During Sunday's 2nd Intermission round table Ed Burkholder, Al Galloway and I all reflected on the fine OHL career of Andrew Agozzino. Agozzino is on the cusp of a number of milestone accolades. He is two goals away from setting the franchise record in goals currently held by Patrick O' Sullivan. He is on the verge of 300 games in the OHL and on top of that is the type of captain and leader that everyone should aspire to be. With an OHL career being 5 years at the most, reaching 300 games all with one team is one that not too many players get to. Agozzino has also increased his goal total over the first four years of his career going from 12 to 27 to 37 to 43. With 28 so far this year and on a torrid pace of 13 goals in his last 13 games, it would be wise not to bet against him besting his career mark of 43 set last year.
The Ice Dogs have 23 games remaining in their regular season, so Agozzino has ample time to add to his already impressive career totals. Plus with the Ice Dogs talent level and potential this year, there is the chance for Agozzino to leave his OHL career on top. There will be a next chapter to Andrew Agozzino. We just do not know where it will be. Somehow Agozzino has not yet found NHL affiliation. Any franchise would be lucky to add somehow with the skill level and intangibles that Agozzino possesses.
Ed promoted the thought that no one else should wear Agozzino's #9, and it is hard to disagree with that conclusion. The benchmark for honouring someone in this fashion should be team tenure, on-ice excellence and off-ice example. Owners Bill and Denise Burke have always been very classy when it comes to honouring the past, the right thing to do would be to raise #9 to rafters when the final chapter is written in Andrew Agozzino's hallmark OHL career.
SUNDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS ARE HERE: NIAGARA 9 PETERBOROUGH 0
OTHER NOTES
-- Ice Dog alumnus Darren Archibald made an appearance on Sunday as a spectator. Archibald, who signed a pro-contract with Vancouver is currently in the ECHL
--Loved the reaction that the Ice Dogs gave Shayne Rover when he scored his 1st career OHL goal after 171 games. They mobbed Rover like he had scored an OT game winner, when in reality it made the score 8-0. Extra kudo's to Rover for doing the post game interview covered in shaving cream. Most players wipe it off, not Rover. He wore the Gillette foam like a badge of honour!
--Brett Ritchie scored his first goal as an Ice Dog in the 2nd period while little brother Nick scrapped with Mitchell Theoret. The two brothers were an assist away from a family combo Gordie Howe hat-trick
--Mark Visentin posted shutout #5 on Sunday and # 9 for his career. Not too shabby considering he had none the first two years of his OHL career
--Ice Dogs got three goals from their D-Men yesterday as along with Rover, Jesse Graham and Luke Mercer found the back of the net. Jamie Oleksiak chipped in three assists from the back end.
--Ice Dogs are now 7-1 in January
--Ice Dogs host Belleville on Thursday. We will have the game call starting at 7pm on TV Cogeco. The Ice Dogs hit the road for games versus Guelph and Brampton. Brampton still is in 1st place in the division and the Ice Dogs have had two of their most miserable games at the Bunker when they lost 6-4 and 3-0.
-- The 3-0 game featured an irate Marty Williamson calling out his team. . The Ice Dogs have gone 13-3 since then
Steve Clark
www.twitter.com/SteveClarkMedia
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