Photo Credit: Larry Brunt / Spokane Chiefs
The Canadian major junior hockey leagues continued their play in November, through the holiday known as Day of Remembrance Day in Canada and Veterans Day in the United States. The ones capable of growing mustaches grew them for Movember, the annual campaign where men would grow mustaches to raise money for cancers that mostly affect males. On the performance front for the Capitals forward prospects, there were scoring explosions.
At present, the Capitals have six prospects playing in Canada’s major junior leagues: the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJML). The prospects in those leagues are: defenseman Cam Allen, left wing Andrew Cristall, left wing Brett Hyland, left wing Jake Karabela, goaltender Antoine Keller, and center Patrick Thomas.
CHL (WHL/OHL/QMJHL)
CAM ALLEN (D) – 18 – DRAFTED 2023 (Fifth Round, #136 Overall)
Team: Guelph Storm League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
On August 30, Allen underwent shoulder surgery and will be out until after the New Year. He had played through nagging shoulder issues last season and then tweaked it at the Capitals Development Camp.
Score: Incomplete
ANDREW CRISTALL (LW) – 18 – DRAFTED 2023 (Second Round, 40th Overall)
Team: Kelowna Rockets League: Western Hockey League (WHL)
Cristall missed time during November due to an upper-body injury but performed well when in the lineup. He scored a goal on November 3 in a 2-1 loss against the Victoria Royals and had assists in each of the games on November 4, November 7, and November 13. He missed the team’s game on November 10. Cristall returned for their game on November 13 but left midway through the game and did not return. On November 7, the assist he recorded was his 200th WHL point. However, he left that game after being hit by the puck near the net but returned to the game for the final minutes of the third period.
Cristll missed the next four games with an upper-body injury, likely originally incurred on November 7 and aggravated on November 13. It was clear that the Rockets missed Cristall’s presence in the lineup as they lost all four of those games.
When he returned on November 26, he scored two goals and recorded an assist in a 4-2 win against the Seattle Thunderbirds and was voted first star of the game. His first goal at 12:44 during the second period proved to be the game-winner. He continued his heroics on November 29 with a goal and two assists in an overtime win against the Wenatchee Wild and was voted third star of the game.
Andrew Cristall is BACK!🔥@Kelowna_Rockets | @Capitals pic.twitter.com/hCcFYVgMgw
— The WHL (@TheWHL) November 26, 2023
During November, he played in six games, scoring four goals and recording six assists. His overall statistics for the season through November were 14 goals and 23 assists in 19 games. He ranks first place in assists and points for the team and is second in goals only to Tig Iginla.
Monthly Score: 4.0
BRETT HYLAND (LW/C) – 19 – DRAFTED 2023 (Seventh Round, 200th Overall)
Team: Brandon Wheat Kings League: Western Hockey League (WHL)
November started quietly and ended quietly for Hyland but he had a hot scoring stretch in between. He scored a goal on November 9 against the Moose Jaw Warriors. He led the team in shots on goal that game with five. He then scored two goals on November 11 against Regina Pats in a wild 7-5 victory. His second goal was the game-winner. He was voted as the third star of the game. On November 17, he had a goal and assist in a 5-2 win against Edmonton Oil Kings. His assist was his 100th point with the Wheat Kings. On November 25, he had an assist on the team’s only goal in a 6-1 loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Overall, during November, Hyland scored four goals and recorded one assist for 5 points in November. For the season, Hyland has played in 25 games, scoring 11 goals and recording five assists for 16 points overall. He ranks second on his team in goals and is tied for first in power-play goals with four.
Monthly Score: 3.5
Photo: Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun
JAKE KARABELA (LW) – 19 – DRAFTED 2022 (Fifth Round, #149 Overall)
Team: Guelph Storm League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Karabala was very productive on the goal-scoring front during the middle portion of November. He scored a goal on November 10 against the Flint Firebirds, which at that time, evened up the score at 1-1 in a game that Guelph eventually won, 3-2. On November 15, he scored the team’s second goal in an eventual 5-2 loss against the London Knights.
On November 17, he recorded an assist on the team’s first goal against the Niagara Ice Dogs in a 3-2 win. On November 18, he scored two goals and recorded one assist as the team lost in a shootout to the Barrie Colts
On November 25, Karabella scored one goal and had three assists against Kitchener in a wild 8-6 win. His goal was the team’s eighth goal of the night. His first assist came as the primary assist on the team’s first goal. On November 26, he recorded a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win against the Sarnia Sting. He scored the team’s first goal on a power play at 5:22 in the first period. Before the power play, the team was down 2-0. He had an assist on the team’s fourth goal at 18:57 in the third period which was an empty netter and was an insurance goal.
Karabela scored six goals and recorded 12 assists in 12 games during November. For the season thus far, he has 9 goals and 11 assists in 26 games. He is in fifth place on the team in points with 20, ranks fourth on the team in goals, and is tied for fourth on the team in assists.
Monthly Score: 4.0
ANTOINE KELLER (G) – 19 – DRAFTED 2023 (Seventh Round, #206 Overall)
Team: Acadie-Bathurst League: Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
In November, Keller played in seven games, winning three and losing four. On Nov 10, he made 26 saves in 27 chances for a save percentage of .962. On November 26, he made 27 saves in a win as he recorded a save percentage of .926. His overall record is 8-6. He made 222 saves and had a save percentage of .896 in November. His overall percentage is .900 with him making 470 saves. His goals-against average in November was 3.27 and his overall goals-against average is 3.10.
Monthly Score: 3.0
PATRICK THOMAS (C) – 19 – DRAFTED 2023 (Fourth Round, #104 Overall)
Team: Brantford Bulldogs League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Thomas scored a goal on November 5 in a 5-2 loss against Oshawa. This goal was the team’s second goal which came at 16:48 into the third period. He recorded at least one assist in the next four consecutive games from November 10 through November 15, with multiple assists in three out of those four games, including three assists in a 5-4 overtime loss against the Peterborough Petes on November 12. His third assist that day was on the game-tying goal that came at 12:39 during the third period.
On November 18, he scored the team’s first goal against the Kingston Frontenacs in a 4-1 win. He was elected the first star of the game. On November 26, in a 5-2 win against the Kingston Frontenacs, he scored the first goal for his team at 4:13 during the third period. At that time, the goal tied the score at 1-1.
During November, he scored three goals and recorded 11 assists in 12 games. For the season, he has five goals and 17 assists in 23 games.
Monthly Score: 4.0
By Diane Doyle