Goaltender Mikael Kingo of the Georgetown Raiders follows the puck after teammate Ryan Pryce deflects it away from the awaiting Justin Legault of the Collingwood Blues in Collingwood Friday. Georgetown opened up a 5-0 lead and won 5-3. Kingo faced 29 shots in front of 1,324 fans. (Photo by Tim Bates / OJHL Images)

BY RON VALENTINE

HOT TEAMS

Appearing in this category for the first time this season are the MARKHAM ROYALS who won all three games, two versus Pickering and one against Brantford. With the victories, the Royals move up to the .500 mark in the Ontario Junior Hockey League standings.

Markham Head Coach and GM Mike Galati on the week: "If we play the right way we find a way to win. The boys are playing well right now and we are getting the results we want despite long-term injuries to (Thomas) Lonsdale, (Lee) Chiang, goalie (William) Nguyen and (Matthew) Perciballi. Plus Sunday, we had (Shane) Hyman and (William) Godfrey out as well."

Looking smart in their 'Pink in the rink' uniforms the MILTON MENACE got past their arch-rival Burlington Cougars 5-2 on Sunday evening to complete their third win in as many games.

Two wins from two games for the surging WELLINGTON DUKES who scored 19 goals while allowing just a singleton. Ditto for the GEORGETOWN RAIDERS who have won 13 of their last 14 games and their last four in a row. 

With two more in the win column this week, the TORONTO JUNIOR CANADIENS extended their perfect road record to 14 games. They were victorious in their home game Sunday shutting out the Lindsay Muskies.

Five points out of six for the COBOURG COUGARS, who lost a heartbreaker Saturday night in Georgetown in double overtime.

The HALIBURTON COUNTY HUSKIES won their only contest, stopping the Toronto Patriots winning run at five games.

More than 1,300 fans of the  COLLINGWOOD BLUES went home unhappy as the club dropped their first home game this season to the GEORGETOWN RAIDERS on Friday night. The Blues bounced back on Saturday to defeat Burlington 3-2.

HOT PLAYERS

Two hat tricks in one game on Thursday night for Markham in Brantford with RYAN FORBERG scoring three straight just over 10 minutes apart in the third frame. His first was the contest's only power play goal. OWEN HALLORAN netted the last two in the second period and the game's final goal. Ryan on his three in a row: "The first one was a tip-in after a nice cross-ice pass from McKay Hayes with the man advantage. My second came off the rush after a great move by the defenceman, Nicolas Tan. I got away a one-timer. And I really wanted that third and I got lots of opportunities. The goal came on a 3-on-1; I saw some space and put it over the goalie's glove." Ryan followed up this performance with another hat trick the following night in Pickering. Captain SHANE HYMAN praised the Thornhill native: "He has all the skill and it's clearly showing now, he has such crafty hands and a rocket of a shot so I'm not really surprised he's on fire.'

Owen remembers it well: "I was in the slot on the first when (Steven) Klinck got the puck to the pointman (Sawyer) Prokopetz. No. 2 was really a broken play and I saw space open up and I put it in on the far side. The third was late; Klinck had a good chance and I was there to convert. I really wanted that third and I was in the right place." Both players agreed this goal outburst will give the club added confidence going forward. 

That seemed to be the case as Ryan became the first player this season to record back-to-back hat tricks the next night against Pickering, moving him up to a team-leading 13. He would add one more for good measure Sunday afternoon against the Panthers for a seven-goal and nine-point week.

Jr. Canadiens captain TYLER FUKAKUSA became the first player to reach the 60-point mark with four assists against St. Michael's on Friday. He added three more on Sunday against Lindsay for 63 points in 29 appearances. The Huskies' PATRICK SAINI had three points against the Patriots on Saturday to reach the 50 mark. Saini and teammate ISAAC SOOKLAL both have points scoring runs of nine going. 

Shutout No. 3 for the season on Thursday in Caledon for the Dukes' goalie ETHAN MORROW. The following night, BARRET JOYNT had three goals in their win over North York.

Recording clean sheets on Sunday night were the North York Rangers' SEBASTIAN MONACO (his first in the OJHL) and the Jr. Canadiens' JAMES NORTON, who posted his second of the campaign and reduced his GAA to a measly 1.80.

Also recording three goals in a game was the J.C.s MATTHEW WILDE in his club's victory on Friday in St. Mike's. His troika brought him into the 20-goal club. Matthew is tied with the Menace's AIDAN HUGHES for third place in the top point scorers with 47 points. Burlington's JACK RICHARD found the net twice this week for a league-leading 26 goals.

RANDOM JOTTINGS

Tuesday was a night of firsts in the game between Milton and host Oakville at Sixteen Mile. IVAN FABJAN and TRAVIS HOULE had the Menace's first two goals, the first in the OJHL for both of them. The Blades' JACK CHURCHILL followed suit scoring the game's final goal. Milton's MYLES PERRY also had his first since coming to Milton from Haliburton. On Thursday, DYLAN WARDELL, up from the Jr. B. Bandits had his first for the 99ers and for the Stouffville Spirit MICHAEL DERBIDGE, formerly with the OHL's Sudbury Wolves, had his first two OJHL goals and an assist. The Blades' GIANMARCO CARINGI notched his first league goal on Friday.

It was raining teddy bears at Sixteen Mile following MATTHEW WANG's goal 57 seconds into the second period. The toss was the 30th annual toy drive for the Oakville Firefighters.

ANDREW DELLA ROVERE and BRANDON KAKEI had back-to-back shorthanded goals for the Raiders in their Friday night victory in Collingwood.

FORBES ANDERSEN made his return to the Menace lineup a memorable one as he made 38 saves to help his team beat Aurora 2-1 on Friday in Milton. The big goalie is back after having double hip surgery. His last game was Nov. 30, 2021 against Oakville.

In Cobourg's 4-3 win in Trenton, all of their goals came on the power play.  With the goals, the Cougars raised their success rate with the man-advantage to above 20 percent.

In the Raiders win against Cobourg on Saturday night, TEDDY PUCCINI had the game winner in the final second of overtime. He scored with just over three minutes remaining in the third to force the extra time.

Trenton acquired veteran forward ZEV PODOLSKI from the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba league. Last season he was a member of the Buckland Cup finalists, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. He also played for the Newmarket Hurricanes and Burlington Cougars in the OJHL. Zev started this season in the NAHL. Trenton also acquired goalkeeper BEN BONISTEEL from the Brantford 99ers who made his debut on Sunday night at 'the Hangar' in their 2-1 edging of the Mississauga Chargers. 

WHAT'S UP THIS WEEK

Two major players in the South-East conference meet Monday night in Cobourg as the Cougars welcome Haliburton. On Friday those Cougars are in Milton. 

Saturday night at the Alcott two teams giving chase to the top three in the North-West meet as the host Georgetown Raiders and Pickering Panthers collide. 'Pink in the rink' at the Central arena on Friday as host Burlington renews their local rivalry with the Oakville Blades. The J.C.s, who lead the league with a .892 winning percentage, have just one game, Friday in St. Michael's. 

Collingwood, at .854 are in Markham Friday and at home to Oakville on Saturday. 

Follow Ron Valentine on Twitter @ronandlynda