With their First Selection . . Ryder Carey
The North Bay Battalion made centre Ryder Carey of the Oakville Rangers U16s its first-round pick Friday night in the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
Carey, a right shot, was taken with the 16th selection in the 15-round process in which, after trades, North Bay has a total of 16 picks.
In 42 regular-season and playoff games, Carey, who turns 16 on Aug. 2, scored 30 goals and earned 36 assists for 66 points. The Oakville, Ont., resident stands six feet and weighs 174 pounds.
“I’m a power forward that can score goals and make plays, and I’m reliable defensively,” Carey said via text.
“I just think he’s a really competitive kid, watching him block big shots in the playoffs,” said Battalion general manager Adam Dennis. “He’s very smart positionally. There’s really not many ways that he doesn’t affect the game.”
The Battalion chose defenceman Kent Greer of the Barrie Jr. Colts U16s in the second round, 29th overall, exercising the Kingston Frontenacs’ position.
Greer, a right shot, is a five-foot-nine, 154-pound resident of Renfrew, Ont., who turned 16 on Feb. 7. In 45 regular-season, playoff and OHL Cup games, he scored 19 goals and added 40 assists for 59 points.
“I think I’m an offensive defenceman that skates really well and can see the ice very well,” Greer said via telephone. “I can also defend by using my stick and my IQ.”
Dennis said the two players, both of whom were expected to visit North Bay on Saturday, boast big-moment credentials.
“They played in a lot of big games in the last little while. They were big parts of their teams. They were guys that performed in big moments, and they’re hockey players. They’re not one-dimensional guys. They excel in certain areas, for sure, but they play the game the right way. We feel like they fit the mould that we covet.”
The Battalion did not have a choice in the third round, the last conducted Friday night before selections continue with the fourth through 15th rounds starting at 9 a.m. Saturday.
North Bay’s next choice comes in the fifth round, when the club again will exercise what originally was a Kingston pick at No. 90.
Players registered in Ontario and a number of U.S. states in the OHL’s draw area, primarily those born in 2008 but extending to 2005, are eligible for selection. Selections are made via the Internet from command centres connected to the league office in Toronto.
The Windsor Spitfires selected left winger Ethan Belchetz of Oakville with the No. 1 pick. Windsor, which won a weighted lottery among the four non-playoff clubs for the right to choose first, first announced the selection at a Thursday news conference at the WFCU Centre.