The 1997–98 OHL season was the 18th season of the Ontario Hockey League. The Toronto St. Michael's Majors name was reactivated when they are awarded a franchise, to play in the east division. The Detroit Whalers became the Plymouth Whalers. Eighteen teams each played 66 games. The Guelph Storm won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's.
Expansion
Toronto St. Michael's Majors On August 15, 1996, the Ontario Hockey League announced that the Toronto St. Michael's Majors would join the league as an expansion team, beginning in the 1997–98 season. The Majors would play their home games at Maple Leaf Gardens, in which they shared the arena with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. The Majors would join the East Division.
Previously, the Toronto St. Michael's Majors were a junior hockey franchise from 1906 to 1962, as they ceased operations at the conclusion of the 1961–62 season. The Majors won the Memorial Cup in 1934, 1945, 1947 and 1961.
The Majors were the first OHL franchise based out of Toronto in eight years, as their previous franchise, the Toronto Marlboros, relocated to Hamilton following the 1988-89 season.
Rebranding
Detroit Whalers to Plymouth Whalers The Detroit Whalers rebranded their team as the Plymouth Whalers during the summer of 1997. The Whalers franchise moved to the Compuware Sports Arena in 1996-97, which is located in Plymouth. The team would retain their current team name and uniforms.
Realignment The newest Ontario Hockey League club, the Toronto St. Michael's Majors, joined the East Division. Due to the Majors joining the East, the OHL moved the North Bay Centennials from the East Division to the Central Division, while the Erie Otters moved from the Central Division to the West Division. This created three six-team divisions in the 18 team league.
Regular season
Final standings Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = earned first round bye
East Division Rank Team GP W L T PTS GF GA 1 z-Ottawa 67's 66 40 17 9 89 286 172 2 x-Belleville Bulls 66 41 22 3 85 315 239 3 x-Kingston Frontenacs 66 35 27 4 74 330 275 4 x-Oshawa Generals 66 26 32 8 60 214 247 5 x-Peterborough Petes 66 20 36 10 50 212 273 6 Toronto St. Michael's Majors 66 15 42 9 39 154 265
Central Division Rank Team GP W L T PTS GF GA 1 z-Guelph Storm 66 42 18 6 90 263 189 2 x-Barrie Colts 66 38 23 5 81 236 215 3 x-Kitchener Rangers 66 27 29 10 64 224 239 4 x-Owen Sound Platers 66 27 34 5 59 270 312 5 x-Sudbury Wolves 66 25 34 7 57 257 268 6 North Bay Centennials 66 15 45 6 36 213 291
West Division Rank Team GP W L T PTS GF GA 1 y-London Knights 66 40 21 5 85 301 238 2 x-Plymouth Whalers 66 37 22 7 81 279 223 3 x-Sarnia Sting 66 32 21 13 77 253 227 4 x-Erie Otters 66 33 28 5 71 261 252 5 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 66 20 39 7 47 232 296 6 Windsor Spitfires 66 19 42 5 43 261 340
Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIMPeter SarnoWindsor Spitfires 64 33 88 121 18Jeremy AdduonoSudbury Wolves 66 37 69 106 40David LegwandPlymouth Whalers 59 54 51 105 56Maxim SpiridonovLondon Knights 66 54 44 98 52Colin ChaulkKingston Frontenacs 60 34 52 96 118Rob MaillouxKingston Frontenacs 65 55 40 95 53Jay LegaultLondon Knights 61 39 56 95 87Chris AllenKingston Frontenacs 66 38 57 95 91Jon SimSarnia Sting 59 44 50 94 95Justin PapineauBelleville Bulls 66 41 53 94 34
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 T GA SO Sv% GAACraig HillierOttawa 67's 46 2587 27 12 4 108 5 0.913 2.50Chris MaddenGuelph Storm 51 2906 33 11 3 132 4 0.917 2.73Robert EschePlymouth Whalers 48 2810 29 13 4 135 3 0.906 2.88Mike GormanKitchener Rangers 42 2136 15 13 5 104 1 0.924 2.92Brian FinleyBarrie Colts 41 2154 23 14 1 105 3 0.917 2.92
Playoffs
Division quarter-finals
East Division
(2) Belleville Bulls vs. (5) Peterborough Petes
(3) Kingston Frontenacs vs. (4) Oshawa Generals
Central Division
(2) Barrie Colts vs. (5) Sudbury Wolves
(3) Kitchener Rangers vs. (4) Owen Sound Platers
West Division
(1) London Knights vs. (4) Erie Otters
(2) Plymouth Whalers vs. (3) Sarnia Sting
OHL quarter-finals
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (C5) Sudbury Wolves
(E1) Ottawa 67's vs. (C4) Owen Sound Platers
(W1) London Knights vs. (E3) Kingston Frontenacs
(E2) Belleville Bulls vs. (W2) Plymouth Whalers
OHL semi-finals
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (W2) Plymouth Whalers
(E1) Ottawa 67's vs. (W1) London Knights
OHL finals
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (E1) Ottawa 67's
Playoff scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIMDaniel ClearyBelleville Bulls 10 6 17 23 10Harold DrukenPlymouth Whalers 15 9 11 20 4David LegwandPlymouth Whalers 15 8 12 30 24Mark CadotteLondon Knights 16 12 7 19 15Dan TessierOttawa 67's 14 7 12 19 12Mike OlivieraKingston Frontenacs 12 6 13 19 8Jan BulisKingston Frontenacs 12 8 10 18 12Matt ZultekOttawa 67's 14 6 12 18 20Troy StonierOttawa 67's 14 7 10 17 8Paul MaraPlymouth Whalers 15 3 14 17 30
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% GAAChris MaddenGuelph Storm 13 749 12 1 23 0 0.939 1.84Steve ValiquetteErie Otters 7 468 3 4 15 1 0.944 1.92Seamus KotykOttawa 67's 8 392 3 3 15 0 0.925 2.29Craig HillierOttawa 67's 9 448 6 2 20 1 0.911 2.68Shawn GallantBelleville Bulls 10 602 6 4 29 2 0.911 2.89
All-Star teams
First team David Legwand, Centre, Plymouth Whalers Rob Mailloux, Left Wing, Kingston Frontenacs Brian Willsie, Right Wing, Guelph Storm Chris Allen, Defence, Kingston Frontenacs Sean Blanchard, Defence, Ottawa 67's Bujar Amidovski, Goaltender, Toronto St. Michael's Majors Gary Agnew, Coach, London Knights
Second team Jon Sim, Centre, Sarnia Sting Colin Pepperall, Left Wing, Erie Otters Maxim Spiridonov, Right Wing, London Knights Ric Jackman, Defence, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Chris Hajt, Defence, Guelph Storm Robert Esche, Goaltender, Plymouth Whalers George Burnett, Coach, Guelph Storm
Third team Peter Sarno, Centre, Windsor Spitfires Jeremy Adduono, Left Wing, Sudbury Wolves Matt Bradley, Right Wing, Kingston Frontenacs Jeff Brown, Defence, London Knights Brian Campbell, Defence, Ottawa 67's Tyrone Garner, Goaltender, Oshawa Generals Lou Crawford, Coach, Belleville Bulls
Awards J. Ross Robertson Cup: Guelph StormHamilton Spectator Trophy: Guelph StormLeyden Trophy: Ottawa 67'sEmms Trophy: Guelph StormBumbacco Trophy: London KnightsRed Tilson Trophy: David Legwand, Plymouth WhalersEddie Powers Memorial Trophy: Peter Sarno, Windsor Spitfires Matt Leyden Trophy: Gary Agnew, London KnightsJim Mahon Memorial Trophy: Maxim Spiridonov, London KnightsMax Kaminsky Trophy: Chris Allen, Kingston FrontenacsOHL Goaltender of the Year: Bujar Amidovski, Toronto St. Michael's MajorsJack Ferguson Award: Jay Harrison, Brampton BattalionDave Pinkney Trophy: Craig Hillier and Seamus Kotyk, Ottawa 67's OHL Executive of the Year: Paul McIntosh, London KnightsEmms Family Award: David Legwand, Plymouth WhalersF.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy: Seamus Kotyk, Ottawa 67'sOHL Humanitarian of the Year: Jason Metcalfe, London KnightsWilliam Hanley Trophy: Matt Bradley, Kingston Frontenacs Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy: Bujar Amidovski, Toronto St. Michael's MajorsBobby Smith Trophy: Manny Malhotra, Guelph Storm
1998 OHL Priority Selection On June 6, 1998, the OHL conducted the 1998 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection at the Barrie Molson Centre in Barrie, Ontario. The Brampton Battalion held the first overall pick in the draft, and selected Jay Harrison from the Oshawa Legionaires. Harrison was awarded the Jack Ferguson Award, awarded to the top pick in the draft.
The 1998 draft was the first draft for the newest OHL expansion teams, the Brampton Battalion and Mississauga IceDogs, who would begin to play during the 1998-99 season.
Below are the players who were selected in the first round of the 1998 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
# Player Nationality OHL Team Hometown Minor Team 1 Jay Harrison (D) Canada Brampton Battalion Whitby, Ontario Oshawa Legionaires 2 Lou Dickenson (LW) Canada Mississauga IceDogs Orleans, Ontario Ottawa South Canadians 3 Chris Eade (D) Canada North Bay Centennials Oshawa, Ontario Oshawa Legionaires 4 Mark Popovic (D) Canada Toronto St. Michael's Majors Stoney Creek, Ontario Mississauga Chargers 5 Dan Growden (D) Canada Windsor Spitfires Bridgenorth, Ontario Peterborough Petes Bantam 6 Derek Fox (D) Canada Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Thunder Bay, Ontario Quinte Hawks 7 Aaron Molnar (G) Canada Peterborough Petes Dorchester, Ontario St. Thomas Stars 8 Corey Sabourin (D) Canada Sudbury Wolves Orleans, Ontario Cumberland Grads 9 Chris Minard (C) Canada Owen Sound Platers Owen Sound, Ontario Owen Sound Greys 10 Jonah Leroux (LW) Canada Oshawa Generals Williamstown, Ontario Char-Lan Rebels 11 Mike Wehrestedt (RW) Canada Kitchener Rangers Thunder Bay, Ontario Thunder Bay Kings 12 Brad Boyes (RW) Canada Erie Otters Mississauga, Ontario Mississauga Rebels 13 Brett Clouthier (RW) Canada Kingston Frontenacs Arnprior, Ontario Kanata Lasers 14 Ryan Hare (C) Canada Sarnia Sting Sarnia, Ontario Sarnia Legionnaires 15 Kristopher Vernarsky (C) United States Plymouth Whalers Warren, Michigan USA U18 16 Darryl Bootland (RW) Canada Barrie Colts Schomberg, Ontario Orangeville Crushers 17 Bobby Turner (D) Canada London Knights Stoney Creek, Ontario Quinte Hawks 18 Kris Newbury (C) Canada Belleville Bulls Brampton, Ontario Brampton Capitals 19 Luke Sellars (D) Canada Ottawa 67's Pickering, Ontario Wexford Raiders 20 Matthew Rock (D) Canada Guelph Storm Fergus, Ontario Elmira Sugar Kings
See also List of OHA Junior A standings List of OHL seasons 1998 Memorial Cup 1998 NHL entry draft 1997 in sports 1998 in sports
References
HockeyDB