READING, Pa – In PHN’s continued efforts to expand our hockey horizons, today we continue our look at the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). This time we look at the history of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). 
The OHL is one of the three major junior hockey leagues that help make up the CHL. The other two leagues are the Quebec Major Junior Hockey Leauge (QMJHL), and the Western Hockey League (WHL). The age group for the league are ages 15-20. There are currently 20 teams in the league, 17 are based in Ontario, 2 are in the state of Michigan, and one is the state of Pennsylvania. Players are drafted and distributed to each team. Each team plays a 68 game schedule which starts the third full week in September and ends the third full week in March. There are four divisions, two divisions per conference. Once the regular season is over, the top eight teams in each conference will participate in playoff where each round is a best-of-seven series until a champion is crowned. The J. Ross Robertson Cup is awarded to the winner of the leagues championship series. Robertson was president of the league from 1901-1905. Once the leagues champion is determined, they will take part of the CHL’s Memorial Cup against the champions of the WHL and the QMJHL, as well as the team from the host city. 
Below is a list of teams that participate in the OHL, the players that graduated from their respective teams that have played at least one game in the NHL, the NHL team who drafted them, and the year they were drafted. Barrie Colts Barrie, Ontario
Jeff Cowan Vancouver 1996 Bryan Little Atlanta 2007 Erik Reitz Minnesota 2002 Martin Skoula Minnesota 1999 Bellville Bulls Bellville, Ontario Jonathan Cheechoo San Jose 2000 Daniel Cleary Detroit 1998 Shawn Matthias Belleville 2008 Darren McCarty Detroit 1992 Cody McCormick Colorado 2003 Branislav Mezei Florida 2000 Richard Park NY Islanders 1995 Branko Radivojevic Minnesota 2001 Jason Spezza Ottawa 2002 Matt Stajan Toronto 2003 Scott Thornton Los Angeles 1991 Brampton Battalion Brampton, Ontario Brent Burns Minnesota 2003 Rotislav Klesla Columbus 2001 Kamil Kreps Florida 2004 Martin Lojek Florida 2005 Jay McClement St. Louis 2003 Raffi Torres Edmonton 2001 Wojtek Wolski Colorado 2006 Erie Otters Erie, Pa Nikita Alexeev Chicago 2001 Adam Berti Chicago 2006 Michael Blunden Chicago 2006 Brad Boyes St. Louis 2002 Chris Campoli NY Islanders 2004 Carlo Colaiacovo Toronto 2003 Tim Connolly Buffalo 1999 Manny Legace St. Louis 1993 Brad May Anaheim 1991 Jay McKee St. Louis 1996 Geoff Platt Columbus 2005 Michael Rupp New Jersey 2000 Guelph Storm Guelph, Ontario Craig Anderson Florida 2001 Ken Belanger Los Angeles 1994 Todd Bertuzzi Anaheim 1995 Dustin Brown Los Angeles 2003 Ryan Callahan NY Rangers 2006 Dan Cloutier Los Angeles 1996 Matt D’Agostini Montreal 2006 Kevin Dallman Los Angeles 2002 Aaron Downey Montreal 1993 Cam Janssen New Jersey 2004 Kevin Klein Nashville 2004 Manny Malhotra Columbus 1998 Dan Paille Buffalo 2004 Ryan Parent Philadelphia 2007 Martin St. Pierre Chicago 2004 Fedor Tyutin NY Rangers 2002 Brian Willsie Los Angeles 1998 Kingston Frontenacs Kingston, Ontario Sean Avery NY Rangers 2000 Matt Bradley Washington 1998 Jan Bulis Vancouver 1998 Matt Cooke Vancouver 1998 Drew Fata NY Islanders 2003 Chris Gratton Florida 1993 Chad Kilger Toronto 1995 Andrew Raycroft Colorado 2000 Craig Rivet San Jose 1994 Anthony Stewart Florida 2005 Michael Zigomanis Phoenix 2001 Kitchener Rangers Kitchener, Ontario Gregory Campbell Florida 2003 David Clarkson New Jersey 2005 Boyd Devereaux Toronto 1997 Steve Downie Philadelphia 2007 Steve Eminger Washington 2002 Chad Kilger Toronto 1995 Matt Lashoff Boston 2006 Andrew Peters Buffalo 2000 Michael Richards Philadelphia 2005 Derek Roy Buffalo 2003 Boris Valabik Atlanta 2006 London Knights London, Ontario Danny Bois Ottawa 2004 David Bolland Chicago 2006 John Erskine Washington 2000 Dan Fritsche Columbus 2005 Sam Gagner Edmonton 2007 Dan Girardi NY Rangers 2005 Patrick Kane Chicago 2007 Tom Kostopoulos Los Angeles 1999 Drew Larman Florida 2005 Marc Methot Columbus 2005 Rick Nash Columbus 2002 Corey Perry Anaheim 2005 Brandon Prust Calgary 2005 Danny Richmond Chicago 2004 Rob Schremp Edmonton 2006 Brendan Shanahan NY Rangers 1987 Danny Syvret Edmonton 2005 Tim Taylor Tampa Bay 1989 Dennis Wideman Boston 2004 Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors Mississauga, Ontario Tim Brent Pittsburgh 2004 Peter Budaj Colorado 2002 Matt Ellis Detroit 2002 Nathan McIver Vancouver 2005 Mark Popovic Atlanta 2002 Niagra Icedogs St. Catharines, Ontario Daniel Carcillo Phoenix 2005 Greg Jacina Florida 2003 Patrick O’Sullivan Los Angeles 2005 Kyle Quincey Detroit 2005 Oshawa Generals Oshawa, Ontario Bryan Allen Florida 2000 Jason Arnott Nashville 1993 Cal Clutterbuck Minnesota 2007 Ben Eager Philadelphia 2004 Dan Hinote St. Louis 1998 Nathan Horton Florida 2003 Brandon Nolan Carolina 2003 Wayne Primeau Calgary 1996 Paul Ranger Tampa Bay 2004 Marc Savard Boston 1997 Stephane Yelle Calgary 1994 Ottawa 67’s Ottawa, Ontario Brendan Bell Phoenix 2003 Mark Bell Toronto 2000 Bryan Bickell Chicago 2006 Nick Boynton Phoenix 1999 Brian Campbell Buffalo 1999 Shean Donovan Boston 1995 Kris Draper Detroit 1991 Matt Foy Minnesota 2003 Lukas Kaspar San Jose 2005 Zenon Konopka Columbus 2002 Corey Locke Montreal 2004 Mark Mancari Buffalo 2005 Mike Peca Columbus 1994 Kevin Weekes New Jersey 1995 Owen Sound Attack Owen Sound, Ontario Andrew Brunette Colorado 1993 Brent Johnson Washington 1997 Adam Mair Buffalo 1999 Kirk Maltby Detroit 1992 Theo Peckham Edmonton 2007 Brad Richardson Colorado 2005 Gary Roberts Pittsburgh 1986 Stefan Ruzicka Philadelphia 2005 Bobby Ryan Anaheim 2007 Curtis Sanford St. Louis 2000 Andrej Sekera Buffalo 2006 Scott Walker Carolina 1993 Joel Ward Minnesota 2001 Peterborough Petes Peterborough, Ontario Jassen Cullimore Florida 1992 Kurtis Foster Minnesota 2002 Patrick Kaleta Buffalo 2006 Lukas Krajicek Vancouver 2003 Jamie Langenbrunner New Jersey 1995 Joey MacDonald Boston 2001 Steve Montador Florida 2000 Chris Pronger Anaheim 1993 Luke Richardson Ottawa 1987 Liam Reddox Edmonton 2006 Eric Staal Carolina 2003 Jordan Staal Pittsburgh 2006 Cory Stillman Carolina 1993 Shawn Thornton Boston 1997 Jason Williams Chicago 2000 Bryan Young Edmonton 2006 Plymouth Whalers Plymouth Township, Michigan Jason Bacashihua St. Louis 2002 Bryan Berard NY Islanders 1996 Jesse Boulerice Philadelphia 1998 Eric Cairns Pittsburgh 1994 Robert Esche Philadelphia 1998 Chad LaRose Carolina 2003 David Legwand Nashville 1999 David Liffiton NY Rangers 2004 Paul Mara NY Rangers 1998 Tom Sestito Columbus 2007 Karl Stewart Tampa Bay 2003 Chris Thorburn Pittsburgh 2003 Jason Ward Tampa Bay 1999 Stephen Weiss Florida 2002 Justin Williams Carolina 2000 James Wisniewski Chicago 2004 Saginaw Spirit Saginaw, Michigan Alex Auld Florida 2001 Cody Bass Ottawa 2007 Rob Davison San Jose 2000 Derian Hatcher Philadelphia 1991 Chris Neil Ottawa 1999 Sarnia Sting Sarnia, Ontario Eric Boulton Atlanta 1996 Trevor Letowski Carolina 1997 Kris Newbury Toronto 2003 Owen Nolan Calgary 1990 Mathieu Schneider Anaheim 1989 Jon Sim Atlanta 1998 Mike Van Ryn Florida 2000 Sault Ste. Maria Greyhounds Sault Ste. Maria, Ontario Jeff Carter Philadelphia 2005 Trevor Daley Dallas 2003 Adam Foote Columbus 1991 Ray Emery Ottawa 2002 Richard Jackman Anaheim 1999 Tyler Kennedy Pittsburgh 2006 Brian McGrattan Ottawa 2002 Chris Simon NY Islanders 1992 Steve Sullivan Nashville 1994 Joe Thornton San Jose 1997 Jiri Tlusty Toronto 2007 Josef Vasicek Carolina 2000 Sudbury Wolves Sudbury, Ontario Derek Armstrong Los Angeles 1993 Mike Fisher Ottawa 1999 Rory Fitzpatrick Vancouver 1995 Nick Foligno Ottawa 2007 Chris Kelly Ottawa 2001 Ethan Moreau Edmonton 1995 Glen Murray Boston 1992 Sean O’Donnell Anaheim 1991 Taylor Pyatt Vancouver 2000 Benoit Pouliot Minnesota 2006 Jamie Rivers St. Louis 1995 Alexei Semenov Florida 2001 Marc Staal NY Rangers 2007 Steve Staios Edmonton 1993 Zack Stortini Edmonton 2005 Windsor Spitfires Windsor, Ontario Tim Gleason Carolina 2003 Josh Gratton Phoenix 2003 Ed Jovanovski Phoenix 1995 Michael Leighton Montreal 2001 Steve Ott Dallas 2002 Kyle Wellwood Toronto 2003 Sources: OHL Media guide, Wikipedia Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com
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