2019 OHL Priority Selection First Round Recap

 

Twenty-one players from across 14 different organizations were chosen in the first round of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore on Saturday April 6.

For the second straight year one team produced the first two selections as Don Mills Flyers teammates Shane Wright (1st overall, Kingston) and Brennan Othmann (2nd overall, Flint) led-off the proceedings. Teammate Brandt Clarke was the first defenceman chosen at fourth overall by the Barrie Colts, making the Flyers the first team to ever produce three of the top four picks at the OHL Priority Selection. Centreman Liam Arnsby gave the Flyers a first round-leading four selections when he was chosen ninth overall by the North Bay Battalion.

The GTHL Finalist Toronto Marlboros trailed Don Mills with three players chosen in the first round led by sixth overall selection Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires). Blueliner Ethan Del Mastro (12th overall, Mississauga) and centreman Danny Zhilkin (14th overall, Guelph) also heard their names called.

A pair of HEO clubs in the Kanata Lasers and Pembroke Lumber Kings each produced a pair of first round picks.

Kanata forward Connor Lockhart was chosen third overall by the Erie Otters, becoming the highest HEO player selected in the OHL Priority Selection since the Windsor Spitfires took Gabriel Vilardi second overall in 2015. Lasers teammate Stuart Rolofs was chosen 20th overall by the London Knights.

The Peterborough Petes selected high-scoring Pembroke centreman Mason McTavish at fifth overall with their first of two selections in the opening round. They followed-up by selecting hometown product J.R. Avon of the Peterborough Jr. Petes with the 11th choice. He becomes the highest Jr. Petes player selected since the London Knights took Corey Perry fifth overall in 2001.

McTavish was joined by Lumber Kings teammate and fellow Team Ontario silver medalist Isaac Enright who went 17th overall to the Niagara IceDogs.

The selection of Toronto Red Wings captain Francesco Pinelli (13th overall, Kitchener) gave the GTHL a total of eight first round selections. The OMHA joined the HEO in producing four first round picks including the aforementioned Avon, Whitby Wildcats forward Ryan Winterton (8th overall, Hamilton), York-Simcoe Express defender Jacob Holmes (18th overall, Sault Ste. Marie) and North Central Predators rearguard Connor Punnett (19th overall, Saginaw). The ALLIANCE had three in Chatham-Kent’s Deni Goure (10th overall, Owen Sound), Brantford 99ers standout Landon McCallum (15th overall, Sudbury) and league scoring leader Brett Harrison (16th overall, Oshawa) of the London Jr. Knights.

The NOHA moulded a pair of first round choices, including netminder Ben Gaudreau (7th overall, Sarnia) of the North Bay Trappers who became the highest goaltender selected in the OHL Priority Selection since 2002. He was joined by Soo Thunderbirds defenceman Jack Matier (21st overall, Ottawa) to close out the opening round.

Of the 21 first round selections, 18 will be eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft. Three others including 2004-born Shane Wright and late 2003 birthdates Liam Arnsby and Danny Zhilkin won’t be eligible for the NHL Draft until 2022.

The first round saw 14 forwards, six defencemen and one goaltender chosen by OHL clubs.

Learn more about the 2019 first round draft class below with reports from OHL Central Scouting.

1. Kingston Frontenacs – Shane Wright (Don Mills Flyers) 6.00 179Ib. RC
“Shane is one of the most gifted and talented players to come along in a number of years. He has a combination of skill, speed, hockey sense and determination that really separates him from his peers. He is an explosive and powerful skater that can reach top speed quickly. He can change gears in mid flight and catch defenders flat footed. Shane’s skill and offensive instincts are second to none. His vision and creativity with the puck are fun to watch.”

2. Flint Firebirds – Brennan Othmann (Don Mills Flyers) 5.11 158 LW
“Brennan is a good skater with deceiving quickness and the ability to beat defenders wide. When he has the puck on his stick, Brennan is extremely dangerous. He has an accurate, lightning quick shot and is good at finding those quiet pockets on the ice and capitalizing when he has the chance. Brennan has a very high hockey IQ as the puck follows him around the ice and he does a great job of capitalizing on his chances.”

3. Erie Otters – Connor Lockhart (Kanata Lasers U18) 5.07.5 161Ib. RC
“Connor is a dangerous threat every time he is on the ice because of his speed, skill and tenacity on the ice. He is always moving his feet and his skill set allows him to create chances for himself and his teammates. He has a good, accurate shot that he gets off in mid-stride which catches goalies off guard. Connor competes and back-checks as hard as anyone and doesn’t shy away from bigger players at all. He will be a dangerous player at the next level.”

4. Barrie Colts – Brandt Clarke (Don Mills Flyers) 6.01.25 174Ib. RD
“Brandt is one of the most offensive minded defencemen is this year’s Priority Selection. He loves to have the puck on his stick and is a threat when he is moving up ice with it. He has great vision from the back end and is very creative. Brandt is a good skater that is only going to get better as he matures and gets stronger. His puck skills are very impressive. He has made a lot of opposing players look silly as they think they have him under control and then he makes a spin or a fake and he is gone.”

5. Peterborough Petes – Mason McTavish (Pembroke Lumber Kings U18) 5.10.75 194Ib. LC
“Mason is one of the purest goal scorers and has one of the best shots in this year’s age group. He will shoot the puck from anywhere, at any time. He has a hard snap shot with an explosive release and doesn’t need much time or space to get it on net. Mason protects the puck extremely well and is very hard to knock off it. He understands what it takes to score and will be a goal scorer at the next level.”

6. Windsor Spitfires – Wyatt Johnston (Toronto Marlboros) 5.11.25 151Ib. RC
“Wyatt is a dynamic and skilled winger that is dangerous in the offensive zone when he has the puck.  He is a very good skater that darts in and out of holes very well and is hard to handle in open ice as he has the ability to find that extra gear.  His skill is amongst the top in the age group and he is very creative with the puck on his stick.  He was a big part of the success his Marlboros team had down the stretch and his offensive production was a reason for this.  Wyatt’s hockey sense has continued to develop all season as he has worked his way up the draft rankings.”

7. Sarnia Sting – Ben Gaudreau (North Bay Trappers) 6.01 162Ib. G
“Ben is one of the top goalies in this year’s Priority Selection. He is a big goalie that has a presence in the net and plays with a lot of confidence. He challenges well and has the ability to make the desperation-save when needed. Pucks hit him a lot as he plays most of the game at the top of his crease. Ben is technically sound and plays a solid butterfly style. He will be one of the first goalies taken this year.”

8. Hamilton Bulldogs – Ryan Winterton (Whitby Wildcats) 6.00.25 156Ib. RW
“Ryan is a complete player that does a little bit of everything for his team. He is a good skater that has a powerful stride and reaches top speed quickly. His skill set and hockey IQ are what differentiate him from others. He can score and set up plays at an elite level with his speed and skill. Ryan plays a complete 200-foot game. He is always on the right side of the puck and is strong on the wall in his own end. He plays hard and competes in all three zones and wins the majority of his puck battles.”

9. North Bay Battalion – Liam Arnsby (Don Mills Flyers) 5.09.5 172Ib. RC
“Liam is a driving force for his team. He plays every shift like it’s his last one, hits like a tank and won’t back down from anyone no matter their size. He is a powerful skater that possesses good puck skills and a good scoring touch around the net. Liam plays in every situation and is effective on both the power play and penalty kill because of his hard work and determination. He is a player that other teams hate to play against.”

10. Owen Sound Attack – Deni Goure (Chatham-Kent Cyclones) 5.09.5 159Ib. RC
“Deni is a complete player that does everything for his team. He plays in every situation including manning the point on the power play and he is also a very effective penalty killer. Deni is a good skater with good quickness and can beat defenders with his speed. He has good puck skills which allow him to make plays at high speed. He sees the ice very well and is unselfish with the puck. Deni battles hard every shift and logs a ton of ice time for his team.”

11. Peterborough Petes – J.R. Avon (Peterborough Jr. Petes) 5.09.5 173Ib. LC
“J.R. is the motor that makes his team drive in every aspect of the game. He is an explosive skater that has another gear when he needs it. J.R. has a very good skill set and plays an unselfish game as he is always looking to set up his teammates for scoring chances. He is a tireless worker that is always competing each and every shift. He is a smart player and is counted on to contribute in every situation during the course of a game.”

12. Mississauga Steelheads – Ethan Del Mastro (Toronto Marlboros) 6.02 184Ib. LD
“Ethan has very good mobility in all directions and has a powerful stride in open ice. His puck skills allow him to make plays in all three zones. He competes hard every shift and isn’t afraid to take the body. He has thrown many big open ice hits this season. Ethan is solid in his own end, plays hard and can make a good outlet pass. He was a big part of the success his team had and will play big minutes in the future at the next level.”

13. Kitchener Rangers – Francesco Pinelli (Toronto Red Wings) 5.11 171Ib. LC
“Francesco is one of the most dangerous offensive players in this year’s Priority Selection. He has the ability to beat defenders in numerous ways. He is an unselfish player that makes everyone around him better. He is a good skater with deceiving speed in open ice. Francesco has a very high hockey IQ and anticipates the play well. He is used in every situation and is always on the ice at the end of the game when his team needs a goal or is trying to protect a lead.”

14. Guelph Storm – Danny Zhilkin (Toronto Marlboros) 5.11.25 178Ib. LC
“Danny is a skilled player with the ability to make plays that most can’t. He is creative and plays an unselfish game. He makes his teammates better as he gets them the puck in the right situations which usually result in scoring chances. Danny is equally dangerous as a playmaker and as a goal scorer with a good shot with a very quick release. He is an explosive skater with elite top-end speed. Danny is an elite offensive player that will produce at the next level.”

15. Sudbury Wolves – Landon McCallum (Brantford 99ers) 5.10 155Ib. RC
“Landon is one of the go-to guys on his team this season. He is the type of centre that you love to have on your team and hate to play against. He competes hard every shift and always seems to have his nose involved in the play one way or the other. He is a smooth skater with the ability to beat you with his speed one-on-one. He is always looking to set up his wingers as he sees the ice so well. Landon is a smart and reliable player who doesn’t take any shortcuts.”

16. Oshawa Generals – Brett Harrison (London Jr. Knights) 6.00 154Ib. LC
“Brett is one of the purest goal scorers in the Alliance this season.  He is extremely dangerous in the offensive zone whenever he is around the puck.  He has elite puck skills and has the ability to beat you in a number of ways.  He has a very good shot that he releases very quickly and with great accuracy.  The puck seems to follow him around in the offensive zone and he always seems to capitalize on his chances.  Brett played in every situation and was relied on to be the offensive leader for the Jr. Knights. Brett will continue to produce at the next level because of his offensive instincts and his overall skill.”

17. Niagara IceDogs – Isaac Enright (Pembroke Lumber Kings U18) 5.10.5 172Ib. RD
“Isaac is one of the smoothest and smartest defencemen in this year’s Priority Selection. He always has his head up and makes the simple and most effective play most of the time. He isn’t afraid to join or lead the rush when the opportunity arises. Defensively he is always on the right side of the puck and uses a very active stick to knock pucks away. Isaac is effective on the offensive blue line, quarterbacking the power play. He is a smart player that will be effective at the next level.”

18. Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds – Jacob Holmes (York-Simcoe Express) 6.00.5 170Ib. LD
“Jacob is a mobile defender that can skate with anyone. He loves to jump up and join or even sometimes lead the rush and uses his skating ability to get back and cover his position well. He has good puck skills and vision from the back end. Jacob makes good outlet passes and transitions the puck well in the neutral zone. His mobility allows him to move along the offensive blue line well and he finds the open lane to the net well.”

19. Saginaw Spirit – Connor Punnett (North Central Predators) 6.00.5 179Ib. LD
“Connor is a tough stay at home defender that makes it very hard on the opposition in his own end. He is very physical and uses his explosive skating to close gaps. He has very good mobility and makes good crisp outlet passes. Connor usually plays a very simple game, moving the puck quickly and jumping into the rush when the opportunity arises. He is solid defensively and alert to what is going on around him. Connor is an intimidating presence when he is on the ice.”

20. London Knights – Stuart Rolofs (Kanata Lasers U18) 6.01 190 LW
“Stuart is a big power forward that is at his best when he is going up and down his wing and driving the net for scoring chances.  He is an above average skater that is good when he is at full speed and is hard to stop when he gets going.  He has good puck skills and can make plays in tight. He got off to a slower start to the season but really elevated his game down the stretch and was much more productive. Stuart plays a heavy game and is at his best when he involved physically in all areas of the ice.”

21. Ottawa 67’s – Jack Matier (Soo Thunderbirds) 6.02.5 163Ib. RD
“Jack is an intimidating presence on the back end. He is an above average skater with good mobility, has a very good understanding of the game and makes smart plays both with and without the puck. He is strong on the offensive blue line, has very good composure and makes good shot/pass decisions, especially on the power play. Jack moves the puck quickly and with purpose.”

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