North Stars shine in OHL draft
The Niagara North Stars lived up to their name at this year’s Ontario Hockey League draft as a bright light in player development.
In all, seven players were selected from the triple A organization’s minor midget program by the time the 300th pick was made in the 15-round draft Saturday.
Only the Oakville Rangers, with 14 selections; Toronto Jr. Canadiens, 11; Peterborough Petes, 10; Don Mills Flyers, nine; and Barrie Jr. Colts, eight; heard their names called more often than the North Stars and the Guelph Gryphons on draft day.
Spencer Smith, a 5-foot-8, 152pound centre from St. Catharines was the first North Star selected in a draft which for the 18th year in a row was conducted online. He was picked by the Guelph Storm in the third round with the 47th overall pick.
Smith had 15 goals and 18 assists in 22 games in minor midget triple A and appeared in 10 games for the St. Catharines Falcons in the junior B playoffs.
The next player from the region selected in the draft didn’t play hockey in Niagara last year. Instead, Colby Ambrosio of Welland scored 17 goals and collected 11 assists in 35 games for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres under-16 team.
The Ottawa 67’s made the 5foot-9, 160-pound centre their fourth-round pick with the 66th overall selection despite Boston College’s interested in adding him to their lineup.
As the Niagara IceDogs’ fifthround selection, 92nd overall, Ethan Sims has a chance to start his OHL career close to home. The 5-foot-8, 144-pound Grimsby native had 19 goals and 24 assists in 32 games with the North Stars and also played one playoff game for the Falcons.
Also going in the fifth round, five picks after Sims, was North Stars goaltender Dalton
McBride, a Grimsby native. The 6-foot-2, 160-pound McBride caught the interest of the Kitchener Rangers after recording three shutouts and compiling a 1.68 goals-against average in 15 games between the Niagara pipes in minor midget triple A.
Michael Craig of St. Catharines heard his name called in Round 9 when the IceDogs made him the 172nd player selected in the draft. A 5-foot-8, 144-pound, right-hand defenceman had four goals and 14 assists in 32 games with the North Stars and played in six regular-season and three playoff games with the junior B Thorold Blackhawks.
In the 11th round, the Flint Firebirds used the 202nd overall pick on Owen Holmes. The 5foot-8, 156-pound centre from Niagara-on-the-Lake had nine goals and 16 assists in 32 games for the North Stars.
Robbie Stewart, a 6-foot-3, 172-round, left-hand defenceman from St. Catharines was selected by the Sudbury Wolves in the 12th round, 221st overall. He saw action in 31 games for the North Stars netting three goals and collecting nine assists.
The Hamilton Bulldogs picked North Stars centre Matteo Costantini 298th overall in the final round of the draft.
In 32 games in the North Stars lineup, the foot-8, 153-pound centre from St. Catharines had 12 goals and 15 assists.
The IceDogs picked 15 players, starting with Lleyton Moore, a highly-regarded, offensive-minded defenceman from the Toronto Marlboros program.
At the end of a long day that didn’t end until later than night, in an overtime playoff game in Hamilton, general manager Joey Burke was pleased with the team’s 2018 draft class.
“We’re thrilled, we’re absolutely thrilled,” Burke said. “I consider ourselves lucky that we were able, with the picks we had, to get the guys we did.
“We didn’t expect some of this high high-end talent to get to us.”
The IceDogs, he said, have high hopes for Moore.
“On the back end, we think we got the best guy there,” Burke said. “We got some elite, high-end forwards.
“We got a goalie in the 10th round (Joseph Tynan, Detroit Little Caesars under-16) who should have gone in the fifth.
“This guy is a bit hidden, as he’s playing in Detroit, but an extremely impressive guy who’s committed to the OHL as well.”