The OMHA Minor Midget and Midget AAA Rankings powered by Under Armour are submitted by a group of scouts from the Ontario Hockey League and are released on a bi-weekly basis.
Photo Credit: Kevin Sousa Photography
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association has released the third edition of the Minor Midget and Midget AAA Top 5 Rankings powered by Under Armour for the 2019-2020 regular season. These rankings will be released on a bi-weekly schedule.
Teams are beginning to stand their ground after the opening weeks of play but there is still plenty to be decided through the quarter mark of the year.
A victory by the Express over the top ranked Red Devils showed that this will be a back and forth battle all season long. Meanwhile, teams continue to stack up wins and are right on their tails for top spot.
Jackson Edward (York-Simcoe Express) - Edward is noticeable right away because he has a great combination of size and skating. He is a very mobile defender, with a lot of confidence when he carries the puck. He is very agile and uses his edges to elude and then his powerful stride to gain separation. When Edward gains the offensive zone, he rarely throws pucks away, but uses a high IQ, knowing when to buy time or when to find teammates for passes. Without the puck, he is great at reading when to jump into the slot to get a shot on net. He will produce solid offensive numbers for his team this year.
Jake Karabela (Guelph Jr. Gryphons) - A centre that loves having the puck on his stick. He uses his quickness to catch defenders flatfooted and can continue to beat players to the outside. Karabela is also able to use good balance to make quick cuts to buy time and space in offensive zone. From here he can get pucks to the net or find open teammates. Karabela has a good nose for the net and can pick up on loose pucks well. He looks to be a leader offensively for his team and will be counted on in big situations.
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The Minor Petes and North Stars both continue their hot starts to the season and are currently leading the conversation for the top teams in this age group. The Raiders find themselves streaking up the standings as well, winners of six in a row.
Erik Bertelsen (Oakville Rangers) - Bertelsen possesses a shot gives goalies fits. Almost at a goal per game pace through the first part of the season, the 2003-forward is a threat to put the puck in the net whenever he has possession in the offensive zone. The unique part of Bertelsen’s game is that he can score from the outside, but he is not afraid to get to the dirty areas a compete for pucks in the blue paint. If the Rangers are going to continue their winning ways, look for Bertelsen to continue to contribute to the offence in a big way.
Andrew Sprague (Kingston Jr. Gaels) - Sprague has picked up right where he left off last season. The 2002-forward has turned heads this season with his playmaking ability. A large part of last year's Midget AAA OMHA gold medal winning team, Sprague has the ability to slow the game down and make plays that others on the ice simply can’t. Whether it's finding an open seam on the powerplay, or hitting the slot man from below the goal line, his vision on the ice is second to none. Look for Sprague to continue to be a large part of the Kingston offence by constantly adding to the assists column.
The OMHA Minor Midget and Midget AAA Rankings powered by Under Armour are submitted by a group of scouts from the Ontario Hockey League and are released on a bi-weekly basis.