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Erie Otters’ Connor McDavid is Aud-ly proficient: Friday’s 3 Stars

Neate Sager

No. 1 star: Connor McDavid, Erie Otters (OHL)

McDavid went into one of major junior hockey's meccas and came out smiling after leading the Otters to a 4-0 romp against the Kitchener Rangers. McDavid (1G-2A, +2) helped the Otters mute the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium crowd by setting up Washington Capitals first-rounder Andre Burakovsky (2G, +1) for a first-period goal, then teed up Dane Fox for the 2-0 goal before the end of the first period.

The 16-year-old wunderkind also scored on a flip shot in the second period. Columbus Blue Jackets second-rounder Oscar Dansk handled 35 shots for the Otters to notch his first OHL shutout.

No. 2 star: Anthony Mantha, Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)

Does the Detroit Red Wings first-round pick have a standing reservation in Friday's 3 Stars?

Mantha (2G-3A, +3) led Val-d'Or to a 6-4 home win over Drummondville by notching five points. The 19-year-old was a two-way force, scoring a short-handed goal in the second period while also feeding Anthony Richard for a clinching goal with 31 seconds left in the game. Mantha's pair of markers gave him a Quebec League-leading 13 in just eight games, along with a league-best 23 points.

No. 3 star: Boston Leier, Regina Pats (WHL)

Leier (3G), Dyson Stevenson (2G, +1) and Kyle Burroughs (4A, +2) put the Pats on their backs in order to pull out a 5-4 home win over the Vancouver Giants. Leier, whom the Pats picked up from Medicine Hat a couple weeks ago, completed his hat trick 1:57 into overtime on a setup from Burroughs and Chandler Stephenson. The overage forward was a major reason the Pats earned the privilege of being in overtime, since he also scored game-tying and go-ahead goals in the second period.

Honourable mention: Roland McKeown, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

One tries to reward players who produce in high-leverage situations, i.e., close games, but crap on a cracker, attention must be paid to some beatdowns. Kingston scored in double digits for the second time in eight games, throttling the Sudbury Wolves 10-1. McKeown (1G, +5) pulled off a neat trick of being on the ice for four even-strength goals within the first nine minutes of the game without being credited with so much as a phantom second assist. The 17-year-old Listowel, Ont., native did score himself in the second period, as he improved his plus/minus ranking to a OHL-best +20. In other words, McKeown had something to do with Kingston being in the attacking zone so much.

Kingston was up 5-0 before the Wolves even recorded a shot on goal. Fellow 17-year-old Sam Bennett (2G, +3) also got in on the action for Kingston.

Potent notables — Patrik Bartosak had 41 saves in Red Deer's 4-3 OT win over Prince Albert ... Patrik Polivka (27 saves) and Logan Nelson (1G-2A, +1) led Victoria to a 4-0 shutout win over Lethbridge ... In the OHL, Philadelphia Flyers first-rounder Scott Laughton (1G-1A, +1) and Vancouver Canucks third-rounder Cole Cassels (1G-1A, +1) helped Oshawa complete a home-and-home sweep of Barrie ... Draft prospect Anthony DeAngelo scored with 28 seconds left to lift Sarnia to a 3-2 win over Windsor ... Winnipeg Jets pick Scott Kosmachuk scored two goals in Guelph's win at Ottawa ... Dallas Stars pick Remi Elie scored his first goal for the Belleville Bulls during a loss to London, his former team ... Nelson Armstrong's two assists helped Peterborough spoil North Bay's home opener with a 2-1 win ... In the QMJHL, Timothé Simard's first of the season lifted Cape Breton to a 3-2 win over Charlottetown ... Frédéric Bergeron (1G-2A, +2) led Blainville-Boisbriand to a win over Halifax, helped the Armada become the first team in 40 years to start 10-0 ... Chicago Blackhawks-drafted goalie Brandon Whitney had a 31-save shutout in Victoriaville's win at Shawinigan.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet. Please address any questions, comments or concerns to btnblog@yahoo.ca.