Perfetti, Giroux, Wilde, Busdeker, Lennox Featured in OHL Coaches Poll

March 26, 2020 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release

Toronto, Ont. - The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results of the Eastern and Western Conference Coaches Polls for the 2019-20 OHL regular season.

The OHL Coaches Poll provides member club coaches with the opportunity to recognize the top three players in 20 different skill categories within their own conference.

The Saginaw Spirit's own Cole Perfetti took first in four different categories including Smartest Player, Best Playmaker, Best Stickhandler, and Best Shootout Shooter.

Perfetti, 18, finished first on the Spirit in scoring and second in the Ontario Hockey League this season with 111 points (37-74=111) in 61 games. His 111 points and 74 assists both set Saginaw Spirit single season records. Perfetti is ranked fourth among North American skaters heading into the 2020 NHL Draft.

Spirit captain and recently signed Minnesota Wild prospect Damien Giroux took first in both Hardest Worker and Best Defensive Forward.

The 20-year old forward from Hanmer, Ontario set career highs this season in goals, assists, and points (44-31=75).

New York Islanders prospect Bode Wilde finished second for Hardest Shot in the Western Conference. Wilde, who was assigned to the Spirit by the Islanders American Hockey League affiliate Bridgeport, scored 11 points in 11 OHL games this season.

Overager DJ Busdeker finished second for Best Penalty Killer. Busdeker finished the season tied for second most shorthanded goals scored in the entire OHL (7).

Goaltender Tristan Lennox finished third for Best Puck Handling Goaltender. Him and Marshall Frappier combined to be the first 20-win goaltending tandem is Spirit history.

The Coaches Poll is tabulated when each team submits one nominee per category, and coaches then vote for the top three players for each category within their conference.  Players receive five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote, and one point for a third place vote.  Clubs are not permitted to vote for players from their own team allowing for a maximum of 45 possible points for each winner.

All 20 categories are listed below with Eastern Conference and Western Conference winners including their final point totals in brackets.

Most Underrated Player:

Eastern Conference:

1. Luke Moncada, North Bay Battalion (28)

2. James Hardie, Mississauga Steelheads (22)

T-3. Austen Keating, Ottawa 67's (15)

T-3. Kyle MacLean, Oshawa Generals (15)

Western Conference:

1. Chad Yetman, Erie Otters (33)

2. Connor Corcoran, Windsor Spitfires (20)

3. Eric Uba, Guelph Storm (11)

Most Improved Player:

Eastern Conference:

1. Jack Quinn, Ottawa 67's (29)

2. Tyson Foerster, Barrie Colts (28)

3. Zayde Wisdom, Kingston Frontenacs (16)

Western Conference:

1. Nico Daws, Guelph Storm (45)

2. Tyler Angle, Windsor Spitfires (19)

3. Luke Evangelista, London Knights (16)

Smartest Player:

Eastern Conference:

1. Marco Rossi, Ottawa 67's (41) - finished first in 2018-19

2. Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs (17)

3. Akil Thomas, Peterborough Petes (10)

Western Conference:

1. Cole Perfetti, Saginaw Spirit (31)

2. Jamie Drysdale, Erie Otters (27)

3. Connor McMichael, London Knights (22)

Hardest Worker:

Eastern Conference:

1. Keean Washkurak, Mississauga Steelheads (24) - finished first in 2018-19

2. Nick Robertson, Peterborough Petes (19)

3. Kyle MacLean, Oshawa Generals (15) - finished second in 2018-19

Western Conference:

1. Damien Giroux, Saginaw Spirit (37)

2. Luke Boka, Windsor Spitfires (22)

3. Vladislav Kolyachonok, Flint Firebirds (11)

Best Playmaker:

Eastern Conference:

1. Marco Rossi, Ottawa 67's (45)

2. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, Peterborough Petes (17)

3. Philip Tomasino, Oshawa Generals (16)

Western Conference:

1. Cole Perfetti, Saginaw Spirit (40)

2. Ryan Merkley, London Knights (22)

3. Cam Hillis, Guelph Storm (15)

Most Dangerous in Goal Area:

Eastern Conference:

1. Nick Robertson, Peterborough Petes (36)

2. Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs (27) - finished second in 2018-19

3. Jack Quinn, Ottawa 67's (21)

Western Conference:

1. Connor McMichael, London Knights (36)

2. Pavel Gogolev, Guelph Storm (35)

3. Jonathan Yantsis, Kitchener Rangers (7) - finished third in 2018-19

Best Skater:

Eastern Conference:

1. Thomas Harley, Mississauga Steelheads (30) - finished second in 2018-19

2. Brett Neumann, Oshawa Generals (19) - finished first in 2018-19

3. Declan Chisholm, Peterborough Petes (16)

Western Conference:

1. Liam Foudy, London Knights (35)

2. Jamie Drysdale, Erie Otters (28) - finished tied for third in 2018-19

3. Jean-Luc Foudy, Windsor Spitfires (18) - finished tied for third in 2018-19

Best Shot:

Eastern Conference:

1. Nick Robertson, Peterborough Petes (38)

2. Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs (25) - finished first in 2018-19

3. Jack Quinn, Ottawa 67's (18)

Western Conference:

1. Connor McMichael, London Knights (39)

2. Pavel Gogolev, Guelph Storm (31)

3. Jacob Perreault, Sarnia Sting (15)

Hardest Shot:

Eastern Conference:

1. Noel Hoefenmayer, Ottawa 67's (41)

2. Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs (24) - finished first in 2018-19

3. Nick Robertson, Peterborough Petes (13)

Western Conference:

1. Brady Lyle, Owen Sound Attack (35)

2. Bode Wilde, Saginaw Spirit (22)

3. Connor Corcoran, Windsor Spitfires (14)

Best Stickhandler:

Eastern Conference:

1. Joseph Garreffa, Ottawa 67's (35) - finished second in Western Conference in 2018-19

2. Nick Robertson, Peterborough Petes (17) - finished first in 2018-19

3. Philip Tomasino, Oshawa Generals (16)

Western Conference:

1. Cole Perfetti, Saginaw Spirit (31)

2. Evgeniy Oksentyuk, Flint Firebirds (24)

3. Aidan Dudas, Owen Sound Attack (15)

Best on Face-Offs:

Eastern Conference:

1. Zach Gallant, Peterborough Petes (36) - finished second in 2018-19, second in 2017-18 and first in 2016-17

2. Marco Rossi, Ottawa 67's (23)

3. Cole Schwindt, Mississauga Steelheads (12)

Western Conference:

T-1. Ty Dellandrea, Flint Firebirds (29) - finished first in 2018-19

T-1. Jason Willms, London Knights (29) - finished first in Eastern Conference in 2018-19

2. Greg Meireles, Kitchener Rangers (9)

3. Cam Hillis, Guelph Storm (8)

Best Body Checker:

Eastern Conference:

1. Navrin Mutter, Hamilton Bulldogs (29) - finished second in 2018-19

2. Macauley Carson, Sudbury Wolves (18)

3. Kevin Bahl, Ottawa 67's (14)

Western Conference:

1. Tyler Tucker, Flint Firebirds (23) - finished first in Eastern Conference in 2018-19, third in Eastern Conference in 2017-18

2. Kelton Hatcher, Sarnia Sting (15) - finished second in 2018-19

3. Mark Woolley, Owen Sound Attack (14)

Best Shot Blocker:

Eastern Conference:

T-1. Nikita Okhotyuk, Ottawa 67's (21) - finished third in 2018-19

T-1. Jacob Paquette, Peterborough Petes (21)

2. Macauley Carson, Sudbury Wolves (18) - finished tied for first in 2018-19

3. Mason Howard, Niagara IceDogs (10)

Western Conference:

1. Luke Boka, Windsor Spitfires (25) - finished first in 2018-19 and 2017-18

2. Tyler Tucker, Flint Firebirds (19)

3. Fedor Gordeev, Guelph Storm (14)

Best Defensive Forward:

Eastern Conference:

1. Kyle MacLean, Oshawa Generals (24) - finished first in 2018-19

2. Marco Rossi, Ottawa 67's (21)

3. Macauley Carson, Sudbury Wolves (19)

Western Conference:

1. Damien Giroux, Saginaw Spirit (25) - finished second in 2018-19

2. Liam Foudy, London Knights (21)

3. Cam Hillis, Guelph Storm (15)

Best Penalty Killer:

Eastern Conference:

1. Kyle MacLean, Oshawa Generals (24)

2. Jacob Paquette, Peterborough Petes (16)

3. Marco Rossi, Ottawa 67's (15)

Western Conference:

1. Liam Foudy, London Knights (41) - finished first in 2018-19

2. DJ Busdeker, Saginaw Spirit (12)

3. Keegan Stevenson, Guelph Storm (9)

Best Offensive Defenceman:

Eastern Conference:

1. Noel Hoefenmayer, Ottawa 67's (45) - finished third in 2018-19

2. Thomas Harley, Mississauga Steelheads (22) - finished first in 2018-19

3. Declan Chisholm (Peterborough Petes (18)

Western Conference:

1. Ryan Merkley, London Knights (41) - finished second in Eastern Conference in 2018-19

2. Jamie Drysdale, Erie Otters (22)

3. Brady Lyle, Owen Sound Attack (15)

Best Defensive Defenceman:

Eastern Conference:

1. Kevin Bahl, Ottawa 67's (45)

2. Nico Gross, Oshawa Generals (19)

3. Jacob Paquette, Peterborough Petes (17) - finished first in 2018-19

Western Conference:

1. Alec Regula, London Knights (28)

2. Michael Vukojevic, Kitchener Rangers (20)

3. Connor Corcoran, Windsor Spitfires (17)

Best Puck-Handling Goaltender:

Eastern Conference:

1. Kai Edmonds, Mississauga Steelheads (26)

2. Zachary Roy, Hamilton Bulldogs (17)

3. Christian Propp, Kingston Frontenacs (16)

Western Conference:

1. Nico Daws, Guelph Storm (35)

2. Jacob Ingham, Kitchener Rangers (33)

3. Tristan Lennox, Saginaw Spirit (8)

Best Shootout Shooter:

Eastern Conference:

1. Marco Rossi, Ottawa 67's (29)

2. Nick Robertson, Peterborough Petes (23)

3. Philip Tomasino, Oshawa Generals (12)

Western Conference:

1. Cole Perfetti, Saginaw Spirit (25)

2. Liam Hawel, Kitchener Rangers (21)

3. Pavel Gogolev, Guelph Storm (18)

Best Shootout Goaltender:

Eastern Conference:

1. Cedrick Andree, Ottawa 67's (32)

2. Hunter Jones, Peterborough Petes (23)

3. Marco Costantini, Hamilton Bulldogs (14)

Western Conference:

1. Jacob Ingham, Kitchener Rangers (39) - finished third in Eastern Conference in 2018-19

2. Nico Daws, Guelph Storm (23)

3. Anthony Popovich, Flint Firebirds (8)

Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 26, 2020

• OHL Mourns the Loss of Sam Sisco - OHL
• Moncada Underrated No More - North Bay Battalion
• Seven Petes Recognized in Annual OHL Coaches Poll - Peterborough Petes
• Rangers Sign GM Mike McKenzie to Contract Extension - Kitchener Rangers
• Perfetti, Giroux, Wilde, Busdeker, Lennox Featured in OHL Coaches Poll - Saginaw Spirit
• OHL Announces 2019-20 Coaches Poll Winners - OHL
• Hunter Jones Signs Entry-Level Contract with Minnesota Wild - Peterborough Petes

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