2025 OHL Priority Selection HQ

Geldardt comes to the Spirit from the Vaughan Kings U16 AAA program. Another center with size at 6’1″, the Vaughan, ON native finished this season with 8G-16A–24P in 32 games with the Kings. In his second go-around at the OHL Cup, Geldart led his team with six assists in four games.

Other tournaments Geldart participated in were the World Selects Invitational and Kings of Spring U15, combining for 13 points (11G-2A) in ten games.

“He’s a big kid but skates very well and plays a 200-foot game,” said Director of Player Development Jordan Selinger. “We saw that skillset offensively pop for him as well, and I think if you get him in our system, our environment, and around Chris Lazary, he’s a guy we think will be a great pick.”

“I’m extremely excited and honored to be a part of a great organization,” said Geldart. “This is a dream come true.”

Official OHL Scouting Report: “Gensen is a skilled centre that drives the offense for his team and is a player to watch in the second half. He is a smooth and effortless skater that has a good top end speed and is dangerous in open ice. He is a good playmaker that is smart with the puck on his stick and is not afraid to challenge defenders with the puck. He doesn’t play an overly physical game, but he doesn’t shy away either as he is a smart player that doesn’t put himself in bad spots.”

Brian Rathwell was the first goaltender to be selected by the Spirit in 2025. A 6’5″ left-catching netminder, Rathwell dominated this season with the Ottawa Valley Titans. He won 15 of 16 games, posting a 1.92 GAA. The Pembroke, ON native also won a pair of games at this year’s OHL Cup with Ottawa Valley, continuing his consistent play with a 1.56 GAA and .946 SV%.

“He’s a goalie that takes a lot of pride in his craft and takes a lot of time to make himself better and model himself after NHL goalies,” said GM Dave Drinkill. “Our goalie coach Kevin Delamarter did a lot of video and had Brian as the top ranked Canadian goalie on our list. When we got to the sixth round and our top-ranked Ontario goalie is still sitting there, it’s very exciting to see.”

“It is an honor and pleasure to be drafted by such a prestigious organization and the feeling of hearing my name called was second to none,” said Rathwell. “I am more than looking forward to joining the Saginaw team and community.”

From Clarence, NY, Schmidt is a product of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. His 2024-25 season saw him finish second on the team with 57 points (24G-33A) in 47 games. He added five more points in four postseason games with the Jr. Sabres.  A left-shooting center, Schmidt clocks in at 5’10”, 165lbs.

“We really like Sawyer’s puck skills and his transition in the neutral zone,” said eastern US scout Geoff Beauparlant. “He’s able to find those seams and is very smooth and deceptive with his skating. It’s very powerful so he gets on defensemen quickly. He doesn’t give the puck away and wants to make plays.”

“I’m very grateful and honored to be drafted by the Spirit,” said Schmidt. “I’m excited to get to camp and meet the team and great fans of Saginaw.”

Max Wildfong spent the 2024-25 season with the Waterloo Wolves as a point-per-game performer on an offensively gifted group. He followed up 13G-11A–24P in 18 games with another 3G-4A–7P in six playoff games.

“Max comes from a really strong Waterloo U16 program,” said Alliance scout Adam Simpson. “He plays with a lot of pace, he’s got a lot of skill and a great release, all things we covet. If you look at our identity… I think he fits in great.”

“I’m very excited and honored to be selected by the Saginaw Spirit,” said Wildfong. “I will continue to put in the work on and off the ice to be ready for camp in two weeks. I would like to thank everyone in the Spirit organization.”

The Spirit went back to a defenseman for the first time on the second day of the draft with Nashville Jr. Predator Hudson Lohse. Standing 6’2″ and 165lbs, the Franklin, TN native had an offensive explosion with 11G-51A–62P in 49 games.

“Lohse is a guy that kind of went under the radar last year but grew up,” said GM Dave Drinkill. “He’s a smooth skater that put up massive numbers, and after we saw him after a tournament down in Nashville and got to talk to him… he became a target of ours.”

“I’m humbled and honored to be drafted by Saginaw,” said Lohse. “I’m looking forward to continuing to put in the hard work to develop at the next level.”

Jones comes to Saginaw from the Peterborough Petes U16 AAA program and is the younger brother of Spirit defenseman Graydon Jones. Garrett, a left-shot center, was a standout with the Jr. Petes this past season. He led the team in scoring through 32 games with 20G-23–43P. Jones ramped his scoring up in postseason play as well, with 13 points in 10 games.

“He’s been very consistent with that team, he leads their offense,” said ETA scout Jamey Hicks. “There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we were very fortunate that we were able to get him.”

Logan McAuley was the final of four defenseman picked by the Spirit in 2025. He provided steady scoring from the back end with the York Simcoe Express, finishing the season with 8G-23A–31P in 32 games. He added an additional ten points in ten post season games with the Express.

“Logan McAuley is a puck-moving defenseman,” said ETA scout Frank Robinson. “He’s a number one guy, runs their number one powerplay, and it’s a high-offense team up front where he’s relied on to provide that on the back end. Not the biggest guy in the world, but boy does he compete.”

Scuderi’s offense explodes off the page as Saginaw’s 236th overall pick. He racked up 47G-80A–127P in 61 games with Mt. St. Charles Academy this past season. The son of retired NHL defenseman and Stanley Cup Champion Rob Scuderi, Braiden is a speedy forward that pushes the pace of play wherever he goes.

“He’s an offensive forward that controls the pace of the game,” said Eastern US scout Geoff Beauparlant. “He’s produced at every level he’s played in, is the engine that makes the team go, and is an ultra-competitive kid.”

Clair was a standout performer for the Toronto Red Wings in 2024-25. A right-shot center from Toronto, Clair notched 22G-20A–42P in only 33 games. He added four more points in four contests at the 2025 OHL Cup.

“He’s a kid that plays with a lot of speed, good compete level, and he’s a finisher,” said Dir. of Player Development Jordan Selinger. “He was well over a point-per-game in the GTHL on a Red Wings team that had a lot of success. So, someone with that amount of skill at that point in the draft, we were surprised that he was still on the board and very happy about it.”

Nathan Cloutier was the second player the Spirit took from the York Simcoe Express in 2025. The left-shot winger piled on points this past season, finishing with 13G-24–37P in 30 games. An additional 13 points came in 9 postseason games. His OHL Cup saw a goal and two assists in four games.

“It’s a strong Simcoe team,” said ETA scout Jamey Hicks. “He’s exceptionally good below the dots, a really good teammate, and a really good hockey player. He competes and makes his linemates better.”

George was the final of 15 selections by the Spirit. A native of Johnstown, PA, he spent time with both the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 15U and the US NTDP U17 team in the past two years. He was a point-per-game player in his first OHL-draft-eligible season in Pittsburgh and had nine points in 49 games with the US program this season. He also represented the United States at the World U17 Hockey Challenge this past fall, appearing in three games.

“He’s a fast, skilled player…just fits our style with relentless speed and hunts pucks,” said AGM Brian Prout. “He went into the [US] development camp last year and made them take him with his play, which is exactly what we’re looking for.”