Peterborough’s Fitzgerald eyed as possible top-five selection in draft
Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection kicks off with the opening three rounds Friday night
Perhaps no Ontario Hockey League draft prospect’s stock has risen faster and higher than Peterborough’s Colin Fitzgerald.
Ranked by most independent scouting services as a secondround pick at mid-season, Fitzgerald is now considered a likely topfive selection in Friday night’s opening three rounds of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. League sources suggest the Sarnia Sting are leaning toward Fitzgerald with the No. 2 pick. If that happened, it would tie Fitzgerald with Steve Larmer (1978) and Steve Peters (1977), both selected second overall by the Niagara Falls Flyers, as the highest Peterborough minor hockey grads chosen in the OHL draft since its 1963 inception.
Fitzgerald isn’t the only Fitzsimmons Garage U16 AAA Petes player whose stock has risen. Their trip to the OMHA final and the OHL Cup Showcase final four boosted the stock of a number of players. The Neutral Zone scouting service ranks 12 U16 Petes in its top 300, four in the top 50 and eight in the top 100. There are three other Peterborough boys, who played in other cities this season, also among Neutral Zone’s top 65.
Fitzgerald, a six-foot-two power centre who tied for the OHL Cup scoring lead and was a tournament all-star, says he wasn’t aware of where he stood in the rankings. He tried to follow the advice of his father, former OHL player Rob Fitzgerald, “to tune out the noise” this season by avoiding social media and rankings.
“I didn’t really pay attention to that,” said Fitzgerald. “At the end of the day, the GM of an OHL team has the pick, not the people who are doing the online rankings.”
Still, it’s nice to know he’s highly rated.
“It’s been nice to get all the attention,” Fitzgerald said. “I’ve tried to
enjoy it as much as possible and I really hope for my teammates that they get their name called, too. Really, that’s what it means to me, it’s not just about me but my teammates, as well.”
After a tough first half, the entire team elevated its play in the second half.
“All the hard work the boys put in throughout the year and the tough practices we had led to the success we had,” he said.
His father was a 1994 secondround pick of the Owen Sound Platers and Colin said he may get family bragging rights if he’s selected higher, but it may be short-lived.
“I’ve got a little brother who potentially could go higher than me,”
he said of brother Evan, who played for the Vaughan Kings U14s this year. “Apparently, he’s the best out of all three of us.”
Jamey Hicks, head coach of the U16 Petes, said whoever selects Fitzgerald will get a highly gifted player.
“He’s a right-hand centreman who plays a 200-foot game and played all facets for us this year,” said Hicks. “He really elevated his game throughout the year and all the accolades and talk about him right now are well warranted. He is a shoot-first player, but he dishes the puck, as well, and makes good decisions and plays with IQ. He’s a really, really good player.”
Neutral Zone ranks four of his
teammates in its top 50, including defenceman Caleb Mitchell of Dunsford (at No. 31), Kale Mace of Oshawa (36), Nolan Butter of Lindsay (38) and Ryland Cunningham of Cobourg (47). Others include Owen Kelly of Ottawa (at No. 60), Matt Souter of Clarington (75), Jacob McMahon of Peterborough (82), Nick Voisey of Ottawa (113) and Peterborough boys Evan Healey (125), Jacob Stinson (246) and Declan Ready (248).
Peterborough native Ben Bowen, who played for the Vaughan Kings, is rated No. 39 and Ryan Chamberlain of the Toronto Marlies is ranked No. 126. Keene’s Noah Barton, a defenceman for the Oshawa Jr. Generals, is rated No. 65.
‘‘ It’s been nice to get all the attention. I’ve tried to enjoy it as much as possible.
COLIN FITZGERALD