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Hi gang, Rick Ostler here with OHL Hockey News, bringing you News and Views from the Ontario Hockey League as well Junior Hockey worldwide.

The Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League make up the Canadian Hockey League. Each junior hockey league holds there own draft of players and also take part in what is called the CHL Import Draft to now provide junior hockey talent world wide. Many CHL players are selected to play for Team Canada Hockey, Team USA Hockey and World Junior Hockey teams.

Here at OHL Hockey News we will follow the junior hockey leagues, teams and players. Provide up to date information on Team Canada Hockey, Team USA Hockey and World Junior Hockey.

Team Canada Hockey

Hi gang, Rick Ostler here with OHL Hockey News, bringing you News and Views from the Ontario Hockey League as well Junior Hockey worldwide.

OHL Hockey News Report

Minnesota Wild top draft pick Tyler Cuma from the Ottawa 67s makes latest roster cut. Minnesota Wild top draft pick Tyler Cuma makes latest roster cut – TwinCities.com

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Junior stars P.K. Subban and Olivier Fortier were among 18 players cut from the Montreal Canadiens training camp Subban, Fortier among players cut by Canadiens

The game winner came from the son of former NHL player Peter Bondra, David Bondra, who was the 300th and the final pick of the 2008 Ontario Hockey League Draft.Junior Showcases « Maine Hockey Journal

Guelph Storm forward Luke Pither has been named the Ontario Hockey League player of the week after scoring three goals and adding three assists in three games.The Canadian Press: Joel Broda named Western Hockey League player of the week

Peter ‘Mad Dog’ Di Salvo made 30 saves, records first career OHL shutout. Colts trotted to a 2-0 win against the Peterborough Petes. The Barrie Examiner – Ontario, CA

So, the first season after being relocated to Mississauga was a successful one. They made the OHL Cup playoffs, but their experience was brief.Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic: Dedication to a Special Saint 08

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Rick Ostler, OHL Hockey News.

Tags: OHL Hockey News, Ontario Hockey League, ottawa 67s, belleville bulls, barrie colts, guelph storm

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Hi gang, Rick Ostler here with OHL Hockey News, bringing you News and Views from the Ontario Hockey League as well Junior Hockey worldwide. The Buffalo Sabres have returned 8 players to Canadian hockey League junior Teams.

OHL Hockey News – Buffalo Sabres return 8 Players to CHL

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) _ Sabres’ rookie first-round draft pick, forward Tyler Ennis, was one of eight players relegated by Buffalo on Tuesday to their respective junior teams in the Canadian Hockey League.

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Ennis, selected with the No. 26 pick in June, returns to play for Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League. Among the other notable players relegated were rookie second-round pick, left wing Luke Adam (St. John’s of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League), and two 2007 second round picks, defensemen T.J. Brennan (St. John’s) and Drew Schiestel (Niagara, Ontario Hockey League).

Also relegated were forwards Paul Byron (Gatineau, QMJHL) and Jacob Lagace (Chicoutimi, QMJHL), and defensemen Nick Crawford (Saginaw, OHL) and Jordon Southorn (Prince Edward Island, QMJHL).

The moves leave Buffalo with 49 players on their training camp roster. Thanks to; Sabres relegate 8 to Canadian junior teams : NHL : The Rocky Mountain News

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Rick Ostler, OHL Hockey News.

Tags: OHLHockey News, Buffalo Sabres, CHL, ohl, ontario hockey league, candian hockey league

Hi gang, Rick Ostler here with OHL Hockey News, bringing you News and Views from the Ontario Hockey League as well Junior Hockey worldwide. An article on Craig Goslin, part owner and president of the Saginaw Spirit.

The managerial ranks of major hockey are full of lifers. Guys who started playing the game at age 3. Guys who moved up through travel leagues to juniors to the minors, with many reaching the National Hockey League.

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There are a lot of coaches and managers and owners missing their front teeth. And against this backdrop, Craig Goslin stands in marked contrast.

Goslin is a Bay City native, a 1979 graduate of All Saints High. More recently, he is a partner and the president of the Saginaw Spirit, mid-Michigan’s Ontario Hockey League team which begins its seventh season Wednesday night when it hosts the London Knights. Faceoff is 7:11 p.m. at The Dow Event Center.

The Spirit has proven to be a successful financial venture since Day One, despite enduring plenty of ups and downs on the ice. Here, Goslin and owner/governor Dick Garber have played major roles.

But neither got involved with the Spirit while holding the title of “hockey guy.” Garber is the owner of several area car dealerships. And Goslin was more interested in basketball and football as a youth before he settled into a successful, 19-year career in sales with Hilti Corp., a global manufacturer of products for the construction industry.

“Honestly, I didn’t know much about hockey,” said Goslin last week. “My son played, and as I started watching his games and practices, I thought, ‘This is a great, great game. I wish I had played as a kid.’”

Goslin first met Garber in the 1980s on the golf course. “Dick and I have known each other for 20 years,” Goslin said. “As soon as I met him, I realized he was the most competitive person I had ever met. From that point, I always thought I’d like to get involved with him in something if the opportunity ever came up.”

When Garber bought an OHL franchise and moved it to Saginaw in 2002, Goslin sensed an opportunity. “I just contacted Dick and said, ‘Hey, I don’t know if there’s a fit here, but …,’ and he hired me as his vice president of sales. Then, in the third season, he allowed me to buy into the team.”

And so, the two decidedly non-hockey businessmen hit the ice running. “The thing is, because we didn’t have a hockey background, we did a lot of thinking outside the box,” Goslin said. “A lot of us didn’t know what we couldn’t do, and that turned out to be an advantage for us.

“But really, whether you’re selling tools or cars or hockey tickets, it’s all about people. People’s needs and desires are what comes first, and we were still concentrating on putting the customer first, just like we did before the Spirit came along. And I think that’s why we’ve had a 95 percent renewal rate with our clients.”

Others have noticed. Goslin was named the OHL’s Executive of the Year in 2005-06, and again in 2006-07. And in a league which is considered rock solid from a financial standpoint, the Spirit is a cornerstone.

“With junior hockey, you’re never going to make a ton of money on a year-by-year basis,” Goslin said. “But all along, Dick’s done the things to increase the value of the franchise. Thirty years from now, there’s still going to be a Saginaw Spirit.”

There are, of course, some fringe benefits to running a major junior hockey team. Given the OHL’s strong relationship with the NHL, Goslin has befriended many NHL general managers including Doug Armstrong of the Blues, Doug Wilson of the Sharks, Dale Tallon of the Blackhawks and, yes, the Red Wings’ Ken Holland.

Holland, in fact, spent the day in Saginaw prior to the 2007 OHL All-Star Classic, which was hosted by the Spirit. And earlier this summer, on the day he was to take possession of the Stanley Cup (every member of the Stanley Cup champion Wings got their day with the chalice), Goslin was invited to take part in the celebration.

“I flew out to British Columbia for Kenny’s golf tournament,” Goslin said. “We got our picture taken with the Cup at the end of the tournament, then Kenny said, ‘Hey, Goz, let’s go for a boat ride.’ So Kenny got behind the wheel, I sat up front holding the Stanley Cup, and we started cruising around Kalamalka Lake. Pretty soon, we had a parade of boats behind us, circling the lake. Everyone was running out to their dock yelling and pointing at the Stanley Cup.

“I’ve got all the respect in the world for Kenny Holland,” Goslin added. “He treats the guy who sweeps the floor just as well as the guy who runs the bank. He’s just a first-class person and he’s the best GM in the National Hockey League. Right now, he might be the best GM in sports.”

Now, Goslin is back in the office, getting ready for what he hopes will be a successful season on the ice – and off it.

“I’ve always had a passion for developing our youth, whether it’s coaching a kids’ basketball team or running a junior hockey team,” Goslin said. “More than anything, I like watching the kids on our team grow up and enjoy their time here.

“And we want the fans to enjoy themselves, too. We’ve got 5,500 seats to fill, and we know they aren’t going to be filled by 5,500 diehard hockey fans,” Goslin said. “So we have the laser shows and the promotions and the contests.

“If a fan leaves one of our games saying, ‘I don’t know a thing about hockey, but I had a great time,’ then we’ve done our job.” Thanks to Jon McQuinn, The Bay City Times for this; Bay City’s Man of Spirit – Columns & Opinion – The Bay City Times – MLive.com

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Rick Ostler, OHL Hockey News.

Tags: OHLHockey News, Craig Goselin, Saginaw Spirit, ohl, ohl hockey, ontario hockey league