HUSKIES’ ALVES LEADS BULLDOGS U18 DRAFT CLASS
While the Hamilton Bulldogs were busy on Thursday night hosting the Mississauga Steelheads in Game 1 of their OHL Eastern Conference semi-final at FirstOntario Centre, the team’s scouting staff was hard at work adding an additional 3 players to their 2022 OHL Draft haul through the OHL Under-18 Priority Selection Draft.
The Bulldogs didn’t have to look far for their first selection, making Hamilton’s own Avery Alves the 20th overall pick from the Hamilton Huskies U18 AAA. Widely thought of as one of the most naturally talented netminders in the U18 age group, Alves was the backbone of the Huskies team posting a 2.71 GAA in 19 regular season appearances before stealing the show for the Huskies in the playoffs with a 1.33 GAA. Alves marks the third goaltender selected in the process by the Bulldogs, joining David Egorov & Jensen Howe in a stacked pipeline for the Dogs in goal.
Next on the clock with the 40th overall selection, Hamilton selected Central Ontario Wolves U18 AAA leading scorer Ethan Lee. From Whitby, Lee moved from the Whitby Wildcats program to the Central Ontrario Wolves for the 2022 season where the 6’0’’ centerman posted 11 goals & 12 assists for 23 points in 27 games to lead his team in scoring and bettering his points-per-game in the playoffs where he added another 6 points in 5 postseason games. A 2004-born, Lee has also suited up for the Henry Street High School Hawks going back to the 2019-20 season, no stranger to facing older & larger competition, Lee will be an interesting talent to keep an eye on at Bulldogs Development & Training Camps.
With the 52nd overall selection the Bulldogs selected defenseman Robert Palermo from the Mississauga Reps U18 AAA. In the same mold as current Bulldogs defenseman Gavin White, Palermo wasn’t selected in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection Draft without a season and moved from the Markham Majors U15 AAA program where he spent the 2019-20 season to the Mississauga Reps U18 AAA for the 2021-22 season where he had a tremendous season leading to getting called up to the OJHL for 7 games with the Markham Royals. Palermo joined fellow Bulldogs draft selection Tyron Fevry in earning a look this season with the Royals at the OJHL level and will look to see if both can become the next group of draft day steals to make the team.
The Hamilton Bulldogs would like to congratulate Alves, Lee & Palermo on their selection and proudly welcome them to the franchise. We are looking forward to seeing each of these young men dawn the black and gold in what will be a very competitive 17-player, 2022 OHL Draft class.
