Erie meets Oshawa in Rogers OHL Championship Series
Sunday May 3, 2015
After the Oshawa Generals defeated the North Bay Battalion to win the Bobby Orr Trophy awarded to the OHL’s Eastern Conference Champions on Sunday, the Rogers OHL Champoinship Series matchup is set as the Generals advance to face the Erie Otters for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.
The Generals edged the Battalion 2-1 in Game 6 as Matt Mistele provided the winning goal midway through the second period to lead Oshawa to a 4-2 series victory and avenge their demise at the hands of North Bay in the Eastern Conference Finals last spring.
Oshawa makes its first OHL Championship appearance since 1997 when Marc Savard led the Generals to an OHL title over the Ottawa 67’s before competing in the 1997 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Hull, Quebec.
The Generals have eliminated the Peterborough Petes, Niagara IceDogs and North Bay Battalion on the road to the Rogers OHL Championship Series where they’ll meet Connor McDavid and the Erie Otters.
The Otters took a 4-2 series victory over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, capping off the series with a 7-3 home ice victory on Saturday to claim their first Wayne Gretzky Trophy as Western Conference Champions since 2002. The conference title comes on the heels of the Otters eliminating the Sarnia Sting and the London Knights followed by Sault Ste. Marie.
Connor McDavid had a goal and four assists in Saturday’s win, tying an Otters franchise record for points in a postseason with 42. OHL Rookie of the Year Alex DeBrincat buried a hat-trick as the Otters and their dynamic powerplay that went 10-for-21 in the series get a step closer to the Canadian Hockey League’s ultimate prize.
Erie last won an OHL title in 2002, defeating the Barrie Colts in five games behind great efforts from star forwards Brad Boyes and Cory Pecker along with defenceman Carlo Colaiacovo.
The Otters and Generals battle each other for the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the first time in OHL history. Series dates will be released early this week.
The winner of the Rogers OHL Championship Series will compete in the 2015 MasterCard Memorial Cup that gets underway on May 21 in Quebec City, QC.