Whalers Grind Out 3-2 Playoff Win Over Sarnia, Lead Series, 2-0

Games 3 and 4 are in Sarnia on Monday and Wednesday.

The Plymouth Whalers battled on several fronts in a 3-2 victory over Sarnia on Saturday night before 2,893 at Compuware Arena. Not only did they battle the Sting and their potent power play to take a two-games-to-none lead in the best four-of-seven OHL Western Conference quarterfinal series, at times they battled referees Ryan Hutchison and Scott Ferguson and penalty issues. No playoff run is easy and the Whalers - after blowing out the Sting in Game 1, 11-2 on Friday - worked through a ton of adversity tonight to win their tenth straight game and 18 out of 19 dating back to Feb. 9. Plymouth started the game without Matt Mistele, who was suspended for a checking to the head penalty in the first period in Game 1. Mistele played the rest of …

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Plymouth Whalers

Plymouth Whalers Hammer Sarnia Sting, 11-2, in Game 1 of OHL Playoffs

Game 2 is Saturday at 7 p.m. at Compuware Arena.

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 one period and 8-2 after forty minutes.  In all, 14 of the 18 Plymouth skaters scored at least one point each. Charles Sarault and Reid Boucher replied…

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Whalers' Matt Mahalak Named Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week

Whalers start the OHL Playoffs Friday at Compuware Arena against Sarnia.

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 second straight shutout and third of the season Sunday in the Whalers regular season finale stopping 24 shots in a 4-0 win over the Windsor Spitfires…

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Whalers' Vince Trocheck Named Ontario Hockey League Player of the Week

Trocheck is the first Whaler ever to win an OHL scoring title outright.

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 with 109 points ahead of Sarnia Sting forward Charles Sarault who finished with 108.  Trocheck’s third assist came on the power play with just 2:36 to …

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Plymouth Whalers Meet Sarnia in First-Round OHL Playoff Series

Series starts Friday at 7 pm at Compuware Arena

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 30 – Plymouth at Sarnia, 7 pm, RBC Centre. (*) Game 7 – Tuesday, April 2 – Sarnia at Plymouth, 7 pm, Compuware Arena. (*) if necessary Tickets for all…

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Sellout Crowd Sees Whalers Win Seventh in a Row, 4-3 in OT, Over Windsor

Whalers' regular season concludes today in Windsor.

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 over its past 16 games happened on Feb. 24 in a 6-5 loss in Windsor. On the game-winning goal, Heard (nine goals and three assists for 12 points in …

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Plymouth Whalers Win Sixth in a Row, 8-0, in Sault Ste. Marie

First place Whalers have won 14 of 15.

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario - Mitchell Heard scored his first Ontario Hockey League hat trick, Matt Mistele scored twice and goaltender Matt Mahalak stopped all 29 shots he faced as the Plymouth Whalers defeated the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, 8-0, before 4,295 at Essar Centre on Wednesday. Besides Heard's hat trick (14-15-16) and Mistele's pair (33-34), Vince Trocheck scored a goal (49) with two assists and Garrett Meurs scored a goal (31) and two assists.  Cody Payne added his 23rd goal of the year.  Mahalak recorded his second shutout of the year and sixth of his career. Plymouth led 3-0 after one period and 5-0 after forty minutes. The Whalers have won six games and a row - and 14 out of their last 15 games - to improve to 40-17-5-4, …

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Whalers Win Fifth in a Row and 13 of 14 in 7-5 Win Over Saginaw

Whalers now 39-17-5-4.

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 Meurs (taken by Colorado in 5th round in the 2011 National Hockey League Entry Draft) led Plymouth with a hat trick (28-29-30) and an assist and was +2…

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Plymouth Whalers Clinch 12th Division Title in 23 Years

Whalers host Saginaw at 2 p.m. Sunday at Compuware Arena.

PLYMOUTH – It’s not often that the Windsor Spitfires do a favor for their arch-rivals, the Plymouth Whalers. But that’s what happened on Thursday when the Spitfires defeated the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, 7-4. The Hounds’ loss to Windsor mathematically eliminated the Soo from winning the West Division and gave the Whalers their 12th division championship in the team’s 23-year history.  The Whalers didn’t back into the West Division title.  Using an effective combination of balance on all ends of the ice, Plymouth has gone 24-6-0-1 since December 27 to improve to their current record of 38-17-5-4. Plymouth has won with West Division title in 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2011-12 …

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Whalers' Winning Road Show Continues in 4-1 Victory in Saginaw

Alex Nedeljkovic named CHL goaltender of the week.

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 10:45 am - is Saginaw's annual Education Day Game, where school children from all around the Saginaw-region attend the game as a field trip.  But an …

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