Barrie Colts Complete the 2008 OHL Priority Selection
May 3, 2008 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Barrie Colts News Release
Barrie, ON-The Barrie Colts officially completed the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection today with 16 picks throughout 15 rounds of drafting.
Making their picks via the Internet from the Molson Centre in Barrie, the Colts selected eight forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders.
"We were able to fill some holes on our team as well as add some depth to positions we felt were lacking. By adding an offensive defenseman in O'Connor with our first pick, plus some strong players up front, we feel we look good not only for next season but also going forward in the future," stated Colts Director of Player Personnel & Head Scout, Darrell Woodley. "We are extremely happy with the way the draft went for us today."
Players born in 1992 were eligible for the first time for Saturday's draft. It was the eighth time the Ontario Hockey League has performed the draft on the Internet, as 20 member clubs made their selections from their respective cities.
The following is a list of players drafted, as each of the first two picks plus two "wildcard" selections are eligible to play in the 2008-09 season.
1st Round- 6th Overall
Ryan O'Connor - Defense
Birthdate: January 12, 1992 Hometown: Hamilton, ON
Height: 5.11 Weight: 185 lbs Shoots: Right
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Toronto Jr. Canadiens 85 25 58 83 94
Draft-day Quote: "In O'Connor we feel we are getting a complete player. He is a strong skater, hard hitter, and good in both his own end and offensively as well. Not only is he a smart hockey player, but he is also a great kid who we feel can be a future leader of our club" Darrell Woodley
2nd Round- 31st Overall
David Mazurek - Center
Birthdate: February 23, 1992 Hometown: Brantford, ON
Height: 6.01 Weight: 165lbs Shoots: Left
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Brantford 99er's 77 39 45 84 142
Draft-day Quote: "David is a two-way center man with grit. He is very responsible in his own end but can also chip in offensively. He plays with a lot of heart and is a character player with size, who is highly regarded by teachers and coaches" Darrell Woodley
3rd Round- 54th Overall
Michael Sgarbossa - Center
Birthdate: July 25, 1992 Hometown: Campbellville, ON
Height: 5.11 Weight: 160lbs Shoots: Left
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Halton Hurricanes 61 53 51 104 42
Draft-day Quote: "He is a highly skilled center who has potential to put up big numbers in our league. Michael is very gifted offensively and loves to score. He is a very strong skater with speed and uses this to his advantage" Darrell Woodley
4th Round- 67th Overall
Dean Pawlaczyk - Left Winger
Birthdate: February 4, 1992 Hometown: Madison, Michigan
Height: 5.11 Weight: 175lbs Shoots: Left
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Detroit Belle Tire 64 25 26 51 162
Draft-day Quote: "Pawlaczyk is a power forward who does whatever it takes to win. He plays with an edge and can score by driving to the net. An honest hard working player who is gritty and can chip in offensively" Darrell Woodley
5th Round- 87th Overall
Mitch Bennett - Defense
Birthdate: January 4, 1992 Hometown: Fenelon Falls, ON
Height: 6.03 Weight: 180lbs Shoots: Right
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Central Ontario Wolves 58 9 28 37 37
Draft-day Quote: "With Bennett we addressed our need for some toughness on the back end. He is a stay at home defenseman you would not want to play against. He is the type of player who will not be very offensive but has been trending up all season long." Darrell Woodley
6th Round- 102nd Overall
Dalton McGrath - Goaltender
Birthdate: November 4, 1991 Hometown: Brampton, ON
Height: 6.01 Weight: 185lbs Catches: Left
Season Team GP Min G.A G.A.A SO
2007-08 Vaughn Kings 39 1873 40 1.02 16
Draft-day Quote: "Dalton is a goaltender with a lot of upside to his game. He is a big kid who can move well for his size. His game is very quiet and he lets the puck come to him. A consistent, reliable goalie who we look forward to having in our organization" Piero Greco, goalie coach, Barrie Colts
7th Round- 127th Overall
Darren Archibald - Left Wing
Birthdate: February 9, 1990 Hometown: Newmarket, ON
Height: 6.03 Weight: 195lbs Shoots: Left
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Stouffville Spirit 64 28 36 66 100
Draft-day Quote: "Archibald was an invite to last year's camp, played in a couple of exhibition games and came close to making the team. He is a lengthy winger who skates well and has good scoring ability. He is a late bloomer who is starting to play to his potential." Darrell Woodley
8th Round- 148th Overall
Carter Foguth - Defense
Birthdate: February 17, 1992 Hometown: Fenton, Michigan
Height: 6.02 Weight: 185 Shoots: Right
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Detroit Compuware U16's 19 1 6 7 39
Draft-day Quote: "Carter is a player we feel was overlooked due to the fact he played half of this season because of an injury early on. He has size, moves and skates very well, and can make the first pass. He is a support defenseman." Darrell Woodley
9th Round- 167th Overall
Willie Yanakeff - Goaltender
Birthdate: April 30, 1992 Hometown: Jerome, Michigan
Height: 6.02 Weight: 160lbs Catches: Left
Season Team GP Mins G.A G.A.A SO
2007-08 Detroit Honeybaked U16's 23 1035 44 1.91 n/a
Draft-day Quote: "Willie is highly considered one of the best American goaltenders in the draft. He is committed to the Under 17 program for next season. He is a big, tall goaltender who moves very well for his size and has loads of potential" Darrell Woodley
10th Round- 187th Overall
Anthony Dotchison - Defense
Birthdate: February 2, 1992 Hometown: Mississauga, ON
Height: 5.10 Weight: 165lbs Shoots: Right
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Toronto Marlboros 52 5 22 27 44
Draft-day Quote: "Anthony is a very good versatile defenseman, who can skate the puck out of his own end. He is good on the power-play and can make the first pass allowing him to start the rush effectively." Elio Cappizzano, Toronto area scout, Barrie Colts
11th Round- 207th Overall
Evan Rutckyj - Defense
Birthdate: January 31, 1992 Hometown: Windsor, ON
Height: 6.04 Weight: 185lbs Shoots: Right
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Windsor Junior Spitfires 50 3 13 16 80
Draft-day Quote: "In the 11th round we took a player who we feel is a physical stay at home defenseman. He is a player who needs some time to develop and get stronger to fill out his frame. Evan has potential to be a shut down defenseman down the road" Darrell Woodley
12th Round- 226th Overall
Taylor Burden - Center
Birthdate: February 25, 1992 Hometown: Etobicoke, ON
Height: 5.09 Weight: 160lbs Shoots: Left
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Toronto Marlboros 53 19 24 43 54
Draft-day Quote: "In Taylor Burden we have a small but skilled offensive player who is also reliable in his own end. He is a very good skater and uses that to help bring out his offensive ability. He needs to get stronger going forward." Darrell Woodley
12th Round- 227th Overall
Joshua O'Keefe - Defense
Birthdate: May 1, 1992 Hometown: Stittsville, ON
Height: 6.03 Weight: 180lbs Shoots: Left
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Ottawa Valley 37 2 11 13 40
Draft-day Quote: "We feel that with this pick we have a player who has potential to be a strong defensive defenseman in this league. He uses his 6.03 frame to his advantage allowing him to be strong on the puck. He needs a year to develop, but we really like his upside." Darrell Woodley
13th Round- 247th Overall
Chris Chiste - Left Wing
Birthdate: December 30, 1992 Hometown: Nobleton, ON
Height: 5.10 Weight: 175 Shoots: Left
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 York Simcoe Express 45 14 18 32 95
Draft-day Quote: "Chris is a versatile hockey player as he played both forward and defense this past season. He has very strong vision allowing him to see the ice well. Chiste is a character player who brings and honest effort every game" Darrell Woodley
14th Round- 267th Overall
Tanner Pearson - Left Wing
Birthdate: October 10, 1992 Hometown: Kitchener, ON
Height: 5.09 Weight: 160lbs Shoots: Left
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Kitchener Rangers 52 25 41 66 12
Draft-day Quote: "Tanner is a player who has high end puck skills and can handle the puck well while skating. He can finish and score goals and gets to goal scoring areas because of his skating ability" Peter Brill, Mid-Western Ontario scout, Barrie Colts
15th Round- 287th Overall
Matt Davis - Center
Birthdate: April 21, 1992 Hometown: Uxbridge, ON
Height: 5.11 Weight: 190lbs Shoots: Right
Season Team GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Central Ontario Wolves 38 27 34 61 22
Draft-day Quote: "Matt is a small but skilled forward who can score. He is a good skater with speed and this allows him to create for his teammates. We feel that he could one day play in this league." Darrell Woodley
Ontario Hockey League Stories from May 3, 2008
- Barrie Colts Complete the 2008 OHL Priority Selection - Barrie Colts
- Bulls Add Defenceman Stephen Silas in First Round of OHL Priority Selection - Belleville Bulls
- Majors Announce Round-Up of Draft Selections - Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
- Plymouth Whalers Select 14 Players in Saturday's OHL Draft - Plymouth Whalers
- Spirit Bolster Offense with New Prospects; Pick Saad 10th overall - Saginaw Spirit
- Kitchener Rangers unveil fifth, sixth and seventh round picks - Kitchener Rangers
- Majors Stay Close to Home Early in Draft - Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
- London Selects Thomas 13th Overall at 2008 OHL Draft - London Knights
- Attack Announce Fifth Round Selection - Owen Sound Attack
- Hounds add Childerley with Round Five pick - Soo Greyhounds
- Ontario Hockey League conducts Priority Selection process - OHL
- Hounds add Borkowski, MacLean in Rounds Four and Five - Soo Greyhounds
- Rangers Select Branden Morris - Kitchener Rangers
- Attack Announce Fourth Round Selection - Owen Sound Attack
- Archibald selected in Fourth Round by Hounds - Soo Greyhounds
- Kitchener Rangers Select Alex Aleardi - Kitchener Rangers
- Attack Announce Third Round Selection - Owen Sound Attack
- Attack Announce Second Round Selections - Owen Sound Attack
- Ottawa 67's Select Tyler Toffoli in the First Round of the 2008 OHL Priority Selection - Ottawa 67's
- Hounds select Beukeboom with First Round Selection - Soo Greyhounds
- Attack Announce First Round Selection - Owen Sound Attack
- Kitchener Rangers Select Jeff Skinner as First Pick - Kitchener Rangers
- Otters Select McKegg Second Overall - Erie Otters
- Barrie Colts Select Defenseman Ryan O'Connor Sixth Overall in the First Round - Barrie Colts
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
