Colts Set for 2013 NHL Entry Draft
On Sunday June 30th the 2013 NHL Entry Draft will be held in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center. First round selections will begin at 3:00pm live on TSN.
A number of Barrie Colts players will be hoping to hear their named called at this year’s NHL entry draft.
Centre Erik Bradford was the highest ranked Barrie Colt in the final NHL draft rankings for 2013, where he sits 145th amongst all prospects. Bradford is more known for his defensive play especially on the penalty kill, but contributes regularly to the offense as well. This past season Bradford had career highs in goals assists and points with 18 goals, 15 assists for 33 points along with a plus/minus of +8. The Orangeville, Ontario native played a key role in the post season for Barrie where he collected 10 points in 22 games.
Zach Hall continued his success this past season showing he is an offensive threat every time he steps on the ice. Hall was ranked 158th in the final NHL draft rankings after leading the Barrie Colts in points with 81. The Belleville, Ontario native finished tied for 11th in the OHL scoring race and was 5th in assists in the league. On November 8th 2012 Hall was invited to play for team OHL in the Subway Super Series but would suffer a 2-1 loss to Russia. The Barrie Colts centreman had an impressive playoff as well scoring 7 goals and adding 21 assists in 19 games played.
Defenseman Michael Webster and goaltender Alex Fotinos are also hoping to be selected at this weekends NHL entry draft. In the midterm rankings Webster was 157th amongst North American Skaters while Fotinos was ranked 29th for goaltenders. Both players fell just short of the final rankings but could still be taken by an NHL team on Sunday.
Webster was originally selected by the Barrie Colts in the 12th round, 233 overall in 2011 and was a welcomed addition to the Colts blue line this season. The 6’0” 183lbs defenseman registered 11 assists in 63 games played and was a plus +14.
Goaltender Alex Fotinos will be back for his third OHL season with Barrie in 2013-14. Fotinos has seen limited playing time behind goaltender Mathias Niederberger the past two seasons but will be the #1 contender for the starters role next year. Last season the Toronto, Ontario native posted a 9-8-0-1 record with a 3.26 GAA in 19 games.
In the 2012 NHL entry draft Colts forward Tanner Pearson was selected 30th overall by the Los Angeles Kings after an impressive season which saw him sit 3rd in OHL scoring with 91 points. In 2011 Mark Scheifele was selected in the 1st round, 7th overall by the Winnipeg Jets along with defenseman Alex Lepkowski who was taken by the Buffalo Sabres 137th overall.
To see the full list of players ranked for the 2013 NHL entry draft click here or visit www.nhl.com. The Colorado Avalanche hold the 1st overall pick in this years draft followed by the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
