Photo: Niagara IceDogs

OHL holds first ever draft lottery

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  • With the OHL cancelling their 2020-2021 season, the league decided to implement a draft lottery to determine the order of selection.
  • The Niagara IceDogs did not have a first-round pick this year due to a player-recruitment violation but hold double picks in the second and third round.
  • After the lottery process, the IceDogs will end up with the third and fourth pick in the second round as well as the sixth and fifteen pick in the third round.
  • This year’s draft will be held June 4-5, 2021 live online at ontariohockeyleague.com.
Photo: Niagara River Lions

River Lions announce coaching staff and team personnel

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  • The Niagara River Lions have announced their coaching, training and medical staff for the 2021 season.
  • Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso and Assistant General Manager Antwi Atuahene, will both return to the River Lions.
  • Also returning to the staff this season will be assistant coaches Jeff Joseph, Mick Bett, Danielle Boiago and Jeff Zwolak.
  • Former Niagara River Lions player Tyrone Watson will re-join the team in a new capacity as assistant Coach 
  • The River Lions also announced that Canadian coaching legend, Dave Smart will join the organization as Executive Coach and Regional Scout.
Photo: Steve Rumsby - Reshot

OHL to conduct first-ever draft lottery

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  • With the OHL cancelling their 2020-2021 season, the league has decided to implement a draft lottery to determine the order of selection.
  • Normally, the order of selection is based on the standings of the current season, with the lowest ranked teams picking first.
  • This year’s draft will be held June 4-5, 2021 live online at ontariohockeyleague.com.
  • The draft lottery will take place Wednesday, May 5 at 7:00pm and will be livestreamed on the OHL YouTube channel.

Welland Jackfish baseball season delayed due to COVID

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Trae Bell-Haynes Re-signs with the River Lions

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  • The Niagara River Lions announced today that 25-year-old Trae Bell-Haynes will return for the 2021 season.
  • Bell Haynes is currently playing for the Hakro Merlins Crailsheim of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), Germany’s top tier professional league. 
  • Prior to Bell-Haynes professional career, the 6’2″ point guard spent all four years of college basketball with the University of Vermont, NCAA Division 1 school.
  • During the 2020 Summer Series, Bell-Haynes led the team in points per game (16.2), assists per game (4.2), steals per game (1.5) and field goal percentage (52.5%).
  • This will be Bell-Haynes 3rd season with the River Lions.

OHL season still a possibility

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Two Ontario AHL teams not yet approved to play

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  • Ontario sport minister Lisa MacLeod is not ready to approve AHL play in Ontario.
  • AHL teams in Belleville, Toronto, Winnipeg, Laval, and Calgary will form a Canadian division and only play each other to prevent travel to the U.S.
  • While the U.S. based teams will begin play on Friday, the Canadian teams have not finalized a schedule due to the uncertainty in Ontario.
  • In October, MacLeod insisted that the OHL could only play this season if the league temporarily banned body checking as a COVID-19 preventative measure.

Elite men’s soccer team to play at Club Roma

New team will play in 2nd highest level in Canada.
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