Three prospects added
The North Bay Battalion made defenceman Sam Weedmark of the Don Mills Flyers U18s its first-round pick Wednesday in the Ontario Hockey League Under-18 Priority Selection.
The Battalion took goaltender Logan Coates of the North Bay Trappers U18s in the second round and right winger Alex Kontos of the Toronto Red Wings U18s in the third and final round.
Weedmark, selected sixth overall, had one goal and nine assists for 10 points with 62 penalty minutes in 38 regular-season games with Don Mills. A six-foot-five, 181-pound Toronto resident, he turned 17 on Feb. 12.
“Sam is a big, strong defenceman with good skating ability who came highly recommended for his work ethic and coachability,” said Adam Dennis, director of hockey operations.
“We look forward to working with Sam and having him at development camp in a few weeks.”
Coates played 21 regular-season games for the Trappers, posting a 2.13 goals-against average and a won-lost record of 15-2. The six-foot-three, 170-pound North Bay resident turned 17 on Jan. 12.
“Logan is a goalie who easily could have been a draft last year,” noted Dennis. “He had another great season with the Trappers and intrigued us with his mix of size and athleticism.”
In 34 regular-season games with the Red Wings, Kontos, chosen 44th overall, scored six goals and added as many assists for 12 points. A Toronto resident who stands six feet and weighs 181 pounds, he turned 17 on Feb. 22.
“Alex is a tireless worker who does all of the little things to help his team win games,” said Dennis. “He came highly recommended for his character, work ethic and leadership traits. He’ll fit in well with our current group of prospects.”
Since the process was established in 2017, three members of the Battalion have been selected in it, starting with North Bay tabbing defenceman Ryan Thompson eighth overall in 2019. Two who played with the Troops this season emerged from the selections, defenceman Jonathan Kapageridis, taken second overall in 2024 by the Sarnia Sting, and goaltender Carter Nadon, chosen 16th overall by the Battalion.
The 20 clubs, connected to the OHL office in Toronto, made their selections via the Internet. Picks were made in inverse order of the overall standings from 2024-25, with the four non-playoff teams exercising their first choices in accordance with the weighted lottery that determined the selection order for the first four picks in the Priority Selection held last Friday night and Saturday.
The Peterborough Petes had the No. 1 pick and selected centre Sebastian Dzieciol of the Ottawa Myers Automotive U18s.
Clubs were obligated to make picks through two rounds, with any team choosing a goaltender having the option to make a third selection, who had to be a skater. A total of 40 skaters and 11 goaltenders were selected.
All U18 players not on a Canadian Hockey League team’s protected list who were carded with an Ontario-based AAA hockey club or an accredited Hockey Canada sport school within the Ontario Hockey Federation, Hockey Northwestern Ontario or Hockey Eastern Ontario in 2024-25 were eligible for selection.
