Whalers & Spirit Eliminated!

#21 Ryan Hartman (in white) is a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick!  Hartman has a promising future in the NHL.

     The Plymouth Whalers, and the Saginaw Spirit each ran into buzz saws in their respective series, and both teams have been eliminated from the 2014 OHL (Ontario Hockey League) Playoffs.  The Guelph Storm eliminated the Plymouth Whalers, and the Erie Otters finished off the Saginaw Spirit.  The best of seven series ended in 5 games for both the Whalers, and the Spirit, and both teams won game 3 of their respective series.
     The Plymouth Whalers were a young team this year, and weren't expected to be a top team in the OHL.  The Whalers finished the regular season with 63 points, and an overall record of 28-40 (7 shootout losses).  The Whalers earned the final spot in this years OHL Playoffs, but were outscored 7-2 in game 4, and 8-3 in game 5. The Whalers will miss the contributions next season of players like #4 Nick Malysa, #9 Zach Lorentz, and #25 Carter Sandlak.  It is expected that #21 Ryan Hartman will be on a NHL (National Hockey League) roster next season, and #32 Gianluca Curcuruto has a chance to make it as well.  Hartman is a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, and Curcuruto is a Columbus Bluejackets draft pick.  The Whalers will be lead next season by #39 Alex Nedeljkovic, #22 Matt Mistele, #16 Victor Crus Rydberg (VCR), and #23 Connor Sills.  Click on the link below for more information about the Plymouth Whalers.
     The Saginaw Spirit were a scrappy bunch, and were lead by their goaltender #57 Jake Paterson.  Paterson is a Detroit Red Wings draft pick, and certainly has a future in the NHL.  The Spirit finished the season with 71 points, and an overall record of 33-35 (4 overtime losses, and 1 shootout loss).  Saginaw earned a #3 seed in this years OHL Playoffs, but lost 3 games to the Erie Otters by 1 goal.  The Spirit will miss the contributions of #15 Eric Locke next season, but Saginaw will have several players returning to the team.  Click on the link below for more information about the Saginaw Spirit.
     Do you think that either Ryan Hartman, or Jake Paterson will have a successful career in the NHL?  You can always leave a comment, and you can email the Mitten State Sports Report directly at mittenstatesportsreport@rocketmail.com   Click on the links below for more information about the Ontario Hockey League, or the National Hockey League.  Click on past months to check out exclusive photos from several OHL games.

The Plymouth Whalers will be back next season!  Click on the links below!

 







For more information about the Plymouth Whalers click on  plymouthwhalers.com



For more information about the Saginaw Spirit click on  http://www.saginawspirit.com



For OHL stats, and standings click on  http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com



For NHL stats, and standings click on  http://www.nhl.com



Leave a comment!  Email the Mitten State Sports Report at mittenstatesportsreport@rocketmail.com 



Click on past months to check out all of the Mitten State Sports Report's archived material!  

Copp & Hartman For USA

#21 Ryan Hartman plays for the Plymouth Whalers, and is representing Team USA in the World Junior Championship!

     The 2014 World Junior Championship is underway, and Team USA is looking to repeat as tournament champions.  Ryan Hartman (pictured above) plays for the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL (Ontario Hockey League), and is representing Team USA for the second straight year.  Hartman played an important roll on the 2013 World Junior Championship Gold Medal team, scoring 2 goals in 7 games for Team USA.  Hartman has 13 goals, and 13 assists through 25 games with the Whalers this season.  During the 2012-2013 season, Hartman played 56 games for the Whalers scoring 23 goals, and adding 37 assists.  Hartman has already been drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL (National Hockey League).
     Andrew Copp plays college hockey at the University of Michigan, and has also earned a spot on Team USA.  The left winger has already been drafted by the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL, and currently leads the Wolverines in scoring.  Copp has played 14 games for the Wolverines this season, and has 9 goals, with 5 assists.  During the 2012-2013 season, Copp played 52 games for the Wolverines scoring 20 goals, and adding 15 assists.
     Connor Carrick played the 2012-2013 season with the Plymouth Whalers, and is also playing for Team USA.  Carrick has played most of this season with the Hershey Bears of the AHL (American Hockey League), but has seen time in the NHL with the Washington Capitals.  During the 2012-2013 season, Carrick played 68 games for the Whalers scoring 12 goals, and adding 32 assists.
     Team USA is currently 3-0 in pool play with victories over Czech Republic (5-1 on December 26th), Slovakia (6-3 on December 28th), and Germany (8-0 this morning).  Team USA will play their next game on Tuesday (11:30 a.m.) against Canada.  The quarterfinals of the tournament will take place on January 2nd, the semifinals will be played January 4th, and the tournament will conclude with the Medal Games on January 5th.  The 2014 World Junior Championship is being played in Malmo, Sweden, and some games can be seen on the NHL Network.
     Andrew Copp, Ryan Hartman, and Connor Carrick are all physical players that combine speed with the ability to score goals.  Team USA will lean on their experience, and rely on their production throughout their quest for another Gold Medal.      
     Click on the links below for more information about the 2014 World Junior Championship, the University of Michigan athletic program, or the Plymouth Whalers.  There are also links to the OHL, and the NHL.  Be sure to check out all of the Mitten State Sports Report's archived material by clicking on past months.  You can always leave a comment, and you can email the Mitten State Sports Report at mittenstatesportsreport@rocketmail.com









               

#21 Ryan Hartman is looking to help Team USA win their second World Junior Championship in a row!

For information about the 2014 World Junior Championship click on  http://www.worldjunior2014.com



For more information about the Plymouth Whalers click on  plymouthwhalers.com



For more information about UofM athletics click on  http://www.mgoblue.com



For OHL stats, and standings click on  http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com



For NHL stats, and standings click on  http://www.nhl.com



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Whalers vs. Greyhounds

The Plymouth Whalers (in white) hosted the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (in red), at Compuware Arena last night!

Both teams are divisional rivals, and compete in the West Division of the OHL (Ontario Hockey League)!

Sault Ste. Marie defenseman #25 Darnell Nurse has already been drafted by the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL!

Plymouth defenseman #27 Yannick Rathgeb got into a fight with #39 Jean Dupuy!

There were a pair of fights at last nights game!  The Whalers are a scrappy bunch! 

#9 Zach Lorentz scored twice for the Whalers last night!  #9 Lorentz now has 13 goals this season!

Games become physical when divisional foes square off against each other!

Plymouth center # 21 Ryan Hartman checks a Greyhounds player into the boards!

Sault Ste. Marie built a 3-0 lead over the Whalers!  Plymouth fought hard to get back into the game!

#31 Brandon Halverson (from Traverse City) started in net for the Greyhounds!  #31 Halverson made 36 saves!

The Whalers pulled goaltender #39 Alex Nedeljkovic with a minute and a half left in regulation!



Sault Ste. Marie defeated the Whalers 4-3.  The Greyhounds are in 1st place in the West Division of the OHL!

For more information about the Plymouth Whalers click on  plymouthwhalers.com



For OHL stats, and standings click on  http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com



For info about upcoming events at Compuware Arena click on  http://www.compuwarearena.com



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Click on past months to see photos from previous Plymouth Whalers games!  



This is the 3rd season in a row that the Plymouth Whalers have been on the Mitten State Sports Report! 



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