Five to watch in 2013 OHL Priority Selection

This year’s draft has lots of high end talent from across the province including the following five players who represent some of the best in their respective league.

 

ALLIANCE:

Travis Konecny (Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs) – Forward 5’10 165lb

Travis was named ALLIANCE Player of the Year scoring 53 goals and 61 assists for 114 points in 54 games this season.

OHL Central Scouting says: Travis is a very special player.  He is a very explosive skater and has the ability to reach top speed in just a few strides. Travis is the type of player you win championships with, not just because of his high end skill set, but because of how hard he plays every shift he is on the ice. Travis has one of the best shots at this age, it is very hard and accurate and he releases it very quickly from all over the ice. He always wants the puck on his stick during a game and usually makes something happen when he has it. Travis also hits like a tank and catches a lot of players by surprise because most players don’t expect a player of his stature to hit that hard.

 

GTHL:

Dylan Strome (Toronto Marlboros) – Forward 6’02 165lb

Dylan was named GTHL Player of the Year after scoring 65 goals and 78 assists for 143 points in 60 games played.

OHL Central Scouting says: Dylan, the younger brother of Niagara IceDog star Ryan, is also an elite player.  Dylan is one of the best playmakers in the draft, he has the ability to get his teammates the puck in a very good position in all three zones of the ice and especially in the offensive zone. Dylan is one of the most highly skilled players in the draft; he can create offense in many different ways whether it’s off the rush, off the cycle or on the half wall on the power play. He uses his size and smarts very well down low, he protects the puck using his body and always seems to have good positioning on the defender to take the puck to the net and create a scoring chance for himself or his teammates.

 

NOHA:

Blake Speers (Soo Thunder) – Forward 5’10 160lb

Blake was named the NOHA Player of the Year scoring 43 goals and 70 assists for 113 points in 61 games played.

OHL Central Scouting says: Blake is a very entertaining player to watch because of his speed and skill level. He is one of the best skaters in the draft; he has made many a defender look as if they are standing still as he blows by them to score a goal. Blake also has great puck skills and one on one moves. He has a very quick and accurate shot which he surprises a lot of goalies with because of how fast he releases it. Although Blake is used in all situations he thrives in the offensive zone, even when he is killing penalties he is looking to create offense with his speed and skill. 

 

ODMHA:

Kris Myllari (Ottawa Senators) – Defence 6’02 175lb

Kris scored seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points in 29 regular season games this season.

OHL Central Scouting says: Kris is a very versatile defensemen that does a lot of things very well.  He has excellent mobility which allows him to log a lot of ice without looking tired. Kris makes a very good first pass out of his zone and also has the ability to transition very quickly on a turnover in the neutral zone.  Kris is used in every situation at all times of the game by his coaches. He does a very good job of running the power play from the blue line and makes good shot/pass decisions with the puck.

 

OMHA:

Matthew Spencer (Oakville Rangers) – Defence 6’02 190lb

Matthew was named OMHA Player of the Year scoring 17 goals and 39 assists for 56 points in 71 games.

OHL Central Scouting says: Matthew is one of the top defensemen in this year’s draft, and the type that many teams will build their blue line around for years to come.  Matthew was definitely one of the leaders on an OHL Cup Championship team and you can see why he is the captain. Matthew is a defenseman that is not one dimensional; he is used in every situation and performs very well. He has the ability to be on the power play because he has a very heavy and accurate shot which seems to rarely get blocked.  Matthew’s puck skills are very good for a player of his stature; he is able to make a good first pass to his teammates.  Matthew is a very powerful skater in all directions and one of the hardest hitters in this year’s draft.

The 2013 OHL Priority Selection takes place on Saturday April 6 beginning at 9:00 AM with the first three rounds webcast live at www.ontariohockeyleague.com and presented by State Farm.