Eight players with ties to New England were picked in Saturday’s OHL Priority Selection, the annual draft of Canada’s major junior league based mostly in Ontario.
The birth year for the 2020 OHL Priority Selection was 2004s, but a few players in the 2003 birth year were picked late in the proceedings. Players from Ontario, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania were eligible for the draft.
Players from New England are considered in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) territory and not able to be picked in the OHL Priority Selection. Being drafted doesn’t impact a player’s collegiate eligibility, but by signing and playing in the OHL, a player forfeits his ability to play Division I college hockey in the U.S.
Kimball Union sophomore and Toronto native Adam Fantilli, projected to be the first-overall pick before signing a tender in the USHL with the Chicago Steel, went 18th overall to the Saginaw Spirit.
Surprisingly, Fantilli wasn’t the first player from a New England prep school to be selected. South Kent Selects Academy 15-Only center David Goyette was taken in the first round with the 11th-overall pick by the Sudbury Wolves. Teammate Vinny Borgesi, a defenseman committed to Northeastern, was taken in the ninth round by the Guelph Storm. The Philadelphia, Pa., native previously signed a tender in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm.
A pair of North Jersey Avalanche 16-U players committed to Boston University were plucked off the board, despite being named to the U.S. NTDP U-17 roster late last month. Defenseman Lane Hutson and right wing Devin Kaplan were selected in the seventh and 12th rounds by the Kingston Frontenacs and Kitchener Rangers, respectively.
Forward Sam Lipkin, a teammate with the Avs, was a 13th-round pick of the Saginaw Spirit. The Quinnipiac commit was one of the few ‘03s taken.
Another ’03 selected was UMass commit Kenny Connors, a center with Mount Saint Charles 16-U. The Kitchener Rangers scooped him up in the 11th round. Fellow UMass commit Patrick Czarnecki, a defenseman for Honeybaked 15-Only, was drafted in the 11th round by the Owen Sound Attack.
This was the first OHL Priority Selection since the NCAA implemented new recruiting legislation last May that prevents colleges from contacting and committing players before a certain year in school. While some ‘04s had committed to schools before the enactment of the recruiting legislation, several high-end players were uncommitted when in past years they likely would have had a commitment.
It’s probably too early to tell if the new NCAA legislation will have a negative impact on schools hoping to recruit elite players who will be courted by major junior teams. In total, 17 committed players were selected in Saturday’s draft.
I’m a staunch supporter of college hockey and believe that USA Hockey, the American Hockey Coaches Association, College Hockey, Inc., and other stakeholders of hockey in the states need to do whatever it takes to keep players from going to major junior.
While I understand there are different paths and I value the tradition and importance Canada holds in this great game, I believe USA Hockey should put an even greater emphasis on educating its players and incentivizing players to going the college route.
I’m not sure the new NCAA recruiting legislation is good for college hockey and the number of Americans taken in Saturday’s draft should be concerning. Honeybaked 15-Only forward Max Namestnikov, previously committed to Michigan State, was the third-overall pick of the Sarnia Sting. Teammate Spencer Sova, a defenseman, went eighth overall to the Erie Otters. Compuware 15-Only forwards Ryan Abraham and Gavin Hayes went 14th overall to the Windsor Spitfires and 16th overall to the Flint Firebirds, respectively.
I’d like to see college hockey reconvene and push for the NCAA to lower the age limit for the sport due to the threat from Canadian major junior leagues that other big college sports such as football and basketball don’t have to deal with.
