Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results of the Eastern and Western Conference Coaches Polls for the 2013-14 OHL regular season.

The OHL Coaches Poll provides member club coaches with the opportunity to recognize the top three players in 20 different skill categories within their own conference.

In the Eastern Conference, the first place Oshawa Generals lead the way with representation in 12 of the 20 different categories highlighted by Philadelphia Flyers prospect Scott Laughton who is listed in seven different categories including first place in Best Face-offs and Best Penalty Killer for the second straight year. The Central Division champion North Bay Battalion are represented in 10 different categories led by captain and San Jose Sharks prospect Barclay Goodrow who appears in five different categories finishing first as Hardest Worker and Best Defensive Forward.

2014 NHL Draft prospect Aaron Ekblad of the Barrie Colts leads the Eastern Conference with first place finishes in four different categories including Best Shot, Hardest Shot, Best Offensive Defenceman, and Best Defensive Defenceman. Fellow 2014 NHL Draft prospect Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs finished first place in three different categories including Smartest Player, Best Playmaker, and Best Stickhandler. Other multiple category winners in the Eastern Conference include Detroit Red Wings prospect Andreas Athanasiou who was voted Most Dangerous in the Goal Area and Best Skater.

In the Western Conference, the first place Guelph Storm are represented in 11 of the 20 different categories with an impressive seven different players listed throughout the poll results including Carolina Hurricanes prospect Brock McGinn who appears in four different categories. The defending champion London Knights also appear in the top three in 11 different categories with six different players listed including Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Josh Anderson who finished first in both the Hardest Worker and Best Body Checker category.

2015 NHL Draft prospect Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters tied for the Western Conference lead by finishing first in three different categories including Best Playmaker, Best Skater, and Best Stickhandler for the second straight season. Also finishing first in three different categories is Phoenix Coyotes prospect Tyler Gaudet of the West Division winning Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds who topped the list as Most Improved Player, Best Defensive Forward, and Best Penalty Killer. Vancouver Canucks prospect Dane Fox of the Otters also won multiple categories finishing first as Most Dangerous in the Goal Area, and Best Shot.

The Coaches Poll is tabulated when each team submits one nominee per category and coaches then vote for the top three players for each category within their conference. Players receive five points for a first place vote, three points for a second place vote, and one point for a third place vote. Clubs are not permitted to vote for players from their own team allowing for a maximum of 45 possible points for each winner. This season all 20 OHL clubs are represented in at least one category.

All 20 categories are listed below with Eastern Conference and Western Conference winners including their final point totals in brackets.



Most Underrated Player:



Eastern Conference:

1. Brendan Bell, Ottawa 67’s (22)

2. Henri Ikonen, Kingston Frontenacs (15) – finished third in voting in 2012-13

3. Ben Thomson, North Bay Battalion (11)

Western Conference:

1. Brady Vail, Windsor Spitfires (24)

2. Holden Cook, Owen Sound Attack (13)

3. Dylan Sadowy, Saginaw Spirit tied Patrick Watling, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (9)

Most Improved Player:

Eastern Conference:

1. Brendan Perlini, Niagara IceDogs (36)

2. Remi Elie, Belleville Bulls (22)

3. Hunter Smith, Oshawa Generals (8)

Western Conference:

1. Tyler Gaudet, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (33)

2. Robby Fabbri, Guelph Storm (16)

3. Brandon Hope, Owen Sound Attack (12)



Smartest Player:



Eastern Conference:

1. Sam Bennett, Kingston Frontenacs (39)

2. Scott Laughton, Oshawa Generals (25)

3. Carter Verhaeghe, Niagara IceDogs (10)

Western Conference:

1. Chris Tierney, London Knights (28)

2. Brock McGinn, Guelph Storm (18)

3. Connor Brown, Erie Otters (17)



Hardest Worker:

Eastern Conference:

1. Barclay Goodrow, North Bay Battalion (31)

2. Travis Konecny, Ottawa 67’s (15)

3. Craig Duininck, Sudbury Wolves (12)

Western Confernece:

1. Josh Anderson, London Knights (31)

2. Brock McGinn, Guelph Storm (24) – finished first in voting in 2012-13

3. Ben Johnson, Windsor Spitfies (9)



Best Playmaker:

Eastern Conference:

1. Sam Bennett, Kingston Frontenacs (41)

2. Michael Dal Colle, Oshawa Generals (16)

3. Hunter Garlent, Peterborough Petes (8)

Western Conference:

1. Connor McDavid, Erie Otters (41)

2. Nikolay Goldobin, Sarnia Sting (13)

3. Max Domi, London Knights (12) – finished second in voting in 2012-13



Most Dangerous in Goal Area:

Eastern Conference:

1. Andreas Athanasiou, Barrie Colts (25)

2. Scott Laughton, Oshawa Generals (22)

3. Nathan Pancel, Sudbury Wolves (21)

Western Conference:

1. Dane Fox, Erie Otters (41)

2. Robby Fabbri, Guelph Storm (22)

3. Nikolay Goldobin, Sarnia Sting (14)



Best Skater:

Eastern Conference:

1. Andreas Athanasiou, Barrie Colts (45)

2. Nick Baptiste, Sudbury Wolves (23) – finished third in voting in 2012-13

3. Sean Day, Mississauga Steelheads (16)

Western Conference:

1. Connor McDavid, Erie Otters (23) – finished third in voting in 2012-13

2. Max Domi, London Knights (14)

3. Scott Kosmachuk, Guelph Storm (13)



Best Shot:

Eastern Conference:

1. Aaron Ekblad, Barrie Colts (31)

2. Scott Laughton, Oshawa Generals (20)

3. Barclay Goodrow, North Bay Battalion tied Nick Ritchie, Peterborough Petes (14)

Western Conference:

1. Dane Fox, Erie Otters (34)

2. Kerby Rychel, Guelph Storm (27)

3. Nikolay Goldobin, Sarnia Sting (10)



Hardest Shot:

Eastern Conference:

1. Aaron Ekblad, Barrie Colts (36)

2. Trevor Carrick, Sudbury Wolves (23)

3. Scott Laughton, Oshawa Generals (12)

Western Conference:

1. Nick Ebert, Guelph Storm (23)

2. Max Iafrate, Kitchener Rangers (17)

3. Darnell Nurse, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (14)



Best Stickhandler:



Eastern Conference:

1. Sam Bennett, Kingston Frontenacs (37)

2. Michael Dal Colle, Oshawa Generals (21)

3. Travis Konecny, Ottawa 67’s (11)

Western Conference:

1. Connor McDavid, Erie Otters (24) – finished first in voting in 2012-13

2. Sergey Tolchinsky, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (19)

3. Max Domi, London Knights (18) – finished second in voting in 2012-13



Best on Face-Offs:

Eastern Conference:

1. Scott Laughton, Oshawa Generals (27)

2. Brett Foy, Mississauga Steelheads (14)

3. Nick Paul, North Bay Battalion (13)

Western Conference:

1. Bo Horvat, London Knights (32) – finished second in voting in 2012-13

2. Brady Vail, Windsor Spitfires (18)

3. Zack Mitchell, Guelph Storm (15)



Best Body Checker:

Eastern Conference:

1. Nick Ritchie, Peterborough Petes (22)

2. Kevin Raine, Sudbury Wolves (21)

3. Ben Thomson, North Bay Battalion (14)

Western Conference:

1. Josh Anderson, London Knights (28)

2. Brock McGinn, Guelph Storm (23) – finished second in voting in 2012-13

3. Kurtis MacDermid, Erie Otters (16)



Best Shot Blocker:

Eastern Conference:

1. Josh Brown, Oshawa Generals (32)

2. Craig Duininck, Sudbury Wolves (17)

3. Adam Bignell, Belleville Bulls (12) – finished tied for third in voting in 2012-13

Western Conference:

1. Nick Malysa, Plymouth Whalers (32)

2. Zach Nastasiuk, Owen Sound Attack (12)

3. Patrick Watling, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (11)



Best Defensive Forward:

Eastern Conference:

1. Barclay Goodrow, North Bay Battalion (30) – finished third in voting in 2012-13

2. Scott Laughton, Oshawa Generals (28) – finished second in voting in 2012-13

3. Sam Bennett, Kingston Frontenacs (14)

Western Conference:

1. Tyler Gaudet, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (26)

2. Bo Horvat, London Knights (17)

3. Justin Kea, Saginaw Spirit (14)



Best Penalty Killer:

Eastern Conference:

1. Scott Laughton, Oshawa Generals (33) – finished first in voting in 2012-13

2. Aaron Ekblad, Barrie Colts (24)

3. Barclay Goodrow, North Bay Battalion (16)

Western Conference:

1. Tyler Gaudet, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (20)

2. Connor Brown, Erie Otters (17)

3. Ben Harpur, Guelph Storm (15)



Best Offensive Defenceman:

Eastern Conference:

1. Aaron Ekblad, Barrie Colts (37)

2. Trevor Carrick, Sudbury Wolves (29)

3. Jordan Subban, Belleville Bulls (17) – finished second in voting in 2012-13

Western Conference:

1. Anthony DeAngelo, Sarnia Sting (40) – finished third in voting in 2012-13

2. Slater Koekkoek, Windsor Spitfires (20)

3. Nikita Zadorov, London Knights (9)



Best Defensive Defenceman:

Eastern Conference:

1. Aaron Ekblad, Barrie Colts (39) – finished second in voting in 2012-13

2. Kevin Raine, Sudbury Wolves (17)

3. Marcus McIvor, North Bay Battalion (15)

Western Conference:

1. Chris Bigras, Owen Sound Attack (23)

2. Nikita Zadorov, London Knights (19)

3. Slater Koekkoek, Windsor Spitfires (15)



Best Puck-Handling Goalie:

Eastern Conference:

1. Spencer Martin, Mississauga Steelheads (22)

2. Jake Smith, North Bay Battalion (13)

3. Matt Mahalak, Kingston Frontenacs (9)

Western Conference:

1. Brandon Halverson, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (17)

2. Devin Williams, Erie Otters (15)

3. Jake Patterson, London Knights (12) – finished third in voting in 2012-13



Best Shootout Shooter:

Eastern Conference:

1. Nick Baptiste, Sudbury Wolves (23)

2. Barclay Goodrow, North Bay Battalion (13)

3. Henri Ikonen, Kingston Frontenacs tied Nick Ritchie, Peterborough Petes (11)

Western Conference:

1. Connor Brown, Erie Otters (21)

2. Zach Lorentz, Plymouth Whalers (20)

3. Brock McGinn, Guelph Storm tied Nikolay Goldobin, Sarnia Sting (15)



Best Shootout Goalie:

Eastern Conference:

1. Philippe Trudeau, Ottawa 67’s (23)

2. Spencer Martin, Mississauga Steelheads (19)

3. Daniel Altshuller, Oshawa Generals (14)

Western Conference:

1. Matt Murray, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (23)

2. Alex Nedeljkovic, Plymouth Whalers (18)

3. Jake Paterson, Saginaw Spirit (14) – finished second in voting in 2012-13