The Oakville Blades are pleased to announce that forwards Ryan Garvey and Jackson Bales, defenseman Greg Campbell and goaltender Daniel Mannella will represent Oakville at the upcoming Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge.
Mannella and Campbell will play for Team Hawerchuk, named in honour of hockey legend Dale Hawerchuk. Mannella, a 19-year-old goaltender participating in his first season for the Blades, has proven to be one of the top goalies in the OJHL this season, putting up a 7-6-0 record to go along with a 1.88 GAA and .936 SP. Previously, he was selected as a member of Team Canada East at the 2012 World Junior A Challenge while a member of the Georgetown Raiders.
“Daniel's numbers this year speak for themselves,” Blades coach Mike Tarantino said. “He has been a rock in net for us and just as importantly a quiet leader in our dressing room. I cannot say enough about Daniel's ability, preparation, work ethic, and commitment. He is truly outstanding in this regard and is always pushing himself to be better.”
A member of the Team Canada East entry at the World Junior A Hockey Challenge last season, Greg’s offensive numbers (10g, 24a) and poise really shone through during last year’s rebuild. Previously a member of the Oakville Rangers Minor Midget AAA club, Campbell has been incredible to start off the season, recording 21 points in 21 games this season as a top pairing defenseman.
“Greg has really rounded out his game this year,” Tarantino said. “He has always been a strong offensive player, but has really taken strides in his defensive game while still being a threat offensively. Greg has Central Canada Cup and Team Canada East experience and I'm confident that he will have a great tournament.”
Garvey and Bales will be members of Team Nieuwendyk, named after NHL Hall of Famer Joe Nieuwendyk. Garvey, a second year forward with Oakville, went through unfortunate injuries last year which slowed his development after a hot start to the season, but he’s proving to be a valuable all around asset this season. In 21 games this year, Garvey has 10 points, with two of his four goals coming against Newmarket on Thursday.
“Ryan has been a key cog to our team this year,” Tarantino said. “He hasn't produced the numbers that he would have liked, but has really led with a team first mentality. Ryan's speed, Hockey IQ, skill are very strong and he has contributed to the Blades in virtually every role spending time both on our PK and PP units. I'm confident that Ryan will impress at the Central Canada Cup and really is a player you appreciate more the longer you coach him.”
Bales has had quite the rookie season with the Blades, putting up 16 points in 21 games to start off the year. Named Brandon Sudeyko's South Division Star of the Week for the week of October 5th-12th, Bales recorded nine points in four games during that stretch of games. The former Oakville Rangers Midget AAA forward had 47 points in his final season of midget, which saw him also see eight games of action with the Blades.
“Jackson has really come on of late garnering a lot of NCAA and NHL draft list attention,” said Tarantino. “He is a quiet kid who goes about his business and has a great work ethic to his game. Jackson is also very versatile and can play any forward position you ask. This tournament could really be a coming out tournament for Jackson and I look forward to seeing him show his skill at the Central Canada Cup.”
The Blades would also like to congratulate Alex Riche (Milton Icehawks), Jack Jeffers (Burlington Cougars) and Connor Stack (Orangeville), three MOHA graduates and former Oakville Midget AAA players that will also participate in the event.
The fourth annual All-Star Showcase event is being hosted for the second time by the OJHL and will take place from November 14-16 at the MasterCard Centre in Toronto (Etobicoke), Ontario. For more information on the 2014 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge, please visit the OJHL website at www.ojhl.ca and follow the links.