Petes get third pick in OHL draft
Peterborough loses out on No. 1 to the Windsor Spitfires and No. 2 goes to the Sarnia Sting
The OHL Priority Selection Lottery changed nothing for the Peterborough Petes on Wednesday night.
Out of the OHL’s four non-playoff teams, the Petes entered the lottery with the third-best odds of landing the first overall pick — and when the balls were counted, they received the No. 3 selection.
The Windsor Spitfires won the lottery, moving up from second to No. 1, for the first time since 1976. The Sarnia Sting moved up from fourth to No. 2, while the last-place Niagara IceDogs slid from first to No. 4.
The Petes have not had the first overall pick since the draft was introduced in 1963. Their highest draft choice was Nick Ritchie at second overall in 2011. The Petes had a 20 per cent chance at the top pick, Niagara 40 per cent, Windsor 30 per cent and Sarnia 10 per cent.
This year’s OHL draft will be held April 12, starting with the first three rounds, followed by the remaining 12 rounds on April 13.
Unlike some past years where there was a clear consensus on the first pick overall like Michael Lisa, Shane Wright or Connor McDavid, there’s a group of five or six all jockeying to be the top selection.
Petes GM and vice-president of operations Mike Oke said it’s possible the No. 3 selection could be as strong as No. 1. “There are a number of players at the top of the draft who all bring something a little different,” said Oke. “They’re all good players in their own right as they are all a little bit different and unique. There are a handful of players to this point who have separated themselves maybe from the other eligible players. Many of those players are playing at the OHL Cup, so we’ve got another good opportunity to see a lot of them in key situations and playing against the top competition.”
The lottery, first introduced after the 2020-21 season was cancelled due to COVID-19, adds some intrigue, said Oke, who actually wasn’t watching the lottery announcement online as he was scouting a game at the OHL Cup Showcase Tournament in Toronto, where most of the top U16 prospects are playing.
“It certainly adds an element of excitement leading up to the OHL draft,” he said.
“You would have liked to have won the lottery, but we stayed where we finished and we’ll get the third pick,” he added.
“I’m quite confident we’ll be ready on draft day to select a player who will be somebody who will come in and be a good Peterborough Pete,” Oke said.
The Petes have a second-round pick and two fifth-round selections, but no third- or fourth-round picks at this point.
The OHL’s U18 Draft will follow on April 17 and the Petes will also possess the ninth overall pick in the CHL Import Draft, which follows the NHL draft.
Each provides an opportunity for Peterborough to add to a young core of 2007-born players they are rebuilding around.
“It’s important we utilize the picks, especially the first-round pick and second-round pick, to bring in players who are going to be able to contribute to this group as we move forward and grow,” said Oke.
“We went with a large number of 2007 players game in and game out since the trade deadline and we’ve seen growth and development in not only those players but the group as a whole. We have so many players eligible to return, there is a lot of excitement knowing that two years down the road, the real key contributing players to a championship run will be the players who are in that 2007 age group and the players who are in the 2008 age group we are about to select.”