OHL Brampton Steelheads

Draft Stories: Spencer Martin

Published on April 8, 2015 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brampton Steelheads News Release


The OHL Priority Selection can be a cumbersome time for young hockey players. Their futures, in part, are on the line. There is a deal of uncertainty of when you'll go, and perhaps more importantly, where? The OHL Priority Selection is the first taste of a draft for these players, a new experience that helps write the next chapter in their stories. And let's not forget, this is all happening to 16-year-old kids.

The OHL draft is not "live", only in that players are not gathered in a host city and sat in an arena as they anxiously await their name to be called. The online aspect of the day provides each organization the luxury of setting up their own "war rooms" in their respective cities. It also allows the players the luxury of spending the day in their home, a familiar place wherein they can surround themselves with family, friends and loved ones. This can ease the pressure on the players, and allow them to share the experience with their own support systems.

As the 2015 OHL draft date is set for this Saturday, April 11, the Steelheads want to take a look back and relive the experience of the OHL draft with a few of their own former first round picks. As the first of a three-part series, we begin with a look back at goaltender Spencer Martin's retelling of his OHL Priority Selection.

"I was really excited, back then it was a brand new experience for me," said Martin. "The OHL draft starts early in the morning, I had all the family and friends over in my living room. With all the teams calling, I told Mississauga I wanted them to take me the most."

A native of Oakville, Ontario, Martin grew up playing close to home. He spent his minor midget year with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens of the Greater Toronto Hockey League, a premier minor hockey league in southern Ontario. With all the uncertainty that lay ahead of him, Martin hoped he could continue to play near his hometown. "It was perfect. Especially being only 16, being drafted by your hometown team is pretty special. It didn't really matter how high I went, but it was definitely something extra to go in the first round."

A first round selection comes with its own set of praises and criticisms. Players cannot help where and when they are taken, all they can do is move onward and work at their game. "For the day (draft day) there's a sense of accomplishment. You've got to take that as a compliment as to how your minor hockey career was," Martin said of his selection. "Once you get into your summer training, then there's a big jump to the OHL."

Spencer has since been through the NHL draft, an experience sought after by every major junior player. Martin was selected by the Colorado Avalanche with the 63rd overall pick in the third round. The mental preparation remains a constant between the two drafts, "the process of not knowing where you're going to go, it's pretty similar," Martin noted. "But as far as being at home (for the OHL draft), it's definitely a different experience in a live draft, but there are some parallels for sure."

The 2015 OHL Priority Selection is presented by State Farm on Saturday, April 11th and the Steelheads hold the fourth overall selection. Spencer and the rest of the Steelheads team will surely tune in to see which young talents will be joining the organization, and you can too, by following along on Twitter using #OHLDraft or with the 2015 OHL Priority Selection show at www.ontariohockeyleague.com!

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 8, 2015


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