Oakville may soon be able to enter its own team in the Central Canada Cup Challenge.
The Oakville Blades, a team built on a strong base of local talent, had four players named to the annual all-star tournament. But the depth of the town’s hockey talent is also evident in the number of players succeeding for teams throughout the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Six other players who call Oakville home were named to the OJHL’s four teams that will play in the nine-team tournament, which begins Nov. 15 at the Mastercard Centre in Etobicoke.
The Blades four players will be split between two OJHL teams, named after some of the league’s most famous alumni. Goalie Daniel Mannella, the league’s goaltender of the month for November, and defenceman Greg Campbell will play for Team Hawerchuk.
Mannella, 19, leads the OJHL with a .936 save percentage and is one of only two goalies with a sub-2.00 average (1.88).
It will be the second straight tournament for Campbell, who ranks third among all OJHL defencemen with 21 points in 21 games. The third-year defenceman is approaching the 100-point mark for his career with 83 in 117 games.
Blades teammates Ryan Garvey and Jackson Bales will represent Team Oates. Garvey, 18, has four goals and 10 points while Bales is fifth on the Blades with 16 points in 21 games.
Joining Garvey and Bales on Team Oates is Christian Lloyd of the league-leading Trenton Golden Hawks. Lloyd has more goals than any defenceman in the OJHL with eight and ranks just behind Campbell in the scoring with 20 points.
Suiting up with Mannella and Campbell on Team Hawerchuk are Connor Stack of the Orangeville Flyers and Callum Fryer of the Aurora Tigers.
With 28 points in 20 games, Stack has already surpassed his rookie season total. He is tied four fourth in the OJHL with 20 assists. After helping Aurora reach the OJHL final last season, Fryer is also enjoying a strong sophomore campaign. The 18-year-old defenceman has a goal and eight assists in 17 games.
Austin Washkurak of the Cobourg Cougars is the lone Oakville representative on Team Coffey. The 19-year-old netminder, who played for Mississauga the past two seasons, is 6-3 with a 3.36 average and a .892 save percentage in 11 games. He allowed three or fewer goals in each of his first eight starts this season.
Rounding out the Oakville contingent are Team Nieuwendyk’s Alex Riche of the Milton IceHawks and Jack Jeffers of the Burlington Cougars. Riche, who recently committed to Princeton University, is following up an outstanding 56-point rookie season. He leads Milton in goals (12), assists (11), points (23) and power-play goals (five).
The 17-year-old Jeffers ranks third on the Cougars with 13 points in 21 games in his first OJHL season.
The Blades' Ben Fryer will serve as the athletic therapist for Team Hawerchuk.
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