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2017 OHL Draft Recap

By Ontario Minor Hockey Association, 04/08/17, 11:45AM EDT

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Congratulations to all of the players selected from the OMHA

Hockey dreams took a major stride forward on Saturday as OMHA players were chosen in the Ontario Hockey League’s Priority Selection (draft), including six in the first round.

As the OHL Priority Selection was broadcast online, OMHA families were glued to their computers watching the live stream webcast and going over the results being posted. The full draft results are available here.

Blake Murray started things off for the OMHA; the Whitby Wildcats forward was drafted seventh overall by the Sudbury Wolves. The 6'1", 177 lbs. centre has a great combination of skating, high-end skill and the ability to score goals.

Ajax-Pickering Raiders forward Connor McMichael went 11th overall to the Hamilton Bulldogs. He is equipped with a full-arsenal of tools including elite-level skill, excellent hockey sense, good skating ability and a first-rate compete level. McMichael has the rare ability to change the complexion of a game with a big play anytime he is on the ice.

Defenceman Mitchell Brewer of the Halton Hurricanes was selected 15th overall by the Oshawa Generals. Brewer plays a solid and steady two-way game. He keeps puck-moving decisions simple and effectively makes quick decisions under pressure to get pucks up the ice with pace to his forwards springing the offensive attack. Brewer has a good physical game and a strong work ethic.

Kingston Jr. Frontenacs forward Hayden Fowler was scooped up 19th overall by the Soo Greyhounds. A natural goal scorer, Fowler generates a lot of offence and his motor is always running. He has an excellent shot and will let it go anywhere close and in scoring areas. He plays the game with a lot of edge is not an easy player to play against.

The next pick in the draft was used by the Owen Sound Attack on forward Mitchell Russell of the Barrie Jr. Colts. Russell is one of those players that jumps out very quickly. He wants to make a difference every time he is on the ice. Russell was as valuable to his team as any player in the OMHA was. He scored nearly a quarter of his team’s goals this season.

Rounding out the first round with the 21st overall pick in the draft was Grey-Bruce Highlanders forward Emmett Sproule, chosen by the Erie Otters. Sproule was arguably the best playoff performer in the OMHA. He is only going to get better as he continues to grow.

“Congratulations to all 300 players chosen in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, their family, friends, and minor hockey coaches and organizations who have all provided support and encouragement, while assisting with the development of these student athletes,” said Darrell Woodley, Director of OHL Central Scouting. “Being selected by an OHL team is a great accomplishment but it’s also just the beginning of your road to the next level.  Opportunities for success are available for players with the right attitude and work ethic, including players not selected today, who may find success through next year’s Under-18 Priority Selection.  Best of luck to all players in pursuit of your hockey and academic goals.”

The Ontario Minor Hockey Association led the way with 83 players from 22 teams, including 48 who compete among 12 ETA teams, and 35 from 10 different SCTA teams. The Quinte Red Devils had 10 players selected while the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs, Brampton 45's and OMHA Minor Midget AAA Champion Whitby Wildcats each had eight players drafted. See a full list of all the OMHA players chosen at the bottom of the page.

Player development is a key component of the OMHA experience. The OMHA conducts a wide range of clinics for players, coaches and other volunteers to improve their skills and enhance their overall experience and enjoyment of the sport. OMHA boasts a long list of grads who earned their place in the NHL from Steven Stamkos to Chris Tierney to Taylor Hall.

Here are comments from the OMHA’s first-round picks:

"Getting selected seventh overall feels great. I am very excited. I am just very honoured to be selected by the Sudbury Wolves and can’t wait to get up there and meet everyone in the organization and just get going. I am going to spend the off-season in the gym and on the ice and just working on getting bigger and stronger, working on my foot speed and getting ready to play at the OHL level."

"I am just going through a mix of emotions right now and just happy it's finally happened. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night but I am just super honoured to be drafted by the Bulldogs and really I am just in shock right now. I just have to thank my coaches, teammates and parents for the amazing season I had and really has lead me to where I am today."

"It’s just really hard to explain right now. I am just really excited and happy and just looking forward to get ready for the camp. I am just looking to get out to Oshawa tomorrow to meet some of the people in the organization and have a look around the arena. I am going to work on my overall game and really work on my speed and shot. I really have to thank my parents, coaches and teammates who have supported me along the way and have helped me throughout my minor hockey career."

"It is honestly just crazy right now. It comes at you so quickly and all I can say right now is 'wow'. Sault Ste. Marie is such a great organization and I truly believe it is going to be a perfect fit for me. I am going to take the off-season to just train a lot and continue to get faster on the ice and improve my skills. I just have to thank my parents, getting me to and from the rink all these years, from early mornings to late nights, they have always been there for me."

"It is just so exciting. The Attack are an awesome organization to be a part of and I can’t wait to just get started. They are definitely a team I could see myself with and I am just really happy today. I am going to head down there and meet some of the coaching staff and get some pictures down in the Owen Sound Attack jersey. I really just want to thank my parents, they have been there since I have been little and I really appreciate all my brother has done for me as well."

"I am so excited, it’s unreal and honestly words just can’t explain it. The (Erie) Otters are such a great organization and I can’t wait to get down there and get started. I am going to be on ice and working out at a local gym and just working as hard as I can to get ready for the start of the OHL season. At the start of the season I would never have thought I would have this dream come true. It's just crazy and so amazing that I am following in the footsteps of a guy like Connor Roberts and helping put the Grey-Bruce Highlanders on the map."

OHL Draft Recap

Round Overall Pick Name OHL Team OMHA Team Position
1 7 Blake Murray Sudbury Wolves Whitby Wildcats F
1 11 Connor McMichael Hamilton Bulldogs Ajax-Pickering Raiders F
1 15 Mitchell Brewer Oshawa Generals Halton Hurricanes D
1 19 Hayden Fowler Soo Greyhounds Kingston Jr. Frontenacs F
1 20 Mitchell Russell Owen Sound Attack Barrie Jr. Colts F
1 21 Emmett Sproule Erie Otters Grey-Bruce Highlanders F
3 41 Ryan Stepien Saginaw Spirit Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs F
3 43 Kurtis Evans North Bay Battalion Central Ontario Wolves F
3 45 Brayden Guy Sarnia Sting Brampton 45's F
3 46 Lucas Peric Ottawa 67's Halton Hurricanes D
3 51 Ian Martin Niagara IceDogs Ajax-Pickering Raiders F
3 52 Colton Kammerer Sarnia Sting Whitby Wildcats D
3 58 Matt Gordon Kitchener Rangers Guelph Jr. Gryphons F
3 60 Cameron Supryka Peterborough Petes Quinte Red Devils D
4 66 Emmet Pierce London Knights Quinte Red Devils F
4 73 Tanner McEachern Flint Firebirds Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs F
4 74 Eric Lalonde Oshawa Generals Grey-Bruce Highlanders D
4 75 Daniel Panetta Peterborough Petes Quinte Red Devils F
4 76 Zachary Uens Flint Firebirds Quinte Red Devils D
4 80 Isaak Phillips Sudbury Wolves Barrie Jr. Colts F
5 99 Liam Whittaker London Knights York-Simcoe Express D
6 104 Andrew Horsley Peterborough Petes Brampton 45's F
6 111 Nathan Porter North Bay Battalion Whitby Wildcats D
6 114 Carson Eden Owen Sound Attack Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs F
6 115 Ethan Langevin Sarnia Sting Whitby Wildcats G
7 123 Owen Diodati North Bay Battalion Southern Tier Admirals F
7 127 Drew Wawrow Sudbury Wolves Brampton 45's D
7 130 Christopher Ishmael Hamilton Bulldogs Brampton 45's F
7 139 Patrick Klazer Owen Sound Attack Burlington Eagles D
8 142 Cole Brady Guelph Storm Ajax-Pickering Raiders G
8 145 Jalen Balbosa Niagara IceDogs York-Simcoe Express F
8 150 Michael Andrews Windsor Spitfires Quinte Red Devils F
8 153 Matthew Altomare Mississauga Steelheads Ajax-Pickering Raiders D
8 154 Cole Spencer Oshawa Generals Ajax-Pickering Raiders F
8 155 Matthew Dunsmoor Mississauga Steelheads Guelph Jr. Gryphons G
8 158 Tye Kartye Soo Greyhounds Kingston Jr. Frontenacs F
8 159 Spencer Hazell Owen Sound Attack Halton Hurricanes F
9 162 Clark Hiebert Guelph Storm Oakville Rangers D
9 166 Luke Pearson Ottawa 67's Whitby Wildcats G
9 169 Joshua Houston Flint Firebirds Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs F
9 171 Jacob Campbell Kingston Frontenacs Quinte Red Devils D
9 177 Christopher Goodwin Peterborough Petes Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs F
9 178 Ethan Taylor Soo Greyhounds Quinte Red Devils G
10 186 Jacob DiDanieli Ottawa 67's Whitby Wildcats F
10 189 Jacob Winterton Flint Firebirds Ajax-Pickering Raiders F
10 198 Liam Fedak Barrie Colts Brampton 45's F
11 203 Nicholas Haas Guelph Storm Buffalo Regals G
11 204 Dalton Bancroft Saginaw Spirit Quinte Red Devils F
11 205 Bryce Caruk Owen Sound Attack Clarington Toros F
11 210 Zack Osborne Hamilton Bulldogs Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs F
11 211 Logan White Kingston Frontenacs Quinte Red Devils F
11 215 Jacob Patridge Peterborough Petes Barrie Jr. Colts F
11 219 Thomas Loudfoot Erie Otters Clarington Toros G
12 222 Alton McDermott Guelph Storm Oakville Rangers F
12 228 Will Redick Sarnia Sting North Central Predators F
12 230 Keegan Pulford-Thorpe Sudbury Wolves York-Simcoe Express D
12 231 Liam Del Mastro Kingston Frontenacs Southern Tier Admirals D
12 238 Mason Dreger Soo Greyhounds Whitby Wildcats F
12 240 Curtis Trolley Erie Otters Peterborough Minor Petes F
13 242 Ethan Eliopulos Guelph Storm Richmond Hill Coyotes D
13 244 Jeffrey Johnson Barrie Colts Barrie Jr. Colts D
13 245 Kyle Sullivan Niagara IceDogs Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs D
13 249 Matthew Stayshyn Flint Firebirds Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs D
13 250 Maxime Blanchard Hamilton Bulldogs Southern Tier Admirals D
13 258 Zackery McMahon Soo Greyounds Kingston Jr. Frontenacs D
13 260 Marcus Gillard Erie Otters Southern Tier Admirals D
14 261 Payton Schaly Barrie Colts Barrie Jr. Colts F
14 262 Jonah Burley Guelph Storm Guelph Jr. Gryphons D
14 266 Brendan Tomilson Ottawa 67's Central Ontario Wolves D
14 269 Charlie Dafonseca Flint Firebirds Markham Waxers F
14 272 Graham Dickerson Kitchener Rangers Quinte Red Devils F
14 276 Curtis Kuzmyk North Bay Battalion Barrie Jr. Colts F
14 277 Cameron Fulop London Knights York-Simcoe Express D
15 281 Noah Arsenault Barrie Colts Halton Hurricanes D
15 286 Owen Porter Soo Greyhounds Brampton 45's G
15 287 Remy Dal Ben Sudbury Wolves Brampton 45's F
15 288 Joshua Booker Sarnia Sting Brampton 45's D
15 290 Aliesha Song Hamilton Bulldogs Oakville Rangers F
15 291 Ethan Doyle Kingston Frontenacs Whitby Wildcats F
15 295 Riley Bates Peterborough Petes Peterborough Minor Petes D
15 296 AJ Cook Niagara IceDogs Niagara North Stars D
15 298 Cullen McLean Soo Greyhounds Ajax-Pickering Raiders F
15 299 Tanner Hicks Owen Sound Attack York-Simcoe Express F

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