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Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Betting Guide | LeoVegas

Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Betting Guide

Summary:

The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that make up the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Open to players aged 16-21 years old. There are currently 20 teams that compete in the OHL, which is a hugely popular spectator sport in Canada.

Table of Content:

In this Ontario Hockey League betting guide, we will describe what the OHL is, explain the differences between the OHL and the NHL and AHL, describe how to bet on the Ontario Hockey League, and offer some OHL betting tips.

What is the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)?

Despite ice hockey leagues being organized in Ontario since 1890, the OHL was first founded in 1980 when the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League split from the Ontario Hockey Association and joined the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League.

Today, the OHL is regarded as one of the top leagues in the world for player development, with many progressing to play in the National Hockey League (NHL) and going on to represent the Canadian national team.

There are 20 teams who make up the OHL. Seventeen of those are based in the Canadian province of Ontario, two in the US state of Michigan, and one in the state of Pennsylvania. Teams compete for the J. Ross Robertson Cup, a trophy dedicated to John Ross Robertson, the former OHA president. It was first awarded to the OHL Finals champion in 1933 and was won by the Newmarket Redmen.

Since 1999, trophies have also been awarded to the Eastern Conference champions (Bobby Orr Trophy), the Western Conference champions (Wayne Gretzky Trophy), and the Playoffs Most Valuable Player (Wayne Gretzky 99 Award).

What is the main difference between NHL, AHL and OHL?

The main difference between the National Hockey League (NHL), American Hockey League (AHL) and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) is where each league sits in the North American ice hockey structure and the prizes on offer.

The NHL is North America’s premier professional ice hockey league and attracts the most elite players from around the world. Teams compete for the world-famous Stanley Cup, and it’s the most-watched sport in Canada.

The AHL is considered the highest level in the minor professional league set-up, which has the primary purpose of developing players for the NHL. Currently, there are 26 AHL teams based in the United States and five located in Canada who compete for the Calder Cup.

The OHL is one of the three major Junior ice hockey leagues open to players aged 16-19 and supplies most of the players that go on to compete in the AHL and the elite NHL.

How many teams play in the OHL?

There are 20 teams in the Ontario Hockey League, with 17 based in the province of Ontario and three from the United States. Of the 20 teams, ten compete in the Eastern Conference, and ten compete in the Western Conference. These two Conferences are also split into two divisions.

OHL Teams

The 20 teams of the OHL compete in the Eastern and Western conferences. Each of these is split into two divisions with the breakdown as follows:

Eastern Conference – East Division

  • Hamilton Bulldogs – Ontario
  • Kingston Frontenacs – Ontario
  • Oshawa Generals – Ontario
  • Ottawa 67’s – Ontario
  • Peterborough Petes – Ontario

Eastern Conference – Central Division

  • Barrie Colts – Ontario
  • Mississauga Steelheads – Ontario
  • Niagara IceDogs – Ontario
  • North Bay Battalion – Ontario
  • Sudbury Wolves – Ontario

Western Conference – Midwest

  • Erie Otters – Pennsylvania (US)
  • Guelph Storm – Ontario
  • Kitchener Rangers – Ontario
  • London Knights – Ontario
  • Owen Sound Attack – Ontario

Western Conference – West

  • Flint Firebirds – Michigan (US)
  • Saginaw Spirit – Michigan (US)
  • Sarnia Sting – Ontario
  • Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds – Ontario
  • Windsor Spitfires – Ontario

Last season, the Hamilton Bulldogs were crowned OHL champions and received the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the second time in their history after beating the Windsor Spitfires 4-3 in their seven-game series.

However, the Oshawa Generals are the most successful team in the OHL, lifting the famous trophy on 13 separate occasions, the last time being in 2015.

The 2022-23 season will be the Kitchener Rangers 60th campaign, with the Ottawa 67’s celebrating their 55th season. The Kingston Frontenacs and the Sudbury Wolves will celebrate their 50th season in the league while some of the ‘newcomers’, Niagara IceDogs, prepare for their 15th campaign, and the Mississauga Steelheads play their 10th.

OHL Regular Season

The 20 teams of the OHL play a 680-game schedule that usually starts at the end of September or early October. The regular season then commonly runs until the third week of March or early April, before the playoffs begin.

OHL Playoffs

The OHL playoffs are contested by the teams who finish in the top eight positions of each Conference, which means 16 OHL teams qualify for the playoffs. Each fixture consists of a best-of-seven game series, with the winner of each advancing to the next round. The winners of each Conference then meet one another and play in the final seven-game series for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.

The OHL champion will then compete against the winners of the Western Hockey League, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the host of the tournament for the Memorial Cup. The tournament's host team alternates between the three leagues every season. The winner of the Memorial Cup is then crowned the junior hockey champions of Canada. The most recent OHL team to win the Memorial Cup was the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2022.

OHL Betting Lines

If you want to get involved with some OHL betting and want to learn how to bet on the OHL, knowing what all the betting lines mean will certainly improve your enjoyment.

One of the most popular OHL betting lines is an ‘Outright’ bet on the OHL Championship winner. This is when you bet on who you think will be crowned as the overall OHL winner at the end of the season.

Money line bets are also popular and one of the most common types of ice hockey bet. This is where you are betting on a team to simply win a game. The team that the bookmaker thinks is favorite will have a minus sign beside their odds, with their opponent having a plus sign beside their odds.

A Total Points bet focuses on how many points will be scored in a game and you can place a wager on either ‘Over’ or ‘Under’ a specific number of points to be scored.

How to Bet on OHL

Betting on the OHL is very straightforward. First, navigate your way to the sports betting page and select ‘Browse sports’. From there, select ‘More’ and then scroll down to choose ‘Hockey’.

From here, scroll down to the ‘International’ markets and select ‘Canada’.

You will then see the option for OHL, select it, click ‘Apply’, and you will open all the available markets. OHL betting markets cover ‘Outright’ and ‘Events’. .

OHL Betting Tips

The Ottawa 67’s and the Saginaw Spirit have both made a great start to the 2022-23 season, so should be feared on their early form. The Niagara IceDogs have also made a positive start, and it could be worth keeping an eye on how they progress.

The defending champions, the Hamilton Bulldogs, will be disappointed by their start to the season, but can the reigning Memorial Cup holders be written off?

Brennan Othmann has been in prolific scoring form for the Flint Firebirds and could end up as the MVP.

OHL FAQ

How many OHL games are played in a season?

The 2022-2023 regular season features 680 games played from September through March.

What is the OHL?

The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that make up the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).

What is the difference between OHL and NHL?

The NHL is North America’s premier professional ice hockey league, while OHL is one of the major junior hockey leagues that supply players to the NHL and AHL.

How many games do OHL teams play?

Each team plays 68 games total, with home, and away games split evenly at 34.

Can OHL players play in NHL?

OHL is the top supplier for NHL Draft.

How long does an OHL game last?

OHL games are played in three 20 minutes periods.

Who has won the most OHL championships?

Toronto Marlboros have won the most titles (seven).

Is OHL higher than AHL?

AHL has, in general, a higher level of play compared to OHL.

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