Ottawa, Ont. —
Welcome to Week 4 of the CCHL’s 2017-18 campaign; question marks remain with many of the league’s 12 teams, while defending-champion Carleton Place appears to be in a class of its own.
At 7-1-0, Jason Clarke’s Canadians are already four points clear atop the league standings — their lone loss, surprisingly, against a last-place Kemptville team — and appear to be on cruise control.
ICYMI: @CPCanadians acquired ’97-born D Josh Gagne today, in exchange for the rights to Chad Varney. #CCHL pic.twitter.com/Iw388VtB0K
— CCHL (@CCHLTier1) September 19, 2017
C.P. bolstered its blue line last week with the acquisition of Josh Gagne from the AJHL; the 20-year-old defenceman returns to his native Ontario following stints with Brooks and Calgary out west.
The four-time defending champions also committed development product Ryland Mosley to NCAA Division-I Alabama-Huntsville.
News | @CPCanadians F Ryland Mosley (@Ryland68) has committed to @UAHHockey. #CCHL pic.twitter.com/Za8MRC6zuf
— CCHL (@CCHLTier1) September 18, 2017
A number of players will sit out this weekend’s action due to suspension. Cornwall’s Konnor MacCormick received a three-game ban for a blindside hit on Navan’s Francois Drouin, who was also handed a three-game suspension for an incident earlier on the shift, while Hawkesbury’s Colin Stevens picked up a two-game ban for a kneeing incident last week.
Storylines
- Trouble in Laser Nation — The top story in #TheCentral this week is once again Kanata, where the Lasers face two critical tests against decent opponents in Pembroke and Brockville. Kanata went 0-3 in head coach Nathan Hewitt’s first weekend behind the bench, and desperately needs to get him his first win this weekend. Simply to stay with the pack.
- Debuts — A couple of interesting pickups saw Carleton Place add D Josh Gagne and Rockland add F Aaron Brisebois. Both Gagne, a 20-year-old two-way blue liner, and Brisebois, a 50-game QMJHL player, could have immediate impacts. Should be fun to watch.
- Dagenais vs. Sauvé — When the Rockland Nationals visit Ottawa on Saturday night for a date with the Jr. Senators, it will be a meeting of former coaching colleagues. Under former O.J.S. assistant Dan Sauvé, the Nats have raced out to a second-place start, while Jr. Sens bench boss Martin Dagenais has once again iced an elite team. Meeting of two solid hockey minds.
Games to Watch
Thursday: Hawkesbury (4-2-0) at Ottawa (4-2-0) | 7:30 p.m., Jim Durrell Sports Complex | Now this is a tasty matchup; the Hawks will be without top defenceman Colin Stevens (suspension), while the full-strength Jr. Sens will be looking to prove a point after falling behind Carleton Place early in the season. Will Ottawa’s high-octane offence break down Hawkesbury’s tight defensive systems?
Friday: Pembroke (4-3-0) at Rockland (4-1-2) | 7:30 p.m., CIH Arena | The Nats have stumbled somewhat since a 2-0-1 start at showcase, with losses to Navan and Smiths Falls hinting at them being a more middle-of-the-pack team. Pembroke, on the flip side, has won two of its last three and is trending upwards with a high-octane offence.
Sunday: Smiths Falls (3-4-0) at Navan (2-5-0) | 3:00 p.m, Navan Memorial Centre | Both the Bears and Grads have something to prove entering their home-and-home set this weekend. Smiths Falls must take all four points to solidify themselves as a mid-tier team, while Navan needs points badly after a difficult start to the season. Two teams which already have a bit of aggression, they’ll go head-to-head this weekend with big points on the line.
