Now an assistant coach at SUNY Oswego, Jon Whitelaw has fond memories of playing for the Huntsville Muskoka Otters. “I can't say enough about Tom McCarthy, not only was he a hockey teacher but he taught us how to play the 'game of life'. He came through his own mistakes and was an inspiration to us and he always seemed to be three or four steps ahead of everyone. It was through him that I got involved in coaching myself." (SUNY Oswego photo)

BY RON VALENTINE

Ron Valentine continues his look back at seasons past in the OJHL.

The HUNTSVILLE MUSKOKA OTTERS and the NEWMARKET HURRICANES ended up with 84 points after 49 games played in the North Division of the then Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League in 2007-08.

The Otters got the nod for first place with one extra win: 42 to 41. They helped their own cause by taking four of the six regular season games between the two clubs. 

When it came down to playoff time the Hurricanes ran into a suddenly red-hot AURORA TIGERS team, who had finished 14 points behind them and fell in five.

But the Canes were the host team at that season's Dudley-Hewitt Cup. They beat the NOJHL's Sudbury Jr. Wolves 5-1 with JOSH MCQUADE scoring twice and the topped the SIJHL's Dryden Ice Dogs 7-1, boosted by a five-goal outburst in the second period. They fell 5-2 to the OAKVILLE BLADES in the round robin before edging the Dogs in the semifinal 2-1 in extra time on a goal by BRIAN SOSO. They were topped 6-3 in the final by the Blades who got two goals each from DUSTIN ALCOCK and NICK MCPARLAND.

The Otters took the STOUFFVILLE SPIRIT, fourth-place finishers in the regular season, to Game 7 where over 800 fans watched in disappointment as Spirit assistant captain COREY TRIVINO, who won the OHA's B.J. Munro trophy for top professional prospect, notched the game winner in overtime. The New York Islanders’ pick is still playing professional hockey in Germany.

In regular season games, Newmarket finished second in average attendance while Huntsville was third. The PORT HOPE PREDATORS topped the list.

One of the main reasons behind the Otters' success was the stellar play of goalkeeper JEFF DAWSON who won 31 of 39 games played, posting five shutouts, a 2.11 GAA and a save percentage of .928. Backup 'keeper RYAN WILLIAMS also posted five clean sheets, he would become the starter the next season and then played for SUNY Plattsburg and UMass-Dartmouth. Jeff and the Hurricanes' leading pointgetter TODD HOSMER were co-winners of the MVP award in the division and Jeff was the No. 1 goalie in the league. He received a commitment to play for the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks in Oshawa. Todd, who had an incredible nine game winners for the Hurricanes, attended SUNY Potsdam before transferring to Morrisville State (NY) for his final university year.

Otters' defenceman and captain MIKE BALL was named tops in that position in the North Division. He started his junior career in Newmarket and was captain of the Hamilton Red Wings in his final Junior A season. Like Todd, he played for Ontario Tech.

Leading the way for Huntsville in regular season points scored were JOSH VATRI (60) and JON WHITELAW (59).

Vatri's points came in just 35 games played and had a 10-game points streak going at the end of the regular campaign. He started his junior career in Huntsville in the 2004-05 season before moving up to the OHL's Erie Otters and Kingston Frontenacs. He also earned a commitment to Ontario Tech.

Whitelaw had 79 points in his final season before playing for SUNY Oswego, where in his freshman season he was named conference Rookie of the Year and two years later team captain. In 2013, he was named the school’s male student-athlete of the year and received the Chancellor's Award for student excellence. He is now in his fifth season as assistant coach at his alma mater. 

Right behind Hosmer in Hurricanes' scoring was Soso, who, after playing for the OHL's Windsor Spitfires and Kitchener Rangers, netted 33 goals including six game-winners and 63 points plus 241 minutes in the penalty box.

McQuade, owner of one of the league's hardest shots, had 60 points. He would go on to have a controversial 150-point season for the GOJHL's Brantford Eagles. Assistant captain ADAM MARTINEZ was just two points behind with 58. 

Another Newmarket 'A' was KARL 'K.J'. RAMOLLA who had 57 points. He was drafted by the Kingston Frontenacs in 2004 and was being courted by U.S. schools but tragically he would lose his life in a car accident that June. His number, 19, was retired by the Hurricanes in a special benefit game in December at the Ray Twinney Complex against his former team, the COUCHICHING TERRIERS. 

Backstopping the club which conceded just 112 regular season goals was MATT MILNE who was voted most improved in the North. The Newmarket native left the following season to play for the Grand Prairie Storm of the AJHL and then suited up for GOJHL's St. Catharines Falcons before getting a scholarship with the Elmira College Soaring Eagles in New York State. Milne, the son of former OJHL coach Thomas Milne, is the Director of Player Evaluation and a scout with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL.

He was ably aided by WAYNE SAVAGE who came from the OHL's St. Michael's Majors and would go on to star for the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown.

Coaching the Otters was TOM MCCARTHY. The former NHLer (Minnesota and Boston) played as a rookie for the NORTH YORK RANGERS. After seven years as bench boss in Huntsville he went to the same position for the TRENTON GOLDEN HAWKS. Running the bench for the Hurricanes was BRIAN PERRIN who would also coach the Spirit and the Tigers.

Jon Whitelaw recalls the Otters' season: "Many strong established programs were in the mix the season that we took the North. It was great to see the Otters' program built up in a small market area by coach McCarthy. We played at the old  Jack Bionda rink in Huntsville. It was a rocking place with 800 fans inside. Although I was born in Barrie I've always regarded Huntsville as home. I can't say enough about Tom McCarthy, not only was he a hockey teacher but he taught us how to play the 'game of life'. He came through his own mistakes and was an inspiration to us and he always seemed to be three or four steps ahead of everyone. It was through him that I got involved in coaching myself."

'We had many standout players, some who had gained experience in major junior hockey, that made big contributions for us. For instance, Dawson and Vatri came back to us from Erie."

"ROB WADDELL was like a human wrecking ball and in the following season I played on a line with him and COREY GEORGE. Corey came to us in the middle of the 2007-08 season from the Lindsay Muskies.  Ball was our captain; he came over from Oakville the previous season and had an immediate impact. He was a strong, positive presence on and off the ice, a terrific leader."

"I think the OJHL has evolved since I played. In my time it was dominated by older players but the landscape has changed and now there is much more high-end talent on the younger side of things. Being an Otter was a great experience for me and now I am seeing lots of talented players coming to Oswego from The OJ. We do a lot of recruiting and it's great for everyone that we are so close geographically. It was tough not being able to play games this past season but we are looking forward with great expectations to continue our successes in 2021-22."

"On our current roster we have many OJHL graduates including the BULL twin brothers, NOAH and SHANE, along with ROCCO ANDREACCHI from the Pickering Panthers; JACKSON ARCAN, and defencemen CARTER ALLEN from the Wellington Dukes and MAX NOVICK from the Stouffville Spirit; MAC LEWIS from the Trenton Golden Hawks: JOSH LEBLANC, who played for the Kingston Vees; the former captain of the North York Rangers, TYLER FLACK; A.J. RYAN who played some games with the Cobourg Cougars and LIAM HASLAM (Toronto Jr. Canadiens, Oakville, Brantford, St. Michael’s). Joining us for next season will be BEN ADDISON who was named captain for this past season with the Dukes."