OHL Priority Selection is an exciting time for many young hockey prospects
Petes have great options to move ahead in draft
Although the curtains have closed on the 2023-24 Ontario Hockey League season for the Peterborough Petes, plenty of excitement awaits as the team selected third overall in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection on Friday night.
General manager Mike Oke had the luxury of selecting a player who should have an immediate impact with the club next season. Although evaluating young teenage players can be a challenging task, the top five to 10 players projected as top picks usually have the ability to make their presence felt as underage rookies.
When you look back at prior OHL drafts, there has been a wide array of prolific talent taken third overall.
This list includes Alex Pietrangelo, a veteran of more than 1,000 National Hockey League games and a two-time Stanley Cup champion, who went third overall in 2006 to the Mississauga IceDogs. Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse went third overall in 2011 to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
The question that typically comes to mind for management is whether or not to pick the best player available or try to fill a need. For Oke and the Petes, they likely tried to select the best player available.
The shopping list for talented players was extensive. This included Markham Majors forward Braidy Wassilyn, Vaughan Kings centre Alessandro Di Iorio and forward Adam Valentini of the Toronto Marlboros.
The Petes had an opportunity to add a dynamic, offensively gifted player to their lineup.
If they chose to address their defence core, Vaughan Kings effortless skater Zachary Nyman was potentially available at number three.
The Petes should have added the best player available and, if it results in an abundance of forwards in the future, it will also give Oke the leverage to possibly trade for an established defenceman when the time is right.
In a league that requires talent, creativity and offensive prowess, a surplus of talented forwards is a nice problem to have. It is also important to remember the Petes were starved for offence this season as they had the lowest goals for in the entire OHL with 183 over their 68 games.
Oke should have been salivating at the opportunity to add an offensive dynamo to his lineup courtesy of the third selection overall.
Not only is it an exciting time for the Petes with the draft, which concludes Saturday, it is a very exciting time for several Peterborough minor hockey players.
The U16 Petes could have as many as nine players selected in the draft.
This includes the likes of Colin Fitzgerald, whose draft stock has risen after a phenomenal OHL Cup, including a four-goal game. Several prognosticators had Fitzgerald potentially being selected high in the first round of the draft.
Although it was way back in the rear-view mirror when I was selected in 2000 by the Barrie Colts, it was one of the most memorable days of my life.
I had the pleasure of attending the last in-person draft at the then Hershey Centre in Mississauga with my father, John. The OHL went to online drafts as of 2001.
I remember as a 16-year-old being very hopeful a team would call my name. In round 11 of the 20-round draft, I was taken by Barrie.
I made my way to the Colts table to meet management and put on their jersey for the first time. It was a special feeling looking down at the Colts emblem on my chest, knowing this was the first step toward playing in the OHL.
CHRIS HARDILL IS A PETERBOROUGH NATIVE WHO PLAYED GOAL FOR
THE OHL’S BARRIE COLTS, KINGSTON FRONTENACS AND OTTAWA 67’S FROM 2000 TO ’03 AND DOES
COLOUR COMMENTARY ON PETERBOROUGH PETES RADIO BROADCASTS. HIS COLUMN WILL APPEAR WEEKLY IN THE EXAMINER DURING THE HOCKEY SEASON.