NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
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TORONTO — The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for regular season games played in December 2021, including Windsor Spitfires forward Wyatt Johnston, Mississauga Steelheads defenceman Ethan Del Mastro, Flint Firebirds forward Coulson Pitre and Barrie Colts goaltender Mack Guzda.
OHL Goaltender of the Month - Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts):
Mack Guzda of the Barrie Colts is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for December, playing to a 4-0-0-0 record with a league-best 1.45 goals-against average and .952 save percentage with one shutout. Guzda made at least 30 saves in three of his four wins, starting the month with back-to-back 32-save performances on Dec. 2 and Dec. 11 as the Colts defeated Hamilton and North Bay on home ice. He recorded a 26-save shutout, his first as a Colt, on Dec. 12th in a 1-0 road win over the Battalion. Guzda finished December with a 30-save road win over Ottawa as the Colts skated to a 5-2 decision. Guzda is the first Barrie netminder to earn OHL Goaltender of the Month honours since Mackenzie Blackwood last did so in November 2015.
A 20-year-old native of Knoxville, Tenn., Guzda owns an overall record of 11-5-0-1 with a 2.77 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in 17 games between the Colts and Owen Sound Attack this season. Since joining Barrie on Nov. 19, Guzda has played to a 6-1-0-0 mark. The six-foot-five, 205-pound fourth-year veteran owns a career OHL record of 69-50-10-7 with a 3.28 goals-against average and .892 save percentage with six shutouts over 147 regular season games. Owen Sound's second round (31st overall) pick in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, Guzda attended rookie camp with the Buffalo Sabres last September.
OHL Player of the Month - Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires):
Dallas Stars prospect Wyatt Johnston of the Windsor Spitfires is the OHL Player of the Month for December, sitting tied for the League lead with 19 points including seven goals and 12 assists over eight games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-13. Johnston recorded points in seven of his eight outings as the Spitfires played to a December mark of 6-1-1-0, holding down second place in the West Division. Johnston opened the month with three assists, going 14-for-17 in the faceoff circle in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Erie Otters on Dec. 2nd. He built off that performance a night later, recording a career-high six points (2-4--6) as the Spitfires defeated the Sarnia Sting 7-5. The six points were the most in a single game by a Spitfires player since Josh Ho-Sang on Feb. 9, 2014. Johnston would proceed to post three more multi-point efforts, doing so with three point showings on Dec. 16th and 17th as Windsor defeated Sault Ste. Marie and Saginaw. Johnston rounded-out December on a five-game goal-scoring streak. He's the first Spitfires player to claim OHL Player of the Month honours since Brendan Lemieux in December 2015.
An 18-year-old native of Toronto, Ont., Johnston sits fourth in OHL scoring with 46 points (18-28--46) in 27 games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-17. He currently leads all OHL players, having received recognition in the three stars of the game on 12 different occasions. Johnston was a first round (23rd overall) pick of the Dallas Stars in the 2021 NHL Draft, and signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the club on Sept. 28, 2021. A former World Under-18 Hockey Championship gold medalist with Team Canada, Johnston was Windsor's first round (6th overall) pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.
OHL Defenceman of the Month - Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga Steelheads):
Chicago Blackhawks prospect Ethan Del Mastro of the Mississauga Steelheads is the OHL Defenceman of the Month for December, leading OHL rearguards with 11 points, all assists, in nine games to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-9. Del Mastro helped the Steelheads ascend to first place in the OHL standings with assists in seven of his nine outings as Mississauga played to a December record of 8-1-0-0. The 6-foot-4, 206Ib. defender finished the month with six points in his last two contests, recording a pair of helpers in Wednesday's 5-4 win over visiting North Bay. He racked up a career-high four assists in a first star performance on New Year's Eve as the Steelheads defeated the Sudbury Wolves 8-2 on the road. Del Mastro is the first Steelheads blueliner to earn Defenceman of the Month honours since Nicolas Hague in March 2018.
An 18-year-old native of Freelton, Ont., Del Mastro has 21 points (4-17--21) through 28 games in his second OHL season. The Steelheads' captain also boasts a League-leading plus-28 plus/minus rating. Del Mastro was Chicago's fourth round (105th overall) pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. The former Canadian National Under-18 Team gold medalist was selected by the Steelheads with the 12th overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.
OHL Rookie of the Month - Coulson Pitre (Flint Firebirds):
Flint Firebirds forward Coulson Pitre is the OHL Rookie of the Month for December, recording four goals, seven assists and 11 points over eight games with a plus/minus rating of plus-6. Pitre posted four different multi-point efforts as the Firebirds went 4-3-0-1 in December, opening the month with goals in three consecutive games. Pitre recorded the first of two three-point efforts on Dec. 4th with a goal and two helpers in a 7-4 win over Owen Sound. He recorded three assists on Dec. 8th as Flint defeated the Erie Otters 9-6. Pitre is the first Firebirds player to ever earn OHL Rookie of the Month honours.
A 17-year-old native of Stouffville, Ont., Pitre sits tied for fourth among OHL rookies with 21 points (9-12--21) in 20 games with the Firebirds. Formerly a fourth round (73rd overall) pick by the Windsor Spitfires in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, Pitre was acquired by Flint in September 2021.
2021-22 OHL Performers of the Month:
Player of the Month:
December – Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
November – Kyle Jackson (North Bay Battalion)
October – Sasha Pastujov (Guelph Storm)
Defenceman of the Month:
December – Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga Steelheads)
November – Nathan Staios (Hamilton Bulldogs)
October – Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)
Rookie of the Month:
December - Coulson Pitre (Flint Firebirds)
November – Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
October – Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)
Goaltender of the Month:
December - Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
November – Joe Vrbetic (North Bay Battalion)
October – Brett Brochu (London Knights)
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