The Ontario Junior Development League has no larger proponent than the Cobourg Cougars.

It might help that the Cougars won the championship of the 10-team loop this summer.

But the respect runs deeper.

It was the fifth season for the league run by the Ontario Junior Hockey League.

Cobourg and Georgetown iced two teams each in the 2019 OJDL.

"The OJDL has become such an important part of the Cobourg Cougars' development model,” said Adam Yahn, General Manager of the Cougars’ Ontario Junior Hockey League franchise.

“Over the past three years, we have graduated half of our players to Junior A or higher and one-third (66 per cent) have played junior hockey."

Exhibit A, eh?

“Jamie Engelbert (Providence '19) is a perfect example of a player who played on our OJDL team for two seasons; played for the Cobourg Cougars and is now the only Canadian recruit to Providence College this fall,” Yahn said.

From the 2018 OJDL teams, 84 players made OJHL teams or teams in other junior hockey leagues.

Cole Perfetti, who is starring for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this month, played for the Cougars in the 2017 OJDL season. Now with Saginaw of the OHL, Perfetti also played as an AP with his hometown Whitby Fury in the OJHL during 2017-18.

Cobourg East led the OJDL in 2019 with a 9-2-0-0 record. Burlington (8-2-0-1) was second and Collingwood (8-3-0-0) third.

"With the youngest team in the OJDL and never having a full lineup, this team could have easily made excuses,” Yahn said. “But they didn't. They gave everything they had and showed how talented of a group that we had. Some of our youngest players, like forwards Owen Beck and Noah Richard, were regular contributors this summer."

"From our goaltending to our forwards, we had a lot of talent and players who will be playing in the OJHL (some even higher) in the next couple of years. Tom Plommer (Cougars' OJHL Assistant and OJDL Head Coach) was excellent and added to each players' development this summer"

From the OJDL Cougars to the OJHL Cougars?

"Ethan Robertson (2002, Port Hope Panthers), has played with our OJDL squad for two years and has signed with us for the upcoming season. We are really looking forward to having Ethan join us. He is very calm, talented and a structurally sound goaltender. It won't be long before he is a fan favourite in Cobourg. A number of others from our OJDL squad will also be at our training camp competing for jobs." 

Jack Richard of Burlington led the OJDL in points (18) and goals (11). Teammate Jeff Kernichan had the best goals-against average (1.20) and save percentage (.932).

College Hockey Inc. was announced this year as a new major sponsor of the OJDL. Other sponsors include, ClifBar and Barn Burner Hockey.

The OJHL regular season begins Sept. 6.