The 2007–08 OHL season was the 28th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams played 68 games each during the schedule, that started on September 19, 2007, and concluded on March 16, 2008. The Mississauga IceDogs relocated to the Gatorade Garden City Complex in downtown St. Catharines after getting approval of the team's sale to Bill Burke by the Board of Governors on June 5, 2007. The team was renamed the Niagara IceDogs.Local News The Toronto St. Michael's Majors replaced the IceDogs in the Hershey Centre, renaming themselves, the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors. The Kingston Frontenacs moved late-season from the Kingston Memorial Centre to the new K-Rock Centre, which opened on February 22, 2008. On the afternoon of February 18, 2008, Windsor Spitfires team captain Mickey Renaud died after collapsing at his home, at age 19, of the rare heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy."The Globe and Mail 2008/02/18" The playoffs began March 20, with the Kitchener Rangers winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions. The Rangers were also chosen before the start of the season to host the 2008 Memorial Cup tournament.
Regular season
Final standings Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title
Eastern conference Rank TeamDIV GP W L OTL SL PTS GF GA 1 z-Belleville Bulls East 68 48 14 4 2 102 280 175 2 y-Brampton Battalion Central 68 42 22 1 3 88 259 187 3 x-Oshawa Generals East 68 38 17 6 7 89 290 262 4 x-Niagara IceDogs Central 68 42 25 0 1 85 272 222 5 x-Mississauga St. Michael's Majors Central 68 31 32 2 3 67 203 243 6 x-Ottawa 67's East 68 29 34 2 3 63 201 237 7 x-Barrie Colts Central 68 28 34 3 3 62 185 223 8 x-Peterborough Petes East 68 28 36 1 3 60 199 250 9 Kingston Frontenacs East 68 25 41 0 2 52 227 312 10 Sudbury Wolves Central 68 17 46 2 3 39 175 292
Western conference Rank TeamDIV GP W L OTL SL PTS GF GA 1 z-Kitchener Rangers Midwest 68 53 11 1 3 110 289 174 2 y-Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds West 68 44 18 2 4 94 247 173 3 x-Windsor Spitfires West 68 41 15 7 5 94 279 205 4 x-London Knights Midwest 68 38 24 4 2 82 250 230 5 x-Guelph Storm Midwest 68 34 25 5 4 77 213 187 6 x-Sarnia Sting West 68 37 29 2 0 76 251 229 7 x-Saginaw Spirit West 68 33 25 8 2 76 234 231 8 x-Plymouth Whalers West 68 34 28 2 4 74 228 223 9 Owen Sound Attack Midwest 68 20 41 2 5 47 200 290 10 Erie Otters Midwest 68 18 46 2 2 40 206 343
Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIMJustin AzevedoKitchener Rangers 67438112469Brett MacLeanOshawa Generals 61615811942John TavaresOshawa Generals 59407811869Luca Caputi Niagara IceDogs 665160111107Steven Stamkos Sarnia Sting 61584710588Chris Terry Plymouth Whalers 684457101107Jack Combs Saginaw Spirit 67425810093Michael Swift Niagara IceDogs 683862100130Dustin Jeffrey Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 5638599730Josh BaileyWindsor Spitfires 6729679632
Leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
Player Team GP Mins W L OTL SL GA SO Sv% GAA Mike Murphy Belleville Bulls 49 2942 36 7 3 1 110 3 0.929 2.24 Kyle Gajewski Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 603562391613 14530.9132.44 Josh Unice Kitchener Rangers 422376306129740.9082.45 Tom McCollum Guelph Storm 51297825173312440.9142.50 Steve Mason London / Kitchener 4225303271210630.9162.51
Playoffs
Conference quarterfinals
Eastern conference
(1) Belleville Bulls vs. (8) Peterborough Petes
(2) Brampton Battalion vs. (7) Barrie Colts
(3) Oshawa Generals vs. (6) Ottawa 67's
(4) Niagara IceDogs vs. (5) Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
Western conference
(1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (8) Plymouth Whalers
(2) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (7) Saginaw Spirit
(3) Windsor Spitfires vs. (6) Sarnia Sting
(4) London Knights vs. (5) Guelph Storm
Conference semifinals
Eastern conference
(1) Belleville Bulls vs. (7) Barrie Colts
(3) Oshawa Generals vs. (4) Niagara IceDogs
Western conference
(1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (6) Sarnia Sting
(2) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (5) Guelph Storm
Conference finals
Eastern conference
(1) Belleville Bulls vs. (3) Oshawa Generals
Western conference
(1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (2) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
J. Ross Robertson Cup
(W1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (E1) Belleville Bulls
J. Ross Robertson Cup Champions Roster 2007-08 Kitchener Rangers Goaltenders
Defencemen
- C Wingers
– A
– A
Centres
– A
Coach: Peter DeBoer General Manager: Peter DeBoer
Playoff scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIMJustin Azevedo Kitchener Rangers 2010263633Mikkel Bødker Kitchener Rangers 20926352Matt Beleskey Belleville Bulls 2112213323Matthew Halischuk Kitchener Rangers 201616320Nick Spaling Kitchener Rangers 201416309Nazem Kadri Kitchener Rangers 209172626Jan Muršak Belleville Bulls 219152410P. K. Subban Belleville Bulls 218152328Mike Duco Kitchener Rangers 201662237Michael Swift Niagara IceDogs 10991822
Playoff leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
Player Team GP Mins W L GA SO Sv% GAA Bryan Pitton Brampton Battalion 5333 1 4 10 00.9381.80 Tom McCollum Guelph Storm 10596 5 5 19 10.9371.91 Steve Mason Kitchener Rangers 5313 5 0 10 1 0.9461.92 Mike Murphy Belleville Bulls 191085 14 4 42 10.9272.32 Josh Unice Kitchener Rangers 16948 11 4 38 10.9152.41
All-Star teams
First team Justin Azevedo, Centre, Kitchener Rangers Brett MacLean, Left Wing, Oshawa Generals Matthew Halischuk, Right Wing, Kitchener Rangers Drew Doughty, Defence, Guelph Storm Zach Bogosian, Defence, Peterborough Petes Mike Murphy, Goaltender, Belleville Bulls Bob Boughner, Coach, Windsor Spitfires
Second team Steven Stamkos, Centre, Sarnia Sting Luca Caputi, Left Wing, Niagara IceDogs Stefan Legein, Right Wing, Niagara IceDogs Bob Sanguinetti, Defence, Brampton Battalion Yannick Weber, Defence, Kitchener Rangers Steve Mason, Goaltender, Kitchener Rangers Peter DeBoer, Coach, Kitchener Rangers
Third team Shawn Matthias, Centre, Belleville Bulls Matt Beleskey, Left Wing, Belleville Bulls Wayne Simmonds, Right Wing, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Alex Pietrangelo, Defence, Niagara IceDogs Ryan Wilson, Defence, Sarnia Sting Thomas McCollum, Goaltender, Guelph Storm George Burnett, Coach, Belleville Bulls
All-Star Classic The OHL All-Star Classic was played February 6, 2008 at the Steelback Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, won 8–7 in a shootout by the Eastern Conference. The skills competition was held the previous night on February 5, with the Eastern Conference winning 19–18.
Awards J. Ross Robertson Cup: Kitchener RangersHamilton Spectator Trophy: Kitchener RangersBobby Orr Trophy: Belleville BullsWayne Gretzky Trophy: Kitchener RangersEmms Trophy: Brampton BattalionLeyden Trophy: Belleville BullsHolody Trophy: Kitchener RangersBumbacco Trophy: Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsRed Tilson Trophy: Justin Azevedo, Kitchener RangersEddie Powers Memorial Trophy: Justin Azevedo, Kitchener RangersMatt Leyden Trophy: Bob Boughner, Windsor SpitfiresJim Mahon Memorial Trophy: John Hughes, Brampton BattalionMax Kaminsky Trophy: Drew Doughty, Guelph StormOHL Goaltender of the Year: Mike Murphy, Belleville BullsJack Ferguson Award: John McFarland, Sudbury WolvesDave Pinkney Trophy: Kyle Gajewski, Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsOHL Executive of the Year: Denise Burke, Niagara IceDogsBill Long Award: Don Brankley, London Knights & Gil Hughes, Oshawa GeneralsEmms Family Award: Taylor Hall, Windsor SpitfiresF. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy: Josh Unice, Kitchener RangersDan Snyder Memorial Trophy: Pete Stevens, Kingston FrontenacsWilliam Hanley Trophy: Nick Spaling, Kitchener RangersLeo Lalonde Memorial Trophy: Michael Swift, Niagara IceDogsBobby Smith Trophy: Ryan Ellis, Windsor SpitfiresRoger Neilson Memorial Award: Scott Aarssen, London KnightsIvan Tennant Memorial Award: Alex Friesen, Niagara IceDogsTim Adams Memorial Trophy: John McFarland, Toronto Jr. Canadiens Wayne Gretzky 99 Award: Justin Azevedo, Kitchener Rangers
2008 OHL Priority Selection On May 3, 2008, the OHL conducted the 2008 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection. The Sudbury Wolves held the first overall pick in the draft, and selected John McFarland from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. McFarland was awarded the Jack Ferguson Award, awarded to the top pick in the draft.
Below are the players who were selected in the first round of the 2008 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
# Player Nationality OHL team Hometown Minor team 1 John McFarland (RW) Canada Sudbury Wolves Richmond Hill, Ontario Toronto Jr. Canadiens 2 Greg McKegg (C) Canada Erie Otters St. Thomas, Ontario Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs 3 Steven Shipley (C) Canada Owen Sound Attack Ilderton, Ontario Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs 4 Erik Gudbranson (D) Canada Kingston Frontenacs Orleans, Ontario Ottawa Jr. 67's 5 Ryan Spooner (C) Canada Peterborough Petes Kanata, Ontario Ottawa Jr. Senators 6 Ryan O'Connor (D) Canada Barrie Colts Hamilton, Ontario Toronto Jr. Canadiens 7 Tyler Toffoli (RW) Canada Ottawa 67's Scarborough, Ontario Toronto Jr. Canadiens 8 Devante Smith-Pelly (RW) Canada Mississauga St. Michael's Majors Scarborough, Ontario Toronto Jr. Canadiens 9 Tyler Seguin (C) Canada Plymouth Whalers Brampton, Ontario Toronto Nationals 10 Brandon Saad (LW) United States Saginaw Spirit Gibsonia, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Hornets 11 Gregg Sutch (RW) Canada Sarnia Sting Newmarket, Ontario York-Simcoe Express 12 Cody McNaughton (RW) Canada Guelph Storm Etobicoke, Ontario Toronto Jr. Canadiens 13 Christian Thomas (LW) Canada London Knights Toronto, Ontario Toronto Marlboros 14 Freddie Hamilton (RW) Canada Niagara IceDogs St. Catharines, Ontario Toronto Marlboros 15 Sam Carrick (C) Canada Brampton Battalion Goodwood, Ontario Toronto Red Wings 16 Kevin Bailie (G) Canada Oshawa Generals Belleville, Ontario Quinte Red Devils 17 Cam Fowler (D) United States Windsor Spitfires Farmington Hills, Michigan USA U17 18 Brock Beukeboom (D) Canada Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Port Perry, Ontario Central Ontario Wolves 19 Stephen Silas (D) Canada Belleville Bulls Georgetown, Ontario Halton Hills Hurricanes 20 Jeff Skinner (LW) Canada Kitchener Rangers Markham, Ontario Toronto Nationals
2008 CHL Import Draft On June 29, 2008, the Canadian Hockey League conducted the 2008 CHL Import Draft, in which teams in all three CHL leagues participate in. The Sudbury Wolves held the first pick in the draft by a team in the OHL, and selected Nikita Filatov from Russia with their selection.
Below are the players who were selected in the first round by Ontario Hockey League teams in the 2008 CHL Import Draft.