Mid-Season Checkup: Eastern Conference 1-5

The OHL break is upon us, and so is the halfway point in the season. Some teams have set themselves up for success, while others have a lot of work to do if they want to make the playoffs.

This will be part one of a four-part series that will break down the OHL standings using last year's final standings as a reference. The goal will be to show which teams have made big strides compared to last year and who has slumped to start the 2024-25 season.

Which teams are already a great pick to make the playoffs? Are there any dark horses who will make a late push?

We will start by examining the top five teams in the Eastern Conference:

1. Niagara IceDogs - 33 GP (22-9-1-1) 46 pts

Niagara is the biggest surprise this season and it's not close. Last year, they finished at the bottom of not only the Eastern Conference standings but also the overall standings with 17 wins and 42 points.

This year's team has already beaten all of these metrics with 22 wins and 46 points. Their current points percentage (.697) obliterates the one from last year (.309).

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The IceDogs are a young team with three of their top-five scorers under the age of 18.

Unless they totally fall apart this team should be playoff-bound for the first time in years. With their young core, they could easily be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference for years to come.

2. Oshawa Generals - 34 GP (20-11-2-1) 43 pts

No one should be shocked by Oshawa's return to the top of the conference this year. Their roster is one of the most exciting in the league featuring Calum Ritchie, Colby Barlow, Beckett Sennecke and Luca Marrelli.

Last season, the Generals stood atop the Eastern Conference with 40 wins and 89 points. They should finish with a similar total this year if they maintain their current points percentage (.632) which is just a hair shy of last year's (.654).

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This group went to the finals last year and will be looking to return there this year. While the star power will lead the way, players like Owen Griffin taking a step forward will seriously help Oshawa's cause.

This is without a doubt a playoff team and likely many people's pick to win the Eastern Conference.

3. Barrie Colts - 32 GP (21-9-1-1) 44 pts

The Colts are another big riser this season after squeaking into the playoffs last year with 60 points.

Their current points percentage (.688) dwarfs last year's (.441) which suggests this team will likely finish at the top of the conference if they maintain their current pace.

Barrie bought heavily in the offseason acquiring Dallas Stars' prospects Tristan Bertucci and Brad Gardiner to bolster their core.

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They are a 200-foot team that doesn't dazzle you with skill but plays a relentless style while bullying their opponents.

The biggest difference between this year and last year? Defence. Barrie has allowed the second-fewest goals in the league at the midway point of the season. They are incredibly difficult to score on.

While many will pick Oshawa as the team to come out of the East, don't sleep on Barrie who could easily take the Eastern Conference.

4. Kingston Frontenacs - 33 GP ( 17-9-5-2) 41 pts

At the midway point of the season, Kingston has jumped up from their seventh-place finish last year to fourth.

Based on the season so far, this team could tumble down the standings if things don't go their way in the second half.

While all their stats look good and they undoubtedly have the skill to win games, they consistently lose to teams above them in the standings.

Up to this point, they have just one win against Barrie, Oshawa and Niagara. They also lost the games they played against Kitchener and London.

While they have undoubtedly taken a step forward this year, they have more to prove before they can truly be called a top team.

5. Sudbury Wolves - 31 GP (17-10-4-0) 38 pts

Rounding out the top-half of the standings are the Sudbury Wolves who sit exactly where they finished last season.

The numbers between last year and this year are shockingly similar with Sudbury's current point percentage (.613) sitting just a hair higher than last year's (.610)

Given the number of important players Sudbury lost after their disappointing first-round exit from the playoffs, this is no mean feat.

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Sudbury can be seen as a great measuring stick for the rest of the conference.

Kieron Walton's meteoric rise as well as the strong play of Seattle Kraken second-round pick Nathan Villeneuve are undoubtedly big parts of Sudbury's success.

It will be interesting to see whether this team will elect to buy at the deadline. They went all in last year and ultimately it did not serve them well.

Sudbury can be seen as a great measuring stick for the rest of the conference.