6.28 119 101 .849 0
Totals 68 4,089 18 46 2 2 334 4.90 2,820 2,485 .881 0
* Rookie # Injured ^ Not on the team @ Suspended

Power Play
Home – 37-of-202 (18.3 pct.)
Away – 23-of-183 (12.5 pct.)
Overall – 60-of-385 (15.5 pct.)
Goal leaders: Hodgman 20, Palmieri 13, O'Reilly 6, Gazdic 4, Peluso 3, Torquato 3, Kidd 3, Geoffrey 3
Short-handed goals against: 13

Penalty Killing
Home – 135-of-184 (73.3 pct.)
Away – 159-of-229 (69.4 pct.)
Overall – 294-of-412 (71.3 pct.)
Short-handed goals: 17 (Torquato 5, Hodgman 4, O'Reilly 3, Sertic 1, Geoffrey 1, Palmieri 1, Jones 1, Skellett 1)

Goals by Period 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total GP GPG
Otters 72 69 61 1 2 205 68 3.0
Opponents 110 111 118 2 2 343 68 5.0

Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total GP SPG
Otters 728 770 670 20 2 2,190 68 32.2
Opponents 879 946 918 16 2 2,761 68 40.6

Home
16-17-0-1, 33 points, 119 goals for, 139 goals against
Away
2-29-2-1, 7 points, 87 goals for, 204 goals against

Attendance
Home
34 dates: 111,506 (average 3,379)
Away
34 dates: 143,230 (average 4,212)

Final OHL statistical leaders

Offense
Goals
No. Name Club GP Goals
1. Brett MacLean^ Oshawa 61 61
2. Steven Stamkos Sarnia 61 58
3. Luca Caputi Niagara 66 51
4. Taylor Hall* Windsor 63 45
5. Ryan McDonough Saginaw 66 45
T19. Justin Hodgman Erie 64 37

Assists
No. Name Club GP Assists
1. Justin Azevedo Kitchener 67 81
2. John Tavares Oshawa 59 78
3. Joshua Bailey Windsor 67 67
4. Ryan Wilson Sarnia 58 64
5. John Hughes Brampton 68 63
9. Brett MacLean^ Oshawa 61 58
T29. Justin Hodgman Erie 64 43

Points (overall)
No. Name Club GP Pts
1. Justin Azevedo Kitchener 67 124
2. Brett MacLean^ Oshawa 61 119
3. John Tavares Oshawa 59 118
4. Luca Caputi Niagara 66 111
5. Steven Stamkos Sarnia 61 105
T19. Justin Hodgman Erie 64 80

Points (rookies)
No. Name Club GP Pts
1. Patrick Maroon* London 64 90
2. Taylor Hall* Windsor 63 84
3. Mikkel Boedker* Kitchener 62 73
4. Ryan Ellis* Windsor 63 63
5. Phil Varone* London 67 61
6. Ryan O’Reilly* Erie 61 52

Power-play goals
No. Name Club GP PPG
1. Brett MacLean^ Oshawa 61 30
2. Nick Spaling Kitchener 56 25
3. Steven Stamkos Sarnia 61 23
4. Bryan Cameron Belleville 68 21
5. Justin Hodgman Erie 64 20

Short-handed goals
No. Name Club GP SHG
T1. Dustin Jeffrey Sault Ste. Marie 56 7
T1. Brandon MacLean Sault Ste. Marie 68 7
T3. Luca Caputi Niagara 66 6
T3. Kevin Baker Oshawa 69 6
T5. Zack Torquato Erie 66 5
T5. 5 others tied with 5

Goaltending
Wins
No. Name Club GP W
1. Kyle Gajewski Sault Ste. Marie 60 39
2. Mike Murphy Belleville 49 36
3. Steve Mason Kitchener 42 32
4. Josh Unice* Kitchener 42 30
T5. 2 tied with 28
T23. Jaroslav Janus* Erie 48 13

Goals-against average
Name Club GP GAA
1. Mike Murphy Belleville 49 2.24
2. Kyle Gajewski Sault Ste. Marie 60 2.44
3. Josh Unice* Kitchener 42 2.45
4. Thomas McCollum Guelph 51 2.50
5. Steve Mason Kitchener 42 2.51
27. Jaroslav Janus* Erie 48 4.40
Minimum of 1,320 minutes played

Save percentage
No. Name Club GP SV %
1. Mike Murphy Belleville 49 .929
2. Jeremy Smith Plymouth 40 .921
3. Andrew Perugini Sarnia 52 .917
4. Steve Mason Kitchener 42 .916
5. Sebastian Dahm Niagara 57 .915
21. Jaroslav Janus* Erie 48 .892

Shutouts
No. Name Club GP SO
T1. Bryan Pitton Brampton 39 4
T1. Josh Unice* Kitchener 42 4
T1. Chris Carrozzi Mississauga 47 4
T1. Thomas McCollum Guelph 51 4
T4. 5 tied with 3
* Rookie ^ Former Otter

Final 2007-08 conference standings

Eastern Conference
Pos. Team GP W L OTL SL Pct. Pts.
1 xyz-Belleville Bulls 68 48 14 4 2 .750 102
2 y-Oshawa Generals 68 38 17 6 7 .654 89
3 xy-Brampton Battalion 68 42 22 1 3 .647 88
4 y-Niagara IceDogs 68 42 25 0 1 .625 85
5 y-Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 68 31 32 2 3 .493 67
6 y-Ottawa 67's 68 29 34 2 3 .463 63
7 y-Barrie Colts 68 28 34 3 3 .456 62
8 y-Peterborough Petes 68 28 36 1 3 .441 60
9 Kingston Frontenacs 68 25 41 0 2 .382 52
10 Sudbury Wolves 68 17 46 2 3 .287 39

Western Conference
Pos. Team GP W L OTL SL Pct. Pts.
1 xyz-Kitchener Rangers 68 53 11 1 3 .809 110
2 xy-Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 68 44 18 2 4 .691 94
3 y-Windsor Spitfires 68 41 15 7 5 .691 94
4 y-London Knights 68 38 24 4 2 .603 82
5 y-Guelph Storm 68 34 25 5 4 .566 77
6 y-Sarnia Sting 68 37 29 2 0 .559 76
7 y-Saginaw Spirit 68 33 25 8 2 .559 76
8 y-Plymouth Whalers 68 34 28 2 4 .544 74
9 Owen Sound Attack 68 20 41 2 5 .346 47
10 Erie Otters 68 18 46 2 2 .294 40

Erie Times-News top 10
Victor Fernandes ranks the top 10 OHL teams every week:

No. Club Record Last week
1. Kitchener 53-11-1-3 No. 1
2. Belleville 48-14-4-2 No. 2
3. Sault Ste. Marie 44-18-2-4 No. 3
4. Windsor 41-15-7-5 No. 4
5. Brampton 42-22-1-3 No. 5
6. Niagara 42-25-0-1 No. 8
7. Oshawa 38-17-6-7 No. 6
8. London 38-24-4-2 No. 8
9. Guelph 34-25-5-4 No. 10
10. Sarnia 37-29-2-0 NR

John McFarland has been widely considered the No. 1 pick in the 2008 OHL Priority Selection. It appears Sudbury, who holds the top pick, and Mark Guy, McFarland’s agent, agree with that assessment.
“We’d all be surprised if he didn’t go No. 1,” Guy, of Newport Sports Management Inc. in Mississauga, Ontario, said Wednesday. “I would say it’s unlikely (that he won’t be selected first) unless something drastic happens. I’ve been told (the Wolves) no doubt have him ranked as the No. 1 player.”
Wolves president Mark Burgess, vice president/governor Blaine Smith and general manager/coach Mike Foligno are watching McFarland and other top prospects at the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament in Mississauga this week, said Guy, who represents 2007’s top pick, Erie Otters winger Ryan O’Reilly.
McFarland, 16, forward and captain for the top-ranked Toronto Jr. Canadiens minor midget AAA club, reportedly has 90 goals, 162 points and 167 penalty minutes in 69 games this season.
Wolves officials likely won’t meet with McFarland during the tournament, which began Wednesday, runs through Sunday and features the top 20 minor hockey teams in Ontario and the United States. Guy also doesn’t expect to reach a contract agreement with the Wolves this week.
“John wants to focus on winning the OHL Cup,” Guy said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a done deal. There are still a lot of things that have to happen between now and draft day (in May).”
Yet, Guy said, McFarland (6 foot, 1 inch, 190 pounds) will report to Sudbury if selected. He also would report to the Otters if McFarland slips to the No. 2 pick. “I’ve talked to Sherry (Bassin, Otters managing partner/general manager) off and on throughout the year,” Guy said. “From a team and building standpoint, I know he would have been excited if John was there and he would be able to get him.”
Guy has no indication which player Bassin would choose at No. 2. Guy also represents top prospects – defenseman Ryan O’Connor (Jr. Canadiens), forward Tyler Toffoli (Jr. Canadiens) and defenseman Erik Gudbranson (Ottawa Jr. 67’s). Bassin hasn’t spoken with Guy about those players, Guy said.

– Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters center Zack Torquato played in his first professional game Wednesday night in Grand Rapids, Mich. He had no points, one shot and two penalty minutes in Grand Rapids’ 2-1 AHL loss to Toronto.
Meanwhile, defenseman Josh Kidd has been added to Manchester’s roster. But he didn’t dress for the Monarch’s 4-3 AHL loss to Springfield. The New Jersey Devils have yet to add right wing Nick Palmieri onto Lowell’s roster. Forward Justin Hodgman didn’t make his IHL debut Wednesday in Fort Wayne’s game against Flint.

– Victor Fernandes

Erie Otters forward Justin Hodgman (Fort Wayne - IHL) scored his first professional goal in the Komets' 6-2 home win against Flint Saturday night. Hodgman, 19, has the one point and a minus-2 rating in two games. He scored the second of three straight goals that sparked the Komets to their 22nd consecutive home, which tied the league record. Fort Wayne attempts to set the league mark against Kalamazoo on Friday. The Komets (48-12-5-2) lead the IHL standings with 103 points, 31 more than second-place Port Huron.
Meanwhile, Otters forwards Zack Torquato, 18, and Nick Palmieri, 19, have recorded no points in three AHL games apiece with Grand Rapids and Lowell, respectively. Grand Rapids (27-36-2-5) faces Lake Erie at home Wednesday. Lowell (22-37-7-4) face Hartford Wednesday. Defenseman Josh Kidd, 19, is with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs but has yet to play in his first professional game. The Monarchs (32-29-5-4) face Portland Wednesday.

– Victor Fernandes

The Erie Otters should have a contract with coach Robbie Ftorek officially finalized in the next 10 days, Sherry Bassin, managing partner/general manager, said Monday. “This is such a busy time for me,” Bassin said of evaluating prospects for next month’s OHL Priority Selection. “But I’m going to get it done. The only reason it wouldn’t be done (in 10 days) is because I’m running around with (prospects) and (their) families. Otherwise it would be done tomorrow. That’s how important we believe it is.”
Ftorek, hired on Oct. 28, 2007, to replace then-coach Peter Sidorkiewicz, was signed through the end of this season. Bassin hasn’t begun speaking with Sidorkiewicz and fellow assistant coach Mike Stapleton.
Both have one year left on their three-year contracts. In mid-March, Sidorkiewicz said he would take time to think about his future. Stapleton said he would like to remain with the club.

– Victor Fernandes