2019 OHL Priority Selection Draft Day Takeaways

 

The 2019 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore saw 303 prospects chosen by 20 OHL member teams. Within the selections are some intriguing facts, figures and connections that we’ll take a closer look at below.

QUICK HITS:

OHL honours memory of Roy Pejcinovski with 74th pick: The Ontario Hockey League honoured the memory of former Don Mills Flyers goaltender Roy Pejcinovski, selecting him with the fourth round (74th overall) pick of the Priority Selection. Pejcinovski, who wore number 74, tragically lost his life last March and is remembered by many including his former Flyers teammates who went on to hoist the OHL Cup last month. Full details

Flyers set new #OHLDraft benchmark: For the first time in the history of the OHL Priority Selection, three of the top four selections came from one team. The OHL Cup champion Don Mills Flyers followed the 2018 York-Simcoe Express in producing the first two selections on Saturday as Shane Wright (Kingston) and Brennan Othmann (Flint) led-off the proceedings. The Barrie Colts selected defenceman Brandt Clarke fourth overall to mark the first time that three of the top four were developed by the same program. In all, an #OHLDraft leading 14 Flyers were selected on Saturday.

Otters lock-up Lockhart at third overall: Encompassed by Don Mills Flyers atop the #OHLDraft board was Kanata Lasers U18 forward Connor Lockhart, chosen third overall by the Erie Otters. It marks the first time the Otters have looked to the Ottawa-area with their first round pick since 2002 when they selected Gloucester standout Michael Blunden with the 18th choice.

Petes opt for first round familiarity: The Peterborough Petes had a pair of first round selections, taking goal-scoring centreman Mason McTavish of the Pembroke Lumber Kings U18 at fifth overall before adding local product J.R. Avon of the Peterborough Jr. Petes at 11th overall. McTavish is the son of former Lumber Kings grad and 1993 OHL champion Dale McTavish who spent four seasons with the Petes from 1989-93, joining the club as its first round (14th overall) pick in 1989. Avon starred for the Jr. Petes Minor Midgets this past season and becomes the association’s highest-picked player in the OHL Priority Selection since Corey Perry went fifth overall to London in 2001.

Johnston keeps Marlboros streak alive: The Windsor Spitfires selected Toronto Marlboros forward Wyatt Johnston with the sixth overall pick of the first round, extending the Marlies’ streak of players chosen inside the top-10 at the OHL Priority Selection to eleven straight years.

Gaudreau becomes OHL’s highest goaltender chosen since 2002: The Sarnia Sting chose North Bay Trappers netminder Ben Gaudreau with the seventh overall pick, making him the highest goaltender selected since the Owen Sound Attack picked up Dan LaCosta fourth overall in the 2002 OHL Priority Selection. He becomes the highest goaltender ever chosen by the Sting, one pick above Patrick DesRochers who was picked eighth overall back in 1995. Gaudreau comes off a tremendous season, backstopping Ontario to silver at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alta.

Storm stick with first round Russian talent: After selecting defenceman Daniil Chayka with the seventh overall pick of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection, the Guelph Storm went back to the Russian well on Saturday, taking Toronto Marlboros forward Danny Zhilkin at 14th overall. The crafty forward was born in Moscow but moved to Mississauga, Ont. with his family to continue his development. The Storm currently boast four other players of Russian descent including defencemen Dmitri Samorukov and Fedor Gordeev along with forwards Alexey Toropchenko and Pavel Gogolev.

HEO produces record four first round picks: The HEO Midget AAA circuit produced four first round selections, the league’s most on record. Those choices included aforementioned Kanata Lasers forward Connor Lockhart (3rd overall, Erie), Pembroke Lumber Kings forward Mason McTavish (5th overall, Peterborough), teammate Isaac Enright (17th overall, Niagara) on the blue line and Kanata Lasers forward Stuart Rolofs (20th overall, London).

ALLIANCE forwards a hot first round commodity: The ALLIANCE produced a total of three forwards taken in Saturday’s first round including Chatham-Kent Cyclones star Deni Goure (10th overall, Owen Sound), Brantford 99ers catalyst Landon McCallum (15th overall, Sudbury) and league scoring leader Brett Harrison (16th overall, Oshawa) of the London Jr. Knights. The three first round picks are the most out of the ALLIANCE since 2015.

Battalion double-up with Christopoulos twins: The North Bay Battalion used second and third round picks to bring in OHL Cup champions Paul and Alex Christopoulos of the Don Mills Flyers. Both players were instrumental in Don Mills’ late season success. Should they suit up with the Troops next season, they’d join other recent OHL twin combinations in Sudbury’s Darian and Drake Pilon, along with the graduated London Knights duo of Matt and Ryan Rupert.

Generals select local product Owen Brady amidst cancer recovery: The Oshawa Generals used their sixth round pick to select Whitby Wildcats captain Owen Brady, a 6-foot-3 defenceman who missed most of the past season after being diagnosed with cancer in November. Prior to having surgery to remove a five-centimetre tumour from his left shin, Brady was considered to have first round potential. He’s currently undergoing chemotherapy and expected to return to full health.

67’s take high-scoring Wildcats duo: The Ottawa 67’s doubled-up on Whitby Wildcats talent in the second and third rounds. The Barber Poles added two-thirds of one of the most dominant lines in the OMHA this past season, selecting OMHA ETA Player of the Year Brenden Sirizzotti with the 32nd overall pick before nabbing linemate Tommy Johnston at 52nd overall. The Wildcats were OMHA Champions this past season due in large part to the contributions of these two undersized but speedy forwards.

Several OHL teams pick in new draft slots: The Erie Otters (3rd overall), Barrie Colts (4th overall), Sarnia Sting (7th overall), Mississauga Steelheads (12th overall), Guelph Storm (14th overall), Niagara IceDogs (17th overall), Saginaw Spirit (19th overall) and Ottawa 67’s (21st overall) all picked in their respective draft slots for the first time ever.

FAMILY CONNECTIONS:

The 2019 OHL Priority Selection reminded us that the hockey universe is a small one, with familiar names being selected by clubs this past weekend. Sons, brothers and nephews were all in the mix. Here’s a few prominent examples.

• The Barrie Colts selected defenceman Brandt Clarke of the Don Mills Flyers with their first round (4th overall) pick. His older brother Graeme Clarke is a draft eligible forward on the Ottawa 67’s. The elder Clarke competed in the 2019 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Red Deer, Alta. and was the sixth overall pick of the 2017 OHL Priority Selection.
• The Peterborough Petes selected forward Mason McTavish of the Pembroke Lumber Kings U18 with their first round (5th overall) pick. His father Dale McTavish is a Petes alumnus, wrapping up a four-year tenure in maroon and white with an OHL Championship in 1993.
• The Hamilton Bulldogs selected forward Ryan Winterton of the Whitby Wildcats with their first round (8th overall) pick. His older brother Jacob Winterton is a forward on the Flint Firebirds. The elder Winterton had 21 points (11-10–21) over 67 games with the Firebirds this season and is a graduate of the Ajax-Pickering Raiders Minor Midgets.
• The Sudbury Wolves selected forward Chase Stillman of the Sudbury Minor Midget Wolves with their second round (25th overall) pick. He’s the son of Wolves head coach Cory Stillman who played with the Windsor Spitfires and Peterborough Petes from 1990-93 before embarking on a 15-year NHL career that included Stanley Cup titles in 2004 and 2006. Stillman’s older brother Riley Stillman skated in the OHL with Oshawa and Hamilton from 2014-18, winning an OHL Championship with the Bulldogs in 2018.
• The Ottawa 67’s selected defenceman Jack Matier of the Soo Thunderbirds Midgets with their first round (21st overall) pick. His father Mark Matier won back-to-back OHL Championships and a Memorial Cup Championship with the Soo Greyhounds from 1991-93. Mark was a seventh round pick of the Washington Capitals in 1992.
• The Barrie Colts selected forward Jacob Frasca of the Mississauga Senators with their third round (45th overall) pick. He’s the younger brother of Windsor Spitfires forward Jordan Frasca, a Mississauga Senators alumnus. Frasca recorded 23 points (9-14–23) over 60 games in his first full OHL season.
• The North Bay Battalion selected forward Justin Ertel of the Toronto Red Wings with their third round (54th overall) pick. His father Tyler Ertel played five OHL seasons between Kitchener, North Bay and Windsor from 1987-92.
• The Flint Firebirds selected forward Zacharie Giroux of the Sudbury Minor Midget Wolves with their third round (57th overall) pick. This sets up an interesting cross-state rivalry with the Saginaw Spirit, who are captained by older brother and Minnesota Wild prospect Damien Giroux who scored 30 goals and put up 51 points this past season.
• The Kingston Frontenacs selected defenceman Braden Haché of the York-Simcoe Express with their fourth round (63rd overall) pick. He’s the son of OHL Director of Officiating and former NHL referee Conrad Haché.
• The Erie Otters selected defenceman Christian Kyrou of the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs with their fourth round (84th overall) pick. He’s the younger brother of Sarnia Sting graduate and former Red Tilson Trophy recipient Jordan Kyrou who put up 109 points (39-70–109) in 2017-18.
• The Barrie Colts selected defenceman Kai Greaves of the Cambridge Hawks with their sixth round (108th overall) pick. He’s the younger brother of Colts goaltender Jet Greaves who went 7-12-2-1 with a 3.36 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in this, his first OHL season.
• The Mississauga Steelheads selected forward Adam O’Marra of the Oakville Rangers with their sixth round (114th overall) pick. He’s the cousin of former Saginaw Spirit graduate Ryan O’Marra who won a pair of World Junior gold medals and was a first round pick of the New York Islanders in 2005.
• The Kitchener Rangers selected forward Caden Brown of the St. Louis Blues U16 with their eighth round (151st overall) pick. He’s the younger brother of former Rangers centreman Logan Brown who won a Memorial Cup title with the Windsor Spitfires in 2017. His father Jeff Brown recently coached the Ottawa 67’s and was the OHL Defenceman of the Year in 1986 as a member of the Sudbury Wolves.
• The Guelph Storm selected goaltender Dixon Grimes of the Guelph Gryphons with their 10th round (196th overall) pick. He’s the son of Storm associate coach and OHL graduate Jake Grimes who played three seasons with the Belleville Bulls from 1989-92 and was a 10th round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 1992.
• The Guelph Storm selected forward Quinn Tavares of the Mississauga Reps with their 11th round (216th overall) pick. He’s the cousin of OHL all-time goal-scoring leader John Tavares who played with the Oshawa Generals and London Knights from 2005-09 and is now a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• The Soo Greyhounds selected forward Tyler Savard of the Peterborough Jr. Petes with their 11th round (220th overall) pick. He’s the son of former OHL champion, Oshawa Generals graduate and long-time NHL forward Marc Savard who racked up 706 points over an 807-game career.
• The Windsors Spitfires selected forward Sutter Muzzatti with their 13th round (248th overall) pick. He’s the son of former NHL goaltender Jason Muzzatti who played a lengthy professional career.
• The North Bay Battalion selected forward Kevin Perrott with their 13th round (251st overall) pick. He’s the brother of Owen Sound Attack defenceman Andrew Perrott who recorded 15 points in his second OHL season. His father Nathan Perrott played three OHL seasons between Oshawa and Sault Ste. Marie from 1994-97 before spending 89 games in the NHL. He was coached by current Battalion head coach Stan Butler during his time in Oshawa.
• The Peterborough Petes selected defenceman Jacob Verner with their 13th round (253rd overall) pick. He’s the son of Petes assistant coach and former netminder Andrew Verner who played three seasons in Peterborough from 1989-92 and was a second round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 1991.
• The Kingston Frontenacs selected defenceman Max Smolinski with their 14th round (264th overall) pick. He’s the son of former long time NHL forward Bryan Smolinski who played 1,055 career NHL contests between 1992-2008.
• The Oshawa Generals selected forward Skate Skalde with their 14th round (278th overall) pick. He’s the son of Generals alumnus and former Guelph Storm head coach Jarrod Skalde who played four seasons between Oshawa and Belleville from 1987-91. He also played in 115 career NHL contests.
• The North Bay Battalion selected goaltender Owen Wray with their 15th round (291st overall) pick. He’s the son of Battalion assistant coach and North Bay Centennials alumnus Scott Wray who played four seasons between Owen Sound, North Bay and Plymouth from 1996-2000. He also went on to play a total of 692 career games in the now defunct Central Hockey League.

WATCH: Behind the Scenes with the OHL Draft Top 4