Liam Alcalde to play for the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL

Liam Alcalde spent his grade 11 year here with us in Cornwall.

And next year...

He will play for the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL!! Congratulations Liam!!

And thanks for saying nice things about OHA :) We loved having you here.

Here is the text from an article on HockeyScene.com:

LACHINE, QC, June 20, 2012 - Liam Alcalde, selected in the sixth round by the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) during the league’s recent entry draft, credits his coach at the Ontario Hockey Academy, Luke Beck of Charlottetown, for the evolution to his game.

“I learned discipline because he was tough when he needed to be helping me get the right attitude and frame of mind on the ice,” said Alcalde. “He’s the reason I started scoring by learning to go to the dirty areas of the ice and I have him to thank for that.”

Beck, who played four seasons with the Charlottetown Abbies in the Maritime Junior Hockey League before playing three seasons while studying at State University of New York in Potsdam, just finished his second season at OHA. He went there to get started in coaching. He also teaches at the school which places heavy emphasis on education as well as hockey development.

He says his philosophy is, "work hard. As hard as you can every time you are on the ice. Respect your teammates."

Last season, Alcalde was cut from the Midget AAA Lac St. Louis Lions and instead of playing Midget AA hockey; he decided it would be a better move for him to play in the Ontario East Minor Hockey Association. With the OHA Gold Mavericks, he finished with 25 goals and 20 assists, ranking him fourth in league scoring. His play also translated to team success as the Gold Mavericks won their league, sweeping the playoffs.

“Well the only way I could play Midget AAA was if I were to go to Ontario and I really wanted to go there because I felt as though that league really catered to my style of hockey so in the end it was the right move,” said Alcalde.

“It was a really good feeling obviously to be drafted,” Alcalde said of his selection by the Mooseheads. “But at the same time it was such a long day and I was happy when it was all over.”

A natural athlete, the 6-foot 200 pound forward adapted to hockey quickly. Originally from Montreal, the family moved to Kansas when Alcalde was only three-years-old. They moved back when he was 10 and only then did he begin playing hockey, starting behind the eight ball playing against kids who had six to seven more years of experience than him.

“I wasn’t very good at the start for the first couple years, but I picked it up eventually,” said Alcalde.
He also plays baseball for the Lachine A’s, although training camp for the Halifax Mooseheads opens in mid-August which will cut his baseball season short.

“I’m going there hoping to make the team,” said Alcalde. “I have to go there, not be afraid of anyone and just play my game. If I do things the right way hopefully everything will work out.”

The former Dollard Viper is trying to make a team that is seen as a rising club in the QMJHL with three players projected to go in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft next year. The Mooseheads were semifinalists in the 17 team league last season and are expected to be a contender for the league title in 2012-13

“It’s a great opportunity because I know they’re a good team, really good and down the road might even have a chance to play in a Memorial Cup,” said Alcalde.

- with files from Mitch Gallo, The Suburban www.thesuburban.com

You can go to the original article by clicking here

Three Mavericks drafted into the QMJHL

Liam Alcalde, Zach Fortin, and Massimo Carozza were drafted into the Quebec Major Junior A Hockey League. These boys are terrific players and we are happy to have them help our OHA boy's program shine.

Text from the Standard Freeholder by Todd Hambleton...



And now it's the boys time to shine at the Ontario Hockey Academy.

Three skaters with the Mavericks major midget Gold team have been drafted into the Quebec Major Junior A Hockey League — a first for the four-year-old prep school in Cornwall.
“We’re really happy to have guys get drafted (into the QMJHL), and we had some (early selections two weeks ago) in the Central Canada Hockey League draft,” said Pat Turcotte, the former CCHL player with the Cornwall Jr. A Colts who is the director of boys recruiting at OHA.
The school earlier this spring announced that a dozen players on the girls side had lined up schools to play for at the NCAA Division l and lll levels next campaign.
In all, seven players have been drafted from the OHA boys under-17 team, the major midget squad, the one that made history by winning the ODMHA major midget AAA division.
The club, coached by Luke Beck, went 8-0 in two playoff rounds, and scouts from at least two leagues took note of the dominance.
Liam Alcade, of Montreal, was the highest pick among the Mavericks going to QMJHL clubs — the Halifax Mooseheads chose the forward in the sixth round.
Goalie Zach Fortin, of St. Jerome, went a little bit later in the round, to the Quebec Remparts.
Massimo Carrozza, of Montreal, made it an OHA hat trick in the eighth round, when the forward also became Remparts property.
Carrozza skated with the OHA minor midget team this past season, coached by former NHLer Yves Sarault, and he joined the major midgets for that impressive run.
The “Q” picks caps a great draft year — five Mavericks a few weeks ago were selected by CCHL squads, including Alex White, of Goose Bay, Labrador, who went fourth overall in the first round to the Cumberland Grads.
Pierre Ouellette, a blueliner from Dieppe, New Brunswick, was the very next pick, going fifth overall to the Smiths Falls Bears.
Three more Maritimers also got picked, including forward Cody McDermott (third round to Hawkesbury), defenceman Josh Hickey (sixth round to Hawkesbury) and blueliner Josh Crane, who became Cornwall property in the eighth round.
“I think it speaks to the calibre of play here (at OHA),” Turcotte said.
It isn’t the first time the boys at OHA have made draft news — two years ago, 14 Mavericks were chosen by CCHL teams at the draft, including Kenneth Neil, ninth overall to Nepean.
What does the future hold for the OHA program? It often looks bright for the growing school.
“You never really know how things will go from year to year (in terms of number of drafted players),” Turcotte noted, “but it looks pretty promising for the Gold team (in 2012-2013), and the major midget Maroon team should be better.”
Actually, the Mavericks’ movement toward the “Q” is even more impressive, considering that former OHA goalie Chase Gaudet, of Charlottetown, has just signed with the defending Memorial Cup-champions, the Shawinigan Cataractes.
“We’re still building the program and every year it gets a little bit better,” said OHA director Giles Lascelle.




You can read the article in the Standard Freeholder here.

Alum Steve Chalmers to play for the Coventry Blaze

We love to get news from our alums as they move on to other adventures beyond the OHA campus. They spend so much time with us here that they feel like a part of our family :)

And alum Steve Chalmers has some wonderful news from across the pond. Here is the text from the article announcing his signing with the Coventry Blaze... Congrats Steve!

CPP Coventry Blaze are pleased to confirm they have secured a two-way deal with Telford Tigers defenceman Steven Chalmers.

The Kirkcaldy-born 19-year-old enjoyed a fine 2011/12 Elite League campaign with Dundee Stars before opting for a move south of the border.

 

Prior to that, Chalmers had a season with Braehead Clan having spent two years at the Ontario Hockey Academy and is a key member of the Great Britain Under-20 team.

 

Blaze coach Paul Thompson said: “I thought Steven had a pretty good year with Dundee and I liked what I saw. He is a smart player and a big part of the GB U20s.

 

“He will come to our training camp and will play in our warm-up games. There will be times when he will be able to practice with us during the season and we will be able to take a good look at him.

 

“Steven is an exciting young talent and Telford have a good young player and between us we will look to enhance his potential.”

 

Here is the link to the original article.

Rodrigue heads to the ice and classrooms at Div I Bemidji State

Most of our female graduates this year are headed towards wonderful academic and hockey opportunities this fall (a couple decided to come back to OHA next year as post-grads)!

Alexane Rodrigue will be going to Bemidji, Minnesota to play in the nets for the Division I BSU Beavers. She worked so hard to get this spot at Bemidji. We are proud of her.

Stay in touch, Alexane!

An article about Alexane in the Standard Freeholder can be found here.

An article about Alexane from BSU can be found here.


A full list of 2012-13 commitments can be found here.

OHA Alumni Chase Gaudet signed by QMJHL Cataractes

The end of the junior stage of Gabriel Girard and the departure of Alex Dubeau left the Cataracts without goalkeeper number one for the upcoming season. Now Chase Gaudet agreed to report in the city of electricity in August.

An 18 year old who had a beautiful season in the Junior A maritime, Gaudet was put under contract just before the date limit transactions last January, on the recommendation of an NHL team.

SSee full story here.