2017 OHL Draft Recap

SARNIA, ON – The Sarnia Sting selected eight forwards, seven defencemen and one goaltender in Saturday’s 2017 OHL Priority Selection.

The Sting made 16 picks in the 15-round draft including three picks in the 3rd round and two picks in the 6th round.

With the 9^th overall pick in the first round, General Manager Nick Sinclair selected centreman, Jamieson Rees of the Mississauga Reps. In 32 GTHL games, Rees recorded 24 goals and 16 assists for a team-high 40 points. “Jamieson is a player that we had at the top of our list all season long. We were thrilled to get him at 9^th overall. He plays and honest 200-foot game with a really good skill set and high-end compete level. The combination of what he brings on the ice and his character as a young man off it is very exciting for the future of our organization.”

With the 37^th overall pick in the second round, the Sting added HEO player of the year, Alexandre Hogue of the Cumberland Grads. The offensive defenceman posted 14 goals and 47 points in 44 games this season. “Alexandre is one of the top offensive defencemen in the entire draft. He’s a puck moving defender with great mobility and has a natural knack for creating offence.”

Sinclair selected Brampton 45’s captain, Brayden Guy with the club’s first of three picks in the third round; 45^th overall. The 6’00 power forward registered 32 points in 34 games with the 45’s in 16-17. “Brayden is a big power-forward that plays the game the right way every single night. He has high-end character and a compete level that you win with. These qualities combined with his natural leadership abilities made him a player that we coveted all year long.”

Just three picks later, the Sting grabbed their second centreman in Justin McCombs. The Kitchener Jr. Rangers captain posted 21 points in 16 games; missing a large part of the season due to injury. “Justin’s skill-set, offensive creativity, and mind for the game are tools that we think are going to allow him to be a very goo
d player in our league going forward.”

At 52^nd overall, the Sting selected two-way defenceman, Colton Kammerer of the Whitby Wildcats. Kammerer would post 39 points in 42 games en route to helping his team claim an OMHA championship. “Colton is a competitor with a number of tools that we’re excited about. He’s a kid that’s hard to play against in all 3 zones with a combination of good mobility and puck transition skills.”

The Sting would go on to select 11 more players in the draft including Sarnia-native and Lambton Jr. Sting forward, Nolan DeGurse.

Complete list of Sting selections:

Round 1 – 9th overall – Jamieson Rees (C)

Round 2 – 37th overall – Alexandre Hogue (D)

Round 3 – 45th overall – Brayden Guy (LW)

Round 3 – 48th overall – Justin McCombs (C)

Round 3 – 52nd overall – Colton Kammerer (D)

Round 4 – 62nd overall – Mitchell Miller (D)

Round 5 – 88th overall – Ashton Reesor (D)

Round 6 – 108th overall – Josh Nodler (C)

Round 6 – 115th overall – Ethan Langevin (G)

Round 8 – 148th overall – Cole Craft (RW)

Round 9 – 168th overall – Case McCarthy (D)

Round 11 – 208th overall – Matthew Cameron (RW)

Round 12 – 228th overall – Will Redick (C)

Round 13 – 248th overall – Nolan DeGurse (C)

Round 14 – 268th overall – Justin Nolet (D)

Round 15 – 288th overall – Joshua Booker (D)

PLAYER DRAFT PICK INFORMATION VIA DRAFT CENTRAL

Sinclair gives his thoughts on the draft as a whole, “We’re excited about the 16 players that we were able to acquire on Saturday. We feel that we were able to add significant depth at all three positions. We added a number of players that bring high-end character, compete and skill to the fold and look forward to working with and developing each of these prospects over the next 4-5 years.”