160 of the top under-16 male hockey players from across Ontario will be heading to Kitchener next week for the 2019 OHL Gold Cup. Running from May 2-May 5, 2019 at the Activa Sportsplex, the annual showcase offers participating players the opportunity to develop through the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence and subsequently be evaluated for invitation to the national under-17 development camp.

Now only one week away - let’s take a closer look at the attendees…

1 - Player who was granted ‘Exceptional Player Status’. Shane Wright (GTHL Red) was granted exceptional status to be eligible for the OHL Priority Selection Draft one year early, Wright is just the fifth player to be granted this following the likes of John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid and Sean Day.

7 - Recipients of the Minor Hockey Player of the Year Awards - Shane Wright for GTHL (GTHL Red), Jack Michaelis for HNO, Chase Stillman for NOHA, Brenden Sirizzotti (OMHA Black) and Lawson Sherk (OMHA White) for OMHA, Deni Goure for ALLIANCE, and Mason McTavish for HEO.

11 - Prospects from the Ottawa 67’s will be at the annual showcase Jack Beck (GTHL Red), Eric Bonsteel (GTHL Red), Gabriel Crete (HEO), Max Donoso (ALLIANCE), Ranvir Gill (HEO), Parker, Hendsbee (OMHA White), Tommy Johnston (OMHA Black), Jack Matier (NOHA), Giovanni Morneau (HEO), Easton Ryan (HEO) and Brenden Sirizzotti (OMHA Black)–  for the second straight year the Ottawa 67’s feature the most prospects in the annual showcase - followed by the Kingston Frontenacs and North Bay Battalion with nine. Full list: here.

16 - Players from Thunder Bay Minor Midget AAA Kings securing them as the top team represented on rosters, the Sudbury Wolves Minor Midget AAA had 13, and the Toronto Marlboros and Toronto Red Wings had 9 each.

16 - Officials participating in the OHL Officiating Development Camp which runs in conjunction with the OHL Gold Cup as a development opportunity for officials. Each participant will officiate four games that will be supervised by OHL personnel with feedback given. In addition to in game development opportunities there will be off-ice seminars with guest OHF/OHL personnel on topics such as communication, game management, 4-officials-system, video review session and one on-ice session on skating and/or testing.

19 - Players who represented Team Ontario at the Canada Winter Games earlier this year - Benjamin Gaudreau (NOHA), Patrick Leaver (HEO), Brandt Clarke (GTHL Red ) Ethan Del Mastro (GTHL Blue) Isaac Enright (HEO), Jacob Holmes (OMHA Black) Connor Punnett (OMHA White), Liam Arnsby (GTHL Red), Joshua Bloom (GTHL Red) Ethan Larmand (OMHA White) Connor Lockhart (HEO) Mason McTavish (HEO) Justin O’Donnell (GTHL Red) Brennan Othmann (GTHL Blue) Cole Patey (OMHA White) Francesco Pinelli (GTHL Blue) Chase Stillman (NOHA) Danil Zhilkin (GTHL Blue) and Shane Wright (GTHL Red).

21 – Players selected in the first round of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. The top five selected were Shane Wright (GTHL Red), Brennan Othmann (GTHL Blue), Connor Lockhart (HEO), Brandy Clarke (GTHL Red), and Mason McTavish (HEO). Of the 160 players attending, a total of 128 were selected during the draft. Full list: here.

32 – 2018 OHL Gold Cup alumni were selected to play for Hockey Canada at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Team GTHL Blue had the most alumni represent with 9 players in total – Tristan Lennox, Owen Power, Lleyton Moore, Michael Bianconi, Will Cuylle, Stephen Halliday, Dylan Robinson, Reid Valade and Tyler Tullio.

About the OHL Gold Cup

Running from May 2- May 5 at the Activa Sportsplex in Kitchener, Ont, the OHL Gold Cup is an annual showcase event featuring top under-16 talent in Ontario. As part of the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence (POE), players competing at the OHL Gold Cup have an opportunity to be evaluated for invitation to the national under-17 development camp, where Hockey Canada gathers the top talent from across the country to introduce players to the national team program and provide a foundation of development as they progress through the POE.