Battalion selects next wave
The North Bay Battalion made centre Jax Pereira of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16s the first of its 13 picks Saturday, the second and final day of the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
When the first three rounds were conducted Friday night, the Battalion made two picks, choosing Jr. Canadiens centre Cam Warren sixth overall in the first round and defenceman Carter Kunopaski of the Ottawa Valley Titans U16s in the second round, 29th overall.
The Battalion, with 15 picks in the 15-round process, selected eight forwards, comprising three centres, three right wingers and two left wingers, five defencemen and two goaltenders. All the club’s selections were born in 2009 and played on Ontario teams.
“I know a lot of people say this, but we got most of the guys we wanted off our list,” said Adam Dennis, president and director of hockey operations. “I thought the first five or six guys could have gone on Day 1. With the nature of the hockey landscape and the (National Collegiate Athletic Association) eligibility ruling, there wasn’t really anyone who had alternative plans but to come to the OHL. We really prioritized Ontario kids, and across the draft we got some good players we are going to see play here in a couple of years.”
Of the Battalion’s newest prospects, Dennis said: “There’s a lot of high-end skill up front, and on the back end we got a lot of guys who are really tough to play against. We were hard pressed to score this season and, just looking at that high-end skill, the creativity and the ability to create speed and scoring chances was really important. We’ve added to our identity and we are really looking forward to seeing some of these guys here in person.”
The Battalion chose Pereira, a left shot, at 67th overall. A resident of Uxbridge, Ont., he registered seven goals and 17 assists for 24 points in 31 regular-season games and added eight points, including four goals, in eight games at the OHL Cup. The five-foot-10, 156-pound Pereira turns 16 on May 6.
“Jax is a 200-foot player,” said general manager John Winstanley. “He’s really complete the way he plays the game. We felt he was the straw that stirs the drink for his team this year. We had Cam Warren in North Bay last night, and he couldn’t say enough good things about him. He’s a centre, but he can play left wing. He’s very versatile.”
With the first of two fifth-round picks, 87th overall, the Troops took goaltender Cole Vreugdenhil of the Halton Hurricanes U16s. The six-foot-three 202-pounder posted a won-lost record of 23-3 in 27 regular-season games with a 1.42 goals-against average. He played four games in the OHL Cup, going 1-3 with a 2.01 GAA and a .930 save percentage. A resident of Hannon, Ont., he turns 16 on Nov. 3.
“He’s a big kid,” said Mavric Parks, the Battalion’s director of goaltending. “He has an extremely high hockey IQ. We’re really excited to get him. We thought he’d be taken in the first day. His coaches say he’s a hard-working kid who puts in the time on and off the ice. He’s going to be a special player.”
Two picks later, at No. 89, the Battalion chose left winger Lincoln Edwards of the Don Mills Flyers U16s. A five-foot-nine 159-pounder from Toronto, Edwards had 26 goals and 23 assists for 49 points in 30 regular-season games and added seven points, including four goals, in seven games at the OHL Cup. He turns 16 on Sept. 12.
“Lincoln is a high-energy forward,” said Jeff Bateman, Battalion director of player personnel. “He plays with pace and a high compete level. He can bury the puck. He’s one of those kids who can do it all.”
North Bay’s sixth-round pick, 109th overall, was Oskar Konobelj, a left-shot defenceman from the Ottawa Jr. 67’s U16s. Konobelj, a native of Kranj, Slovenia, produced 12 points, including seven goals, and 51 penalty minutes in 27 regular-season games. The six-foot-three, 170-pound rearguard turns 16 on May 29.
“Oskar is a kid with a really high ceiling,” said Pat Domenico of the Battalion’s scouting staff. “He’s a big kid who has a mean streak. He’s a really good skater with a big shot and pretty good hands.”
The Troops went back to the Jr. Canadiens in the seventh round, choosing right winger Ben Maharaj with the 129th pick. The Toronto resident had six goals and six assists for 12 points in 32 regular-season games and added three points, including one goal, in eight games at the OHL Cup. Maharaj, who was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, is six-foot-one and 168 pounds. He turns 16 on June 1.
With the first of two picks in the eighth round, the Battalion selected Halton defenceman Colton D’Amico 149th overall. A five-foot-10, 186-pound resident of Rockwood, Ont., he scored 12 goals and added 25 assists for 37 points in 34 regular-season games. He had four points, including two goals, in four OHL Cup games. A right shot, he turns 16 on April 23.
The club’s next pick, 155th overall, was another blueliner, Richard Wang, a left shot from Don Mills. Wang, five-foot-11 and 171 pounds, had four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in 25 regular-season games and scored four goals in seven games in the OHL Cup. A native of the Chinese province of Henan who lives in Toronto, he turned 16 on Jan. 2.
In the ninth round at No. 169, North Bay tabbed right winger Isaac Tracze of the Quinte Red Devils U16s. A five-foot-11, 165-pound resident of Quinte West, Ont., Tracze contributed four goals and 16 assists for 20 points with 44 penalty minutes in 30 regular-season games. He appeared in two games with the Cobourg Cougars of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. Tracze turns 16 on July 31.
The Troops’ 10th-round choice, 189th overall, was left winger Dylan Nobili of the Vaughan Kings U16s. Nobili, six feet and 176 pounds, had nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points in 33 regular-season games. A resident of Vaughan, Ont., he turns 16 on May 22.
The Battalion looked close to home in the 11th round, choosing right-shot centre Owen Smith of the North Bay Trappers U16s with the 209th selection. A five-foot-nine, 158-pound North Bay resident, Smith produced 14 goals and 30 assists for 44 points in 30 regular-season games and added three points, including two goals, in four games with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association entry at the OHL Cup. He turns 16 on Sept. 17.
The Troops took goaltender Gavin Zepp of the St. Andrew’s College U18s, based in Aurora, Ont., in the 12th round, 229th overall. A five-foot-11, 157-pound resident of Bradford, Ont., who turns 16 on April 27, Zepp appeared in 23 games with a record of 6-12 and a 3.18 GAA. His father, Rob, played three OHL seasons with the Plymouth Whalers and, after a long minor pro career in the U.S., Finland and Germany, appeared in 10 National Hockey League games with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2014-15.
The Battalion’s pick in the 13th round, 261st overall, was right-shot defenceman Karter Buchmann of the North Bay Trappers U18s. A five-foot-11 154-pounder from North Bay, Buchmann had one goal and 12 assists for 13 points in 32 games. He turned 16 on March 30.
The Battalion used its final selection to take right winger James Rosenberg of the Toronto Red Wings U16s in the 14th round, 269th overall. Rosenberg had 12 points, including three goals, in 33 regular-season games. A five-foot-eight, 133-pound Toronto resident, he turned 16 on Wednesday.
The Peterborough Petes took centre Kaden McGregor of Ottawa Valley with the No. 1 pick on Friday night. Peterborough won a weighted lottery among the four non-playoff teams for the right to choose first in the first round. In all other cases, barring first-round compensatory picks or trades, the teams select in inverse order of the previous season’s standings.
Players registered in Ontario and U.S. states in the OHL’s draw area, mainly those born in 2009 but extending to 2006, were eligible for selection. Selections were made via the Internet from teams’ command centres connected to the league office in Toronto.
The 20 OHL clubs selected 303 prospects, made up of 169 forwards, 107 defencemen and 27 goaltenders. All but 20 were born in 2009, with 14 born in 2008 and six in 2007. U.S.-based clubs provided 81 selections.
