Sports stats

OHL Ontario Hockey League

OHL Completes 2019 Priority Selection Presented by Real Canadian Superstore

April 6, 2019 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release


Toronto, ON - The Ontario Hockey League today conducted the 2019 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore for North American players born in 2003.

A total of 303 players were selected in the 15-round process from 94 different teams across Ontario and parts of the United States. The selected players included 174 forwards, 105 defencemen, and 24 goaltenders. While 298 of the players chosen were 2003-born athletes, also eligible for selection were non-overage players not carded with an Ontario based Midget AAA team from protected OHL territories. Four players born in 2002 were chosen under this criteria. First overall pick Shane Wright, who was granted exceptional status by the OHF in partnership with Hockey Canada, was the lone 2004-born player chosen.

"Congratulations to all 303 players chosen in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection and for the hard work and dedication that brought you to this point," said Darrell Woodley, Director of OHL Central Scouting. "This is an exciting day for everyone involved starting with the players and extending out to their families, friends, coaches and teammates that helped provide support along the way. The work continues from here as another new challenge lies ahead. It doesn't matter what round you were picked in, it's what you do on the ice that really counts. This motivation also applies to players not selected today who can still find opportunities for success in hockey with the right attitude and work ethic. Best of luck to all players in your continued efforts on the ice and in the classroom."

The Greater Toronto Hockey League led the way with 81 players selected from 11 different organizations. The OHL Cup champion Don Mills Flyers led the GTHL and the entire draft with 14 players selected including four in the first round. The GTHL Finalist Toronto Marlboros trailed close behind with 13 selections, the OHL Cup Finalist Toronto Red Wings produced 12 and the Mississauga Rebels and Toronto Nationals each wrapped things up with 11. The OMHA featured 74 different players selected from across 21 different organizations led by the North Central Predators and Whitby Wildcats who each developed seven. The Guelph Gryphons and York-Simcoe Express both had six players drafted while the OMHA silver medalist Halton Hurricanes featured five. The ALLIANCE produced 40 different players drafted from 11 different teams led by the London Jr. Knights with eight. The ALLIANCE champion Brantford 99ers had six players drafted while the Kitchener Jr. Rangers and Waterloo Wolves each had five. The HEO developed 24 OHL selections from 11 different Midget AAA teams led by the league champion Pembroke Lumber Kings with six. The NOHA produced 14 draft selections from three different teams, paced by the Sudbury Minor Midget Wolves who featured nine. A pair of Thunder Bay Kings players were chosen, representing Hockey Northwestern Ontario. An additional two players were chosen from other Canadian non-AAA programs while the remaining 66 players were chosen from 34 different American-based clubs. The Detroit Compuware 16U program led American organizations with nine players chosen while the Detroit Honeybaked 16U program trailed close behind with six.

The fourth round, 74th overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection was dedicated to the memory of former Don Mills Flyers goaltender Roy Pejcinovski who tragically lost his life last March.

This season marked the 19th straight year the Priority Selection was conducted by way of the internet, and twelfth straight year with a live draft show of the first three rounds.

2019 OHL Priority Selection First Round Results:

Reports from OHL Central Scouting (click select names for video profiles).

1. Kingston Frontenacs - Shane Wright (Don Mills Flyers) 6.00 179Ib. RC

"Shane is one of the most gifted and talented players to come along in a number of years. He has a combination of skill, speed, hockey sense and determination that really separates him from his peers. He is an explosive and powerful skater that can reach top speed quickly. He can change gears in mid flight and catch defenders flat footed. Shane's skill and offensive instincts are second to none. His vision and creativity with the puck are fun to watch."

2. Flint Firebirds - Brennan Othmann (Don Mills Flyers) 5.11 158 LW

"Brennan is a good skater with deceiving quickness and the ability to beat defenders wide. When he has the puck on his stick, Brennan is extremely dangerous. He has an accurate, lightning quick shot and is good at finding those quiet pockets on the ice and capitalizing when he has the chance. Brennan has a very high hockey IQ as the puck follows him around the ice and he does a great job of capitalizing on his chances."

3. Erie Otters - Connor Lockhart (Kanata Lasers U18) 5.07.5 161Ib. RC

"Connor is a dangerous threat every time he is on the ice because of his speed, skill and tenacity on the ice. He is always moving his feet and his skill set allows him to create chances for himself and his teammates. He has a good, accurate shot that he gets off in mid-stride which catches goalies off guard. Connor competes and back-checks as hard as anyone and doesn't shy away from bigger players at all. He will be a dangerous player at the next level."

4. Barrie Colts - Brandt Clarke (Don Mills Flyers) 6.01.25 174Ib. RD

"Brandt is one of the most offensive minded defencemen is this year's Priority Selection. He loves to have the puck on his stick and is a threat when he is moving up ice with it. He has great vision from the back end and is very creative. Brandt is a good skater that is only going to get better as he matures and gets stronger. His puck skills are very impressive. He has made a lot of opposing players look silly as they think they have him under control and then he makes a spin or a fake and he is gone."

5. Peterborough Petes - Mason McTavish (Pembroke Lumber Kings U18) 5.10.75 194Ib. LC

"Mason is one of the purest goal scorers and has one of the best shots in this year's age group. He will shoot the puck from anywhere, at any time. He has a hard snap shot with an explosive release and doesn't need much time or space to get it on net. Mason protects the puck extremely well and is very hard to knock off it. He understands what it takes to score and will be a goal scorer at the next level."

6. Windsor Spitfires - Wyatt Johnston (Toronto Marlboros) 5.11.25 151Ib. RC

"Wyatt is a dynamic and skilled winger that is dangerous in the offensive zone when he has the puck. He is a very good skater that darts in and out of holes very well and is hard to handle in open ice as he has the ability to find that extra gear. His skill is amongst the top in the age group and he is very creative with the puck on his stick. He was a big part of the success his Marlboros team had down the stretch and his offensive production was a reason for this. Wyatt's hockey sense has continued to develop all season as he has worked his way up the draft rankings."

7. Sarnia Sting - Ben Gaudreau (North Bay Trappers) 6.01 162Ib. G

"Ben is one of the top goalies in this year's Priority Selection. He is a big goalie that has a presence in the net and plays with a lot of confidence. He challenges well and has the ability to make the desperation-save when needed. Pucks hit him a lot as he plays most of the game at the top of his crease. Ben is technically sound and plays a solid butterfly style. He will be one of the first goalies taken this year."

8. Hamilton Bulldogs - Ryan Winterton (Whitby Wildcats) 6.00.25 156Ib. RW

"Ryan is a complete player that does a little bit of everything for his team. He is a good skater that has a powerful stride and reaches top speed quickly. His skill set and hockey IQ are what differentiate him from others. He can score and set up plays at an elite level with his speed and skill. Ryan plays a complete 200-foot game. He is always on the right side of the puck and is strong on the wall in his own end. He plays hard and competes in all three zones and wins the majority of his puck battles."

9. North Bay Battalion - Liam Arnsby (Don Mills Flyers) 5.09.5 172Ib. RC

"Liam is a driving force for his team. He plays every shift like it's his last one, hits like a tank and won't back down from anyone no matter their size. He is a powerful skater that possesses good puck skills and a good scoring touch around the net. Liam plays in every situation and is effective on both the power play and penalty kill because of his hard work and determination. He is a player that other teams hate to play against."

10. Owen Sound Attack - Deni Goure (Chatham-Kent Cyclones) 5.09.5 159Ib. RC

"Deni is a complete player that does everything for his team. He plays in every situation including manning the point on the power play and he is also a very effective penalty killer. Deni is a good skater with good quickness and can beat defenders with his speed. He has good puck skills which allow him to make plays at high speed. He sees the ice very well and is unselfish with the puck. Deni battles hard every shift and logs a ton of ice time for his team."

11. Peterborough Petes - J.R. Avon (Peterborough Jr. Petes) 5.09.5 173Ib. LC

"J.R. is the motor that makes his team drive in every aspect of the game. He is an explosive skater that has another gear when he needs it. J.R. has a very good skill set and plays an unselfish game as he is always looking to set up his teammates for scoring chances. He is a tireless worker that is always competing each and every shift. He is a smart player and is counted on to contribute in every situation during the course of a game."

12. Mississauga Steelheads - Ethan Del Mastro (Toronto Marlboros) 6.02 184Ib. LD

"Ethan has very good mobility in all directions and has a powerful stride in open ice. His puck skills allow him to make plays in all three zones. He competes hard every shift and isn't afraid to take the body. He has thrown many big open ice hits this season. Ethan is solid in his own end, plays hard and can make a good outlet pass. He was a big part of the success his team had and will play big minutes in the future at the next level."

13. Kitchener Rangers - Francesco Pinelli (Toronto Red Wings) 5.11 171Ib. LC

"Francesco is one of the most dangerous offensive players in this year's Priority Selection. He has the ability to beat defenders in numerous ways. He is an unselfish player that makes everyone around him better. He is a good skater with deceiving speed in open ice. Francesco has a very high hockey IQ and anticipates the play well. He is used in every situation and is always on the ice at the end of the game when his team needs a goal or is trying to protect a lead."

14. Guelph Storm - Danny Zhilkin (Toronto Marlboros) 5.11.25 178Ib. LC

"Danny is a skilled player with the ability to make plays that most can't. He is creative and plays an unselfish game. He makes his teammates better as he gets them the puck in the right situations which usually result in scoring chances. Danny is equally dangerous as a playmaker and as a goal scorer with a good shot with a very quick release. He is an explosive skater with elite top-end speed. Danny is an elite offensive player that will produce at the next level."

15. Sudbury Wolves - Landon McCallum (Brantford 99ers) 5.10 155Ib. RC

"Landon is one of the go-to guys on his team this season. He is the type of centre that you love to have on your team and hate to play against. He competes hard every shift and always seems to have his nose involved in the play one way or the other. He is a smooth skater with the ability to beat you with his speed one-on-one. He is always looking to set up his wingers as he sees the ice so well. Landon is a smart and reliable player who doesn't take any shortcuts."

16. Oshawa Generals - Brett Harrison (London Jr. Knights) 6.00 154Ib. LC

"Brett is one of the purest goal scorers in the Alliance this season. He is extremely dangerous in the offensive zone whenever he is around the puck. He has elite puck skills and has the ability to beat you in a number of ways. He has a very good shot that he releases very quickly and with great accuracy. The puck seems to follow him around in the offensive zone and he always seems to capitalize on his chances. Brett played in every situation and was relied on to be the offensive leader for the Jr. Knights. Brett will continue to produce at the next level because of his offensive instincts and his overall skill."

17. Niagara IceDogs - Isaac Enright (Pembroke Lumber Kings U18) 5.10.5 172Ib. RD

"Isaac is one of the smoothest and smartest defencemen in this year's Priority Selection. He always has his head up and makes the simple and most effective play most of the time. He isn't afraid to join or lead the rush when the opportunity arises. Defensively he is always on the right side of the puck and uses a very active stick to knock pucks away. Isaac is effective on the offensive blue line, quarterbacking the power play. He is a smart player that will be effective at the next level."

18. Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds - Jacob Holmes (York-Simcoe Express) 6.00.5 170Ib. LD

"Jacob is a mobile defender that can skate with anyone. He loves to jump up and join or even sometimes lead the rush and uses his skating ability to get back and cover his position well. He has good puck skills and vision from the back end. Jacob makes good outlet passes and transitions the puck well in the neutral zone. His mobility allows him to move along the offensive blue line well and he finds the open lane to the net well."

19. Saginaw Spirit - Connor Punnett (North Central Predators) 6.00.5 179Ib. LD

"Connor is a tough stay at home defender that makes it very hard on the opposition in his own end. He is very physical and uses his explosive skating to close gaps. He has very good mobility and makes good crisp outlet passes. Connor usually plays a very simple game, moving the puck quickly and jumping into the rush when the opportunity arises. He is solid defensively and alert to what is going on around him. Connor is an intimidating presence when he is on the ice."

20. London Knights - Stuart Rolofs (Kanata Lasers U18) 6.01 190 LW

"Stuart is a big power forward that is at his best when he is going up and down his wing and driving the net for scoring chances. He is an above average skater that is good when he is at full speed and is hard to stop when he gets going. He has good puck skills and can make plays in tight. He got off to a slower start to the season but really elevated his game down the stretch and was much more productive. Stuart plays a heavy game and is at his best when he involved physically in all areas of the ice."

21. Ottawa 67's - Jack Matier (Soo Thunderbirds) 6.02.5 163Ib. RD

"Jack is an intimidating presence on the back end. He is an above average skater with good mobility, has a very good understanding of the game and makes smart plays both with and without the puck. He is strong on the offensive blue line, has very good composure and makes good shot/pass decisions, especially on the power play. Jack moves the puck quickly and with purpose."

Check out the Ontario Hockey League Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 6, 2019


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.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central