2022 OHL Priority Selection Primer
The 2022 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection presented by the Real Canadian Superstore is fast approaching, as it is scheduled to take place over the next week and a half as follows:
- Friday, April 29 – 7:00 pm (Rounds 1-3)
- Saturday, April 30 – 9:00 am (Rounds 4-15)
- Thursday, May 5 – 7:00 pm (U18 Draft)
All three parts of the event will be streamed live for free on OHL Live and CHL TV.
Petes fans can stay caught up in all of the action by following @PetesOHLhockey on Twitter, @petesohlhockey on Instagram, and by enabling push notifications for the Petes through the CHL app.
The maroon and white’s first selection this year will be 6th overall – the same spot in the order that Petes forward Nick Lardis was selected in 2021. The Petes have only selected 6th overall twice previously in the organization’s history, Matt Puempel in 2009 being the other. Since the formal Priority Selection process came to be in 1991, only one Peterborough native has ever been selected 6th overall, Wes Swinson to Kitchener in 1992.
Nick Lardis
Lardis was the Petes’ first selection in last year’s Priority Selection at 6th overall. The right winger committed to the team in July 2021 and has taken on a meaningful role in his rookie season. He suited up in 63 regular season games this year, notching 37 points. The Oakville native led the Petes in rookie goal scoring (18) and points (37), which helped him secure the Black’s Family Trophy as the Petes Rookie of the Year for the 2021-22 season. With 37 points, Nick Lardis was fourth in OHL scoring amongst the 2005 born rookie class and 29th overall. Lardis will be eligible for the 2023 NHL Entry Draft next year.
Rookie of the Year goes to @NickLardis91 ????????
The Oakville native recorded 18 goals and 19 assists for 37 points in 63 games! pic.twitter.com/CM2IqT0oYw
— X – Peterborough Petes (@PetesOHLhockey) April 19, 2022
Matt Puempel
Puempel was selected 6th overall by the Petes in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection. As an OHL rookie in the 2009-10 season, Puempel was an immediate impact player. He led the team in goals (33) and was second in points (64). These numbers were good for the OHL rookie lead in both goals and points as well. The left winger followed that up with a strong sophomore season, recording 69 points in 55 games. Following the 2010-11 OHL season, the Essex native was then selected in the first round, 24th overall, by the Ottawa Senators in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Puempel returned to Peterborough for his Draft+1 season, but was then traded to to Kitchener for forward Zach Lorentz and two second round picks in the off-season. Puempel would conclude his OHL career with the Kitchener Rangers before making the jump to professional hockey for the 2013-14 season with Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. Puempel got his first taste of NHL action with the Ottawa Senators in the 2014-15 season, dressing in 13 games and getting 3 points. He scored his first NHL goal on March 10, 2015 against the Boston Bruins. Over the course of his eight-year North American professional hockey career, Puempel got into 87 NHL games, scoring 11 goals and added 5 assists between the Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings. In the two most recent seasons, Puempel has made the move to play overseas. During the 2020-21 season, Puempel played for the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks, and he currently plays for the Augsburg Panthers in the DEL.
The OHL Priority Selection stretches well beyond just one round, and the Petes active roster is evidence of that. The maroon and white have players they selected in the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 OHL Priority Selections on the roster this year.
2018
G Tye Austin (3rd round #43)
D Shawn Spearing (4th round #75)
2019
F J.R. Avon (1st round #11)
D Artem Guryev (2nd round #22)
F Tucker Robertson (4th round #72)
D Josh Kavanagh (5th round #93)
G Michael Simpson (10th round #193)
F Jax Dubois (14th round #273)
2020
D Donovan McCoy (1st round #15)
F Sam Alfano (2nd round #23)
F Justin DeZoete (2nd round #35)
G Liam Sztuska (5th round #94)
D Stevie Leskovar (5th round #95)
F Ryan Gagner (6th round #115)
D Konnor Smith (9th round #175)
2020 U18
D Samuel Mayer (Round 1 #15)
2021
F Nick Lardis (1st round #6)
F Zack Lewis (3rd round #49)
D James Guo (4th round #74)
F Quinton Page (6th round #114)
2021 U18
F Jaden Reyers (Round 2 #28)
The Petes organization looks forward to welcoming several new faces to the Petes family in the coming days.
