OHL Priority Selection process on the Internet

The 2002 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection took place today in Toronto, the second year the league’s player entry draft has been conducted entirely via the internet.

The first round of the Priority Selection took 37 minutes to complete on Saturday morning. All 20 OHL teams set up their own work areas at their various locales and were all connected through the OHL head office in Toronto, making the OHL the only league to conduct its Priority Selection via the internet.

The Mississauga Ice Dogs made Robbie Schremp (pictured) of the Syracuse Jr. Crunch the first overall pick at the 2002 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection Saturday.

“It’s an honour to be selected,” Schremp said. “It’s an exciting day and I’m looking forward to being a part of the organization.

“I’m an offensive minded player but I just want to work hard and do what I can to help the team.”

Schremp, a 6-foot-1 left centre, is a native of Syracuse, New York who played for the Syracuse Jr. A’s last season, scoring 42 goals and 51 assists for 93 points.

“With the first overall pick you have to take the best player available and that’s what we did,” said Mississauga general manager Trevor Whiffen. “We’re delighted he’s going to be a part of our hockey club.”

Don Cherry feels that with Patrick O’Sullivan already on board, the Ice Dogs will have a high-powered offensive team.

“We had the rookie-of-the-year last year and we’ll have the rookie-of-the-year next year,” Cherry said. “I’m really excited about having Robbie with us next season.”

With the second overall selection, the Kingston Frontenacs took defenceman Wes O’Neill from the Chatham Junior B’s.

O’Neill had nine goals and 31 assists for points last season.

“It’s an honour to be selected second overall in the Ontario Hockey League,” O’Neill said.

Kingston coach/general manager Larry Mavety knows O’Neill has many options but he feels his team selected a tremendous prospect.

“When you’re drafting that high you take the best player available,” Mavety said. “He’s a big defenceman with a lot of talent and hopefully we can work something out.”

The Brampton Battalion had the third overall pick and selected left-winger Wojtek Wolski of the St. Michael’s Buzzers.

Wolski had 16 goals and 33 assists last season.

“I’m really excited about playing for Stan Butler and the Brampton organization,” Wolski said. “I can learn a lot from him and playing in Brampton.”