Sports stats



OHL Saginaw Spirit

Spirit Prospects Prepare for 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville

June 28, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Nashville, Tenn. - As the Upper Deck NHL Draft begins tonight at Bridgestone Arena, several Spirit players hope to have their name called by one of the NHL's 32 clubs.

Saginaw saw four of its players finish the season among NHL Central Scouting's North American Rankings: Luke McNamara (#100), Joey Willis (#174), Calem Mangone (#214), and goaltender Andrew Oke (#29). For McNamara, Willis, and Mangone, it is their first year of NHL Draft eligibility.

C - LukeMcNamara - #100

From Mississauga, Ont., second-year Spirit center Luke McNamara caught the eyes of NHL scouts in 2023 and is Saginaw's highest-ranked skater by NHL Central Scouting. The 6'2" left-shot center set career highs across the board in his second season of OHL action, with 27 points (8G, 19A) in 67 games. McNamara won 300 faceoffs in the 2022-2023 season, placing him third among Spirit centers.

C/LW - Joey Willis - #174

Joey Willis began his OHL career as a 17-year-old rookie in 2022-2023. He appeared in all 68 of Saginaw's regular season games, tallying 15 goals with 29 assists for 44 points. In postseason play, Willis was again dressed for all 11 of his team's games, adding six more points (4G, 2A). At season's end, the Elmhurst, Ill. native joined teammates Michael Misa and Zayne Parekh on the OHL's First All-Rookie Team. His 44 points were 5th among OHL rookies, and he was one of only two rookies in the entire league to play all 68 regular season games (Easton Cowan, LDN).

RW - Calem Mangone - #214

Mangone rounds out Saginaw's corps of skaters on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft. In his most productive OHL season so far, the Sault Ste. Marie native notched 47 points (18G, 29A) in 67 games played.

G - Oke - #29 (goaltenders)

In a season that saw him win bronze with Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championship, Andrew Oke was one of seven OHL goaltenders that wound up on NHL Central Scouting's list. In his second OHL season, Oke picked up 10 wins for the Spirit with a 3.45 GAA and .892 SV%. He picked up six straight victories beginning in late October, helping power the Spirit to a nine-game winning streak that tied a franchise record and landed them on the CHL's power rankings.

Along with McNamara, Willis, and Mangone, Saginaw has six other skaters who are eligible for their first NHL Draft:

- RW Nic Sima

- LW Sebastien Gervias

- LW David Brown

- D Olivier Savard

- D James Guo

- D PJ Forgione

The Spirit have had 63 players taken in the NHL Draft since the team's inception in 2002. Most recently, center Matyas Sapovaliv (48th overall, Vegas Golden Knights) and then-Spirit defenseman Pavel Mintyukov (10th overall, Anaheim Ducks) were selected in the 2022 NHL Draft. Mintyukov tied Spirit alum Cole Perfetti (10th Overall, Winnipeg Jets, 2020) as the highest-drafted player in team history.

How to watch

The draft begins at 7pm EST tonight, and can be seen live on ESPN, as well as heard live on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. Rounds 2-7 will begin tomorrow at 11am EST, televised on NHL Network, and broadcast on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio.

For real-time information on the Spirit at the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, follow the team on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from June 28, 2023


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.

OurSports Central