Around the OHL

In recent weeks, the Ontario Hockey League has made more headlines for players leaving their teams instead of the play on the ice.

Thanks to a trade and one of those disgruntled players returning to his team, the focus has shifted to the play of those players on the ice. The trade of John Hughes to Brampton which saw Aaron Snow head to Belleville sorted part of that situation. Now Toronto St. Michael's Majors forward Justin Donati has made his return to the Majors lineup.

It is still very unclear exactly why Donati left the organization. The overage forward, who saw his twin brother Tyler traded to Belleville in the summer has also had to come to terms with the death of his mother. His mother, Corinne, was diagnosed with cancer in April, 2004 and passed away in July, 2006.

The Majors have not released much information as to why he left. At the time of his departure, Majors coach Bud Stefanski told media that he did not have a reason why. Reports at the time were that the veteran forward was hoping to secure a trade. He did request a trade to a contender earlier in the season but was convinced by Stefanski to stick around to see if the teams fortunes would change after a slow start. The team did improve, getting back to .500.

The team is now reporting that the reason for Donati's departure was a number of factors. The trade of his brother, whom he spent time with after leaving the Majors; the death of his mother; and what Stefanski calls some bad advice, were all cited as the reason for his leaving the team.

Donati did make a triumphant return to the team on Nov. 16 with three goals and four assists in a 10-1 win by the Majors over the Brampton Battalion. His seven-point performance was somewhat overshadowed by Sault Ste. Marie native Matt Caria who scored three times and added five assists in the win.

***
GAGNER TOPS CENTRAL SCOUTING LIST:

The National Hockey League's preliminary ranking of players eligible for the 2007 NHL draft has been released and the top three OHL players are not surprising.

London Knights rookies Sam Gagner and Patrick Kane are ranked first and third while Ottawa 67's forward Logan Couture is sandwiched in between.

All three players have had strong seasons, though Couture has struggled a bit of late after battling through a bout of mono early on in the season. Gagner and Kane have surprised some people as the two are among the league's scoring leaders.

The 2007 draft is not seen as a strong one for OHL players though aside from the top three players. Kitchener Rangers forward Nick Spaling and Sudbury Wolves forward Akim Aliu are rated fourth and fifth respectively. Plymouth Whalers goaltender Jeremy Smith is the OHL's top rated netminder.

The Central Scouting Bureau issues their preliminary ranking every November and splits the North American list by league, and the European list by country.

The top rated player from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is Angelo Esposito of the Quebec Remparts. Kamloops Blazers defenseman Keaton Ellerby is the top rated Western Hockey League player.

NHL Central Scouting's mid-term rankings will come out in January.