67’s set for important OHL Priority Selection

There’s no rest when it comes to the life of a General Manager in the Ontario Hockey League

James Boyd took in Game 4 last night in Peterborough, and while he’s doing everything he can to enjoy the current team he and his staff have built, his eyes are equally focused on the next steps for the franchise.

When the OHL Priority Selection kicks off on Friday night, the 67’s front office has a chance to mark what the next few seasons of 67’s hockey will look like, with 15 picks.

“We have five key picks in the top three rounds or so,” Boyd said, including the first pick of the fourth round in his evaluation. “We like the draft, and I think we have a chance to add some quality players. There’s a lot of players that bring different elements, and we’re confident we’ll get some players who will be a good fit for us.”

The preparation ahead of the draft is extensive, but hasn’t yet stopped. On Tuesday, the Barber Poles sent a fourth-round pick – 66th overall – to the London Knights in exchange for a third-round pick in next year’s Priority Selection.

“You can never have too many picks, but being able to move up a round next year was good value for us,” Boyd said. “There has been a lot of interest in our picks, so there has been a lot of dialogue about how we can improve the hockey club, and we thought that this was one move that would benefit us down the road.”

The goal of the swap is to have options next season, according to Boyd.

“What it really does is allow us to remain flexible,” he explained. “We can make a pick with it once we have assessed the draft, but we could also include it in another deal to acquire a player, which we saw this year [with Morrison and Mintyukov].”

Led by Assistant General Manager and Director of Scouting Jan Egert, the 67’s scouting staff has had notable success in recent years. All but three players on the roster this season – Mintyukov, Morrison, and Steven Laforme being the exceptions – were drafted by the club.

Players like Luca Pinelli, Brady Stonehouse, Cooper Foster, and Caden Kelly, for example, were all second-round picks, while the likes of Matthew Mayich, Will Gerrior, Derek Smyth, and Max Donoso were all day-two picks. On the roster, the scouts have unearthed some gems, and even those who aren’t on the roster yet could still become good value picks.

“Our scouts have done a tremendous job,” Boyd said. “It’s not only the players on our team that we see every day, but we have an impressive list of protected players that we’re proud of. It just speaks to the quality of our scouting staff and the selections that have been made.”

Boyd says that Egert ensures the work is put in to have a feel for as much of the prospect pool as possible, as he and the scouts are consistently watching hockey, whether it be in Ottawa, Toronto, or the United States. They allow themselves to become obsessed with the job, and pride themselves on making every single pick with the intention of finding a player who could one day make the team, right down to round 15.

The recipe for finding the right player is rather simple, in the end.

“We’re always looking for character players who have intangibles in their game,” Boyd said. “A key part of scouting is identifying those guys, and if you draft well, it’s reflected in your team.”

For all of the work that goes into scouting, it’s not an exact science. You’re never sure if a player is going to be Brad Gardiner, who is ready to jump into the lineup right away, or if they’ll be a Jack Dever, who needs another year of seasoning. Regardless, Boyd says it’s his responsibility to figure it out over time, and give each prospect what they need to reach their full potential.

“We don’t know how a player is going to translate, it’s really a best guess,” he admitted. “If all of the boxes are checked, we know they are going to be quality players, the question is just if it’s going to be right away, if its a week, a month, or years.”

In the playoffs, his mind is running in two completely different directions, but that’s what happens when you’re the General Manager of an OHL team.

“You almost have to live in two separate worlds,” Boyd said with a laugh. “It’s busy, but it’s a lot of fun. I really enjoy it.”

The 2023 OHL Priority Selection kicks off on Friday night, with the 67’s picking four times on the night (22nd, 23rd, 46th, 62nd). With the Erie Otters having already made their pick, the Niagara IceDogs will be on the clock at 7 p.m. ET.