OHL Q+A: World juniors watch, league MVP so far, beast of the East

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We’re fielding questions about what’s happening on the ice, in the general managers’ suites and in the league office throughout the OHL season. Today, it’s with Kingston Whig-Standard hockey reporter Jan Murphy. Have a question? Put it in the comment section below or email us at lfpnewsletters@postmedia.com

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Q: What do you think of Canada’s roster for the world juniors? Any surprises for you? For me it was Zayne Parekh getting cut.

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A: The biggest thing for me is that they couldn’t pry Macklin Celebrini back from the NHL for the tournament. It weakens the team quite a bit. I thought it might be do-able because the San Jose Sharks aren’t exactly a contender. Beckett Sennecke got cut and that really surprised me. He played against Kingston recently and got five points.

Q: Are there any players on Canada that you’re watching?

A: Luca Pinnelli of the Ottawa 67’s is a guy I see a lot. He’s a fantastic hockey player. And the fact the tournament is in Ottawa makes it a little extra special for him, I’m sure. But it’s a very deep team – good goaltending and high-end talent like Easton Cowan and Sam Dickinson. Canada has to be a favourite, unlike the men’s Four Nations tournament in Feburary – I think the U.S. is the favourite there.

Q: As the OHL enters the Christmas break, who’s your league MVP so far?

A: A guy like Easton Cowan comes to mind – just watching him consistently put up points, that’s really hard to do in this league. He’s at 56 straight regular-season games going back to last season. That’s so impressive. Jacob Battaglia in Kingston is very, very important to the Frontenacs, too, so I would think he’s in the conversation. But I buy into the Cowan hype because London is so strong. Michael Misa in Saginaw is on the radar, too.

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