OHL 20 in 20: Guelph Storm
September 15, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Guelph Storm News Release
Entering the season with four players remaining on the roster from their 2014 OHL title in Robby Fabbri, Justin Nichols, Marc Stevens and Garrett McFadden, the Guelph Storm will turn the page this season after a solid 38-win campaign that ended in the second round of the playoffs last spring.
Guelph could very well be the youngest team in the OHL this season and with Fabbri possibly in line for an extended stay with the St. Louis Blues out of training camp, general manager Mike Kelly has focused his attention on the development of the club's youth.
"We really like our drafts from the past two years," he said. "We're excited about the season and looking forward to see some of the progress that's been made over the summer. We understand that we aren't going to be a frontrunner out of the gate but we think there's a lot of room for growth and that come March, if we bring these guys along the right way, we could be a pretty tough team to play against in the playoffs."
Two of Guelph's prominent 17 year-old talents up front, 2014 first round selection Matthew Hotchkiss and mid-season acquisition Givani Smith will be players to keep an eye on in Storm City as they enter their draft eligible seasons.
Hotchkiss, who had six goals and seven assists last season, will quickly be looked to as a go-to guy.
"He's a real mature young man," said Kelly of the Whitby native. "He's put some time into his body over the summer. Last year he was in good shape but he was still a typical 16 year-old. With some growth he has begun to take on the definition of a man. He's got a great work ethic and the skills and hockey sense to go with that. We're looking for him to go from a ninth or 10th forward for us last year into a three or four role for us this season and we think he's capable of doing it."
The younger brother of former Owen Sound Attack and London Knights forward Gemel Smith, Givani's big frame and willingness to compete draw praise from Guelph brass.
"Givani is a driven player that is physically mature beyond his years," noted Kelly. "He's just chiseled and he loves the physicality of the game and I think he's benefitted from having a brother who has recently come through the league. He's really focused and understands what he has to do to get himself into first round NHL consideration and I don't think it's unrealistic to think that he could get there. We're really high on what he brings to the table. He makes all of the players around him that much better and I see him being one of the dominant power forwards in the league despite only being 17 years-old."
The Storm will also look to bring along a large crop of 16 year-olds who were selected in April. Guelph went big in the draft, with just one of their top five coming in under 6'2". With four of the five selections being forwards with the exception of fifth rounder Quinn Hanna, Kelly says each player will get a look at some point this season.
"They'll all play at some point," he said. "We were looking at size but also taking into consideration skill and competitiveness. Ratcliffe, Deakin-Poot and Schnarr are all big guys with a skating ability that makes them projectable OHL performers. Though he's only 5'8", Liam Stevens is built like a fire hydrant and he has the ability to go through people. We understand that just because guys are big doesn't mean they can always transition seamlessly as a 16 year-old, in fact sometimes it's just the opposite and guys with smaller frames can have an easier time adjusting so we have to be patient with them."
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Ontario Hockey League Stories from September 15, 2015
- Spirit Send McPhail to Peterborough for Draft Pick - Saginaw Spirit
- Petes Acquire Adam McPhail from Saginaw - Peterborough Petes
- OHL 20 in 20: Guelph Storm - Guelph Storm
- Spirit Send Five Players to NHL Prospects Camps - Saginaw Spirit
- Petes CCM Mentorship Program Kicks off this Week - Peterborough Petes
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