Colts Return to the Draft Floor
Published on June 15, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Barrie Colts News Release
The Barrie Colts took the draft floor in Kingston this weekend for the first in-person Ontario Hockey Leauge Priority Selection in several years, making 16 selections across 15 rounds at Slush Puppie Place. It was a weekend that blended excitement and strategy.
Here's a look at how it all unfolded.
The Barrie Colts took the draft floor in Kingston this weekend for the first in-person Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection in several years, making 16 selections across 15 rounds at Slush Puppie Place. It was a weekend that blended excitement and strategy. After the first day of round one obtaining first round pick Lucas Matheson, here's a look at how day two unfolded starting with Cale Scott.
Round 1 | Pick 17 - Lucas Matheson | LD | Barrie Jr. Colts U16 AAA
Barrie reached into its own backyard to open the draft, selecting local product Lucas Matheson 17th overall. A Barrie native through and through, Matheson captained the Colts U16 AAA program this season, posting 40 points in 34 regular-season games as a left-shot defenceman. He's a technically gifted puck-mover with elite hands in tight spaces and a knack for driving offence from the back end - exactly the kind of blueliner that gets NHL scouts talking in a few years. For a kid who grew up dreaming of this moment in his own hometown, Saturday night was one he'll never forget.
Round 4 | Pick 80 - Cale Scott | C | Mississauga Rebels U16 AAA
The Colts were patient through rounds two and three before striking with their Kitchener pick to grab Cale Scott, a big-bodied centre from Toronto. At 6'2.75 ¬Â³ and 205 lbs, Scott has the kind of frame that NHL Central Scouting drools over in a pivot. He gives Barrie a power-forward option down the middle with plenty of development runway ahead of him.
Round 5 | Picks 87 & 91 - Marc Ruggere (RD) & Roman Shtefan (C)
Barrie doubled up in the fifth round, adding two intriguing prospects with different profiles.
Marc Ruggere (Pick 87, via Saginaw) is a 6'1.75 ¬Â³, 187 lb right-shot defenceman from Saddle River, New Jersey, who played for the Woodbridge Wolfpack Premier 15's. With NCAA eligibility changes opening up the American player pool this year, Ruggere is exactly the kind of under-the-radar US talent Barrie's scouting staff targeted heading into the weekend.
Roman Shtefan (Pick 91, via Kingston) is a centre from Windsor, Ontario, out of the Windsor AAA Jr. Spitfires U16 program. The 5'8.75 ¬Â³, 163 lb pivot brings two-way upside and is a name to watch as he develops in Barrie's system.
Rounds 6-15: Building the Pipeline
The Colts used their remaining 11 picks to add depth across all positions - forwards, defencemen, and goaltenders alike.
Brady Nash (R6, Pick 111 via Kingston) - LW from Thunder Bay, ON | Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA Luke Hartman (R7, Pick 138) - C from Mullica Hill, NJ | South Kent Selects Academy 15's Luke Pietila (R8, Pick 158) - RW from Howell, MI | Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 16U Tyler Wilson (R9, Pick 178) - G from Orillia, ON | Mississauga Rebels U16 AAA Kaelen Rudyk (R10, Pick 198) - LD from Ridgeway, ON | Niagara North Stars U16 AAA - at 6'3 ¬Â³, one of the most physically imposing picks of the day Rico Champagne (R11, Pick 204 via Brampton) - RW from Oshawa, ON | Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA Presley Allain (R11, Pick 218) - LW from Vaughan, ON | Vaughan Kings U16 AAAKhov Long (R12, Pick 238) - LW from Astorville, ON | Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA Jackson Mead (R13, Pick 258) - LW from Lively, ON | Sudbury Wolves U16 AAA - 6'3.25 ¬Â³ and 209 lbs, a physical presence on the wing Ethan Anderson (R14, Pick 264 via Brampton) - G from Cambridge, ON | Kitchener Jr. Rangers U16 AAA James Guiney(R14, Pick 278) - LW from Maple, ON | Mississauga Reps U16 AAA Lucas Thompson (R15, Pick 298) - G from Mississauga, ON
Notably, the Colts selected three goaltenders on the weekend in Wilson, Anderson, and Thompson - a clear signal of the organization's commitment to building goaltending depth from the ground up.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from June 15, 2026
- Colts Trade Cole Emerton to Sarnia - Barrie Colts
- Colts Return to the Draft Floor - Barrie Colts
- Sting Acquire Defenceman Cole Emerton in Trade with Barrie - Sarnia Sting
- Fetterolf Named the First CHL Goaltender of the Year in 67's History - Ottawa 67's
- 2026 OHL Priority Selection Recap - Sudbury Wolves
- Frontenacs Bolster Prospect Pool with Prud'homme, Vanacker, Roche Among Others at 2026 OHL Priority Selection - Kingston Frontenacs
- Three Former Spitfires Win 2026 Stanley Cup Title with Carolina Hurricanes - Windsor Spitfires
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