Mercer household feeling a draft
It’s an exciting time inside the Mercer household in Bay Roberts these days.
Not only is Dawson Mercer expected to be a first-round NHL Draft pick next month, his younger brother, Riley, is the top-ranked Newfoundland and Labrador prospect for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League bantam draft June 5-6.
The younger Mercer is a 16-year-old goalie, ranked in the third round, 43rd overall, by QMJHL Central Scouting.
Three of the top four players from this province ranked by CSB are goalies. Cruz Loughlin is ranked in the fourth round, 67th overall, and Dekon Randall-snow in the fifth round, 85th overall.
The only non-goalie is forward Christian Reardon of Tri-pen, in the fifth round 73rd overall. Reardon was sixth in major midget scoring, with 13 goals and 31 points in 31 games.
Mercer, 6-1 and 185 pounds, was 10-5-2 with a 2.33 goals against average and .930 save percentage for the Tri-pen Osprey in the Newfoundland and Labrador Major Midget Hockey League this season. Loughlin played major midget for the East Coast Blizzard where was 10-3-2 (2.77 GAA and .919 save percentage) and Randallsnow played at the Ontario Hockey Academy in Cornwall, Ont.
The first round of the draft will be shown on the QMJHL’S Youtube Channel June 5. Rounds 2-14 will be on Youtube June 6.
Dawson Mercer was a firstround QMJHL draft pick two years ago, selected eighth overall by the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
The Mercer brothers, along with their sister, Jessica, who is a AAA bantam female player in the province, are all home in Bay Roberts and are working out daily in a home gym.
“It’s everything we need,” Dawson said. “It’s the same program I had last summer, which improves strength and will have us ready for camp.
“Our sister is down working out before me and my brother each morning. We’re all on the same workout, on the same schedule.”
In the QMJHL Draft last year, Mount Pearl’s Zach Dean went fourth overall to the Gatineau Olympiques.
For the second straight year in 2019, six players from this province were selected in the QMJHL draft. Twelve were taken in 2017, eight each in 2016, ’15 and ’14, nine each in 2013 and ’12 and six in 2011.