Battalion tabs 17 recruits
KINGSTON, Ont. — The North Bay Battalion made 16 picks Saturday as the first in-person Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection since 2000 wrapped up at Slush Puppie Place.
North Bay, with 17 picks, chose nine forwards, comprising four centres, three left wingers and two right wingers, six defencemen and two goaltenders over the 15-round process, which started Friday night.
The 20 OHL clubs selected 301 skaters and goaltenders, with all being 2010 births except for eight born in 2009 and four in 2008.
“First and foremost, the City of Kingston, the Kingston Frontenacs and the OHL all need to be commended on putting on a great show this weekend,” said Adam Dennis, Battalion president and director of hockey operations.
“As far as the Priority Selection goes for the Battalion, we walked away feeling very pleased about how the two days turned out. We knew coming in it was a deep draft, and we were able to fill a lot of our needs while adding some top-end players at each of their individual positions.
“We look forward to building relationships with each one of them and taking part in their development.”
In the first round Friday night, the Troops selected goaltender Owen Loftus of the Don Mills Flyers U16s with the 11th overall choice.
With its first pick Saturday, the Battalion chose left-shot centre Alexandre Saulnier of the Ottawa Jr. 67’s U16s in the second round, 35th overall. A six-foot-two, 192-pound resident of Ottawa, Saulnier recorded five goals and 19 assists for 24 points in 17 regular-season games and added 10 points, including six goals, in 12 playoff games. He turned 16 on April 16 after incurring a groin injury last season.
“He can be hard to play against and has a good offensive tool set,” general manager John Winstanley said of Saulnier.
The Troops had two picks in the third round and used the first, 48th overall, on right winger Austin Ottenhof the Quinte Red Devils U16s. Ottenhof, a five-foot-10, 161-pound resident of Odessa, Ont., produced 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 31 games. He turned 16 on June 7.
“I’m going to bring a fun player to watch with a physical style and a good defensive-zone support to the team, with a scoring touch,” said Ottenhof. who noted he was “learning tons each minute” about North Bay.
“I’ve known that there’s fishing and snowmobiling up there and great support to the team with fans.”
The Battalion’s second third-rounder, 60th overall, was Drew Hulbert, a left-shot defenceman who was a Don Mills teammate of Loftus. A five-foot-11, 191-pound Toronto resident who turned 16 on May 4, Hulbert had 11 points, including four goals, in 16 games. He dealt with a thumb injury.
“He’s a shutdown defenceman who plays against the other teams’ top lines,” noted Winstanley. “He blocks shots. He’s in the way constantly. The best thing from his coaches is that this guy’s an ox and a machine. He’s in incredible shape.”
The club, without a pick in the fourth round, used its fifth-round selection, 92nd overall, on right-shot rearguard Sebastien Fortin of the Vaughan Kings U16s. A five-foot-10, 194-pounder from Woodstock, Ont., who turns 16 on Sunday, Fortin had 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points in 32 games.
North Bay applied its first of two sixth-round picks, 112th overall, to left winger Spencer Greenhalgh, an Ottawa resident who contributed 27 goals and 37 assists for 64 points in 51 games for the Florida Alliance 15s. Greenhalgh, five-foot-10 and 157 pounds, turned 16 on March 25.
The Battalion’s second sixth-rounder, 117th overall, was another left winger, Ethan Bridges of the Huron-Perth Lakers U16s. A six-foot, 177-pounder from Stratford, Ont., who turned 16 on April 1, Bridges had 46 points, including 16 goals, in 30 games.
Defenceman Gavin Henry of the Credit River Capitals U16s was chosen in the seventh round, 132nd overall. Henry, a five-foot-11, 155-pound right shot who hails from Georgetown, Ont., scored nine goals and added 30 assists for 39 points in 34 games. He turns 16 on Aug. 3.
The Battalion took another blueliner in the eighth round, choosing Colten Wilkinson, a left shot from the Toronto Nationals U16s with the 152nd overall pick. Wilkinson, a six-foot-four, 205-pound resident of Holland Landing, Ont., scored three goals and earned five assists for eight points in 31 games. He turns 16 on Aug. 17.
Left-shot centre Ryder Nobes of the Markham Majors U16s was the ninth-round pick, 172nd overall. Nobes had 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points in 33 games. A five-foot-six, 147-pounder from Brooklin, Ont., he turns 16 on Aug. 11.
In the 10th round, North Bay picked Ethan Davidson, a right-shot defenceman from the Central Ontario Wolves U16s with the 192nd overall choice. A resident of Nestleton, Ont., who turned 16 on Feb. 22, Davidson, six-foot-one and 189 pounds, contributed four goals and 16 assists for 20 points in 33 games.
The Battalion’s 11th-rounder, 212th overall, was right-shot rearguard Tayden Smith of the Sudbury Wolves U16s. Smith, six feet and 176 pounds, scored eight goals and added 21 assists for 29 points in 34 games. He had one assist in four games with the junior A Kirkland Lake Gold Miners of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. The Sudbury resident turned 16 on Jan. 3.
The Troops used the first of two 12th-round picks, 227th overall, on right winger Carter Trudell of the Windsor Jr. Spitfires U16s. A five-foot-11, 160-pound resident of Belle River, Ont., Trudell had 36 points, including 17 goals, in 27 games. He turned 16 on Jan. 13.
The club’s second choice in the round, 232nd overall, was left-shot centre Dylan Dawe of the Halton Hurricanes U16s. Dawe, five-foot-10 and 167 pounds, produced 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 33 games. The Inglewood, Ont., resident turns 16 on Sept. 8.
Kingston resident Simon Godin, a goaltender, was chosen in the 13th round, 252nd overall, from the Greater Kingston Jr. Gaels U16s. Godin had a 3.29 goals-against average in 17 games. Measuring six feet and 155 pounds, he turns 16 on July 9.
In the 14th round at No. 272, the Battalion tabbed another Don Mills skater in left winger Lucas Wellenreiter. A five-foot nine, 180-pound resident of Waterdown, Ont., who turned 16 on March 5, he had nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points in 31 games. Older brother Nick Wellenreiter played 113 games with the Troops through last season, scoring 34 goals and adding 49 assists for 83 points.
The Battalion’s final selection, 292nd overall, was left-shot centre Aidan Duchesne of the North Bay Trappers U16s. The five-foot-eight, 132-pound resident of North Bay had 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points in 29 games. He turned 16 on Feb. 18.
