SARNIA, Ontario - A precision skating group performed during the second intermission Monday night at RBC Centre in Sarnia during Game 3 of the Plymouth Whalers-Sarnia Sting Ontario Hockey League playoff game. A crowd of 2,427 enjoyed the performance.  The crowd did not enjoy the performance of the Whalers, who were far more precise than the skating group. Plymouth dominated much of the first two periods en route to a 5-2 victory over Sarnia to take a three-games-to-none lead in the best-four-of-seven OHL Western Conference quarterfinal series. Game 4 of the series is Wednesday at 7 p.m. at …

Vince Trocheck scored three goals with two assists and Stefan Noesen and Garrett Meurs scored two goals each as the Plymouth Whalers defeated the Sarnia Sting, 11-2, in Game 1 of a best-four-of-seven Ontario Hockey League Western Conference quarterfinal series played Friday night at Compuware Arena. First-star Nick Malysa recorded three assists for Plymouth, a career high in one game for the veteran defenseman.  Zach Lorentz and Connor Carrick contributed two assists each. Tom Wilson, Gianluca Curcuruto, Matt Mistele and Cody Payne all scored one goal each for the Whalers, who led 5-1 after …

Release from the Canadian Hockey League: TORONTO, Ontario – The Canadian Hockey League on Wednesday announced that Matt Mahalak of the Plymouth Whalers is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the final week of the 2012-13 regular season ending March 17, after posting a 2-0-0-0 record with two shutouts giving him a perfect goals-against-average of 0.00 and save percentage of 1.000.  Mahalak stopped all 53 shots he faced in two games last week beginning with a 29-save performance on Wednesday night as part of an 8-0 shutout win over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.  Mahalak picked up his …

Release from the Ontario Hockey League: TORONTO, Ontario – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that OHL Scoring Champion Vince Trocheck of the Plymouth Whalers is the OHL Player of the Week for the final week of the 2012-13 regular season ending March 17, after leading the league with eight points in three games scoring two goals and six assists with a plus-minus rating of plus-5. Trocheck earns the weekly honor for the second time this season and closed out the year in dramatic fashion by recording three assists Sunday night against the Windsor Spitfires to overtake the scoring lead …

The Plymouth Whalers will play the Sarnia Sting in the best four-of-seven Ontario Hockey League Western Conference quarterfinal series starting Friday at 7 pm at Compuware Arena.  Here are the dates for the series:  Game 1 – Friday, March 22 – Sarnia at Plymouth, 7 pm, Compuware Arena. Game 2 – Saturday, March 23 – Sarnia at Plymouth, 7 pm, Compuware Arena. Game 3 – Monday, March 25 – Plymouth at Sarnia, 7 pm, RBC Centre. Game 4 – Wednesday, March 27 – Plymouth at Sarnia, 7 pm, RBC Centre. (*) Game 5 – Friday, March 29 – Sarnia at Plymouth, 7 pm, Compuware Arena. (*) Game 6 – Saturday, March …

WINDSOR, ON – The Plymouth Whalers often call their road games business trips.  And in winning 10 of its last 11 games on the road, the Whalers have been all business. On Sunday, Plymouth goaltender Matt Mahalak stopped all 24 shots he faced to record his second straight shutout and Vince Trocheck assisted on three goals as the Plymouth Whalers completed the 2012-13 Ontario Hockey League regular season with a 4-0 victory over Windsor before 5,641 at Windsor Family Credit Union Centre. Plymouth ends the regular season with an eight-game winning streak and has won 16 of its last 17 games.  The …

Plymouth Whalers center Mitchell Heard has a flair for the dramatic. Heard’s highlight reel goal at 1:42 of overtime powered the Plymouth Whalers to their seventh straight victory (and 15 out of its last 16), 4-3, over the Windsor Spitfires before a sellout crowd of 4,206 at Compuware Arena on Saturday. The Whalers rebounded from Windsor leads of 2-1 and 3-2 to improve to 41-17-5-4, in first place in the Ontario Hockey League West Division and second seed in the Western Conference.  Windsor (in ninth spot in the Western Conference and out of the playoffs) is 26-32-3-6. The Whalers’ only loss …

Rick Pracey is the Director of Amateur Scouting for the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche and has been a regular at Compuware Arena for years watching the Plymouth Whalers. Sunday afternoon – before a good crowd of 3,094 at Compuware Arena - Pracey saw Colorado-drafts Garrett Meurs and Mitchell Heard lead Plymouth to a 7-5 victory over Saginaw for the Whalers’ fifth straight victory and their 13th win in their last 14 games. The Whalers improve to 39-17-5-4, good for 87 points and first place in the OHL West Division and second overall in the Western Conference. First star Garrett …

Release from the Ontario Hockey League: Toronto, Ontario – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the Top OHL Performers of the Month for February, 2013, including Eric Locke of the Saginaw Spirit, defenceman Ryan Sproul of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and rookie goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic of the Plymouth Whalers. Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month and OHL Rookie of the Month – Alex Nedeljkovic (Plymouth Whalers): Alex Nedeljkovic of the Plymouth Whalers earns both OHL Rookie and Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month honours after posting an 8-2-0-0 record including one shutout victory…

SAGINAW – Plymouth goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 27-of-28 shots as the game’s first star, and the Whalers showed a balanced offensive attack in defeating the Saginaw Spirit, 4-1, on Tuesday morning at Dow Event Center before 5,527 in Saginaw. The Whalers have won four games in a row (and 12 out of 13) to improve to 38-17-5-4, good for 85 points and first place in the Ontario Hockey League’s West Division.   Saginaw is now 29-27-3-3, good for 64 points for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference race.  The Spirit have lost four games in a row. The game - played at 10:…

ERIE, PA - Plymouth Whalers center Vince Trocheck put on a show Friday night at Erie Insurance Arena. With nearly 30 family members and friends watching, Trocheck - from Pittsburgh, PA - scored two goals and added two assists as the Whalers beat the Erie Otters, 7-2, before 3,042. Plymouth improves to 36-17-5-4, good for 81 points and first place in the OHL West.  The Whalers are nine points up on second place Sault Ste. Marie (33-22-3-3, 72 points), who lost, 6-3, to Guelph on Friday.  Plymouth is 11 points ahead of third place Sarnia (33-25-0-4, 70 points), who lost, 4-3 in a shootout, to …

Cody Payne and Rickard Rakell scored hat tricks as the Plymouth Whalers won their seventh straight game, 9-1, over the Windsor Spitfires in an Ontario Hockey League game play Friday night at Compuware Arena before 2,604. The Whalers’ seven-game winning streak is the team’s longest this season. Plymouth improves to a season-best record of 33-16-5-4, good for 75 points and six points ahead of Sault Ste. Marie (32-21-3-2, 69 points) and Sarnia (33-24-0-3, 69 points).   The Soo lost, 4-3, in overtime to London on Friday; Sarnia pounded Erie, 13-3, on Friday. Windsor is now 23-29-1-6, good for 53 …

It was logical to assume that Plymouth Whalers head coach Mike Vellucci wasn't happy Saturday night after the Guelph Storm took a 3-0 lead over the Whalers after one period on Saturday at Compuware Arena. And it is logical to assume that Vellucci would let the Whalers know how he felt about the period, on no uncertain terms. According to veteran Plymouth defenseman Austin Levi, that's not what happened. "Mike really didn't say anything," Levi said.  "He left it up to us to decide what we wanted to do and how we wanted to respond." The Whalers responded in a big way in the second period, …

SAGINAW - First star Sebastian Uvira scored two goals and added an assist, while second star Vincent Trocheck scored twice as the Plymouth Whalers led from start to finish in a 5-1 victory over the Saginaw Spirit on Wednesday evening before 2,766 at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw. AUDIO - Sebastian Uvira interview. Matt Mistele scored the other goal for the Whalers, who won their third straight game to improve to 29-16-5-4, good for 67 points and three points ahead of second place Sault Ste. Marie (30-21-2-2, 64 points), who hammered Sarnia, 8-0, on Wednesday at Essar Centre. Saginaw is 26-…

Gianluca Curcuruto and Matt Mistele scored two goals each and Vince Trocheck added three assists as the Plymouth Whalers led from start to finish in a 4-1 victory over the Peterborough Petes in an Ontario Hockey League game played Saturday night before 2,669 at Compuware Arena. Plymouth (now 26-15-5-4, 61 points) remains in first place in the Ontario Hockey League’s West Division.  The Whalers are one point ahead of Sault Ste. Marie (28-19-2-2, 60 points).  The Greyhounds beat Saginaw, 5-4 in a shootout, on Saturday. Peterborough (now 16-28-3-4, 39 points) remains in ninth place in the …

SARNIA - Charles Sarault scored the only goal of the shootout and the Sarnia Sting defeated the Plymouth Whalers, 5-4, in an Ontario Hockey League game played Friddy before 3,184 at RBC Centre. Plymouth (24-14-5-4) and Sarnia (27-17-0-3) are each tied at the top of the OHL's West Division with 57 points.  The Whalers and Sting have an identical .606 winning percentage over 47 games.  The Sting have more victories. The Whalers and Sting meet 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Compuware Arena (6:45 p.m., 88.1 FM WSDP; 7 p.m., Comcast 900). Garrett Meurs scored twice (21-22) and added an assist as the game's…

Stefan Noesen came to the Plymouth Whalers' front office Thursday morning in a hurry. He was looking for a package of hockey sticks shipped from the Ottawa Senators' National Hockey League training camp.  The package arrived  - on time - and Noesen went down to the Whalers' locker room to prepare for this weekend's upcoming action. It's a Whalers Wrap-Around Weekend this weekend as Plymouth (21-13-5-3) hosts Mississauga on Friday at 7:05 p.m., Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and Erie on Monday at 2 p.m. at Compuware Arena. Noesen's sense of urgency is understandable.  He was …

Sound bytes provided by Pete Krupsky and www.plymouthwhalers.com. WINDSOR - A season-high crowd of 6,406 came to Windsor Family Credit Union Centre on New Year's Eve ready to celebrate a Spitfires victory over the Plymouth Whalers. The Whalers had other plans. Plymouth got a pair of goals and an assist from Garrett Meurs (16-17), 38 saves from Alex Nedeljkovic and the game-winning goal from Connor Carrick enroute to a well-earned 5-2 win over Windsor on Monday afternoon. Besides Meurs' pair and Carrick sixth of the year, Plymouth also received goals from Matt Mistele (15th) and an empty …

The Plymouth Whalers will welcome a local Olympic gold medalist tonight as the team opens the second half of the Ontario Hockey League season. The Whalers get back in action this week with a pair of home games at Compuware Arena: Thursday – Saginaw (14-16-3-2) at Plymouth (14-11-5-3), 2 p.m., Compuware Arena (1:45 p.m. broadcast on 88.1 FM WSDP) Today's game is the Whalers’ annual Kid’s Day Matinee.  Young fans will celebrate mascot Shooter’s birthday. Gold medal-winning Olympic swimmer Allison Schmitt – from Canton – will participate in a ceremonial face-off. Plymouth practices at 10:30 a.m…

Plymouth Whalers veteran Stefan Noesen hoped to play for Team USA in the upcoming 2013 World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia. Instead, Noesen will spend the Christmas holidays at home in Plano, TX, after the International Ice Hockey Federation upheld Noesen's current ten-game suspension and has ruled him ineligible for the 2013 World Junior Championships, going from Dec. 26-Jan.5. Noesen was suspended by the Ontario Hockey League for a hit on Dec. 8 against Oshawa and did not play in the Whalers' recent road trip in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Barrie.   “While we respect the IIHF’s …