Frontenacs to pick fifth overall in OHL Priority Selection – The Kingston Whig-Standard

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The Kingston Frontenacs will be taking the fifth.

That doesnt mean the United States Fifth Amendment so they wont incriminate themselves in a crime, but the fifth selection in the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection scheduled for June 4 and 5.

Kingston was awarded the pick on Wednesday evening in the first-ever OHL draft lottery. Since there were no games in 2020-21, all teams were given an equal chance for the top 2005 birth-year selection.

The Sudbury Wolves were awarded the first overall selection, with the Oshawa Generals receiving the second pick, followed by the Guelph Storm, Windsor Spitfires and Kingston.

Every OHL team had an equal opportunity to draw the first overall pick in the lottery process, with the final results determined by a computerized random number generator.

Among East Division rivals, the Peterborough Petes will draft sixth, the Ottawa 67s are at 12, and the Hamilton Bulldogs will pick 14 overall.

The OHL also announced the draft list for the Under-18 Draft (June 18), with Kingston selecting 14th, and the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft (June 30), with Kingston drafting 48th.

Frontenacs coach and general manager Paul McFarland said in an interview it was exciting to find out where the Frontenacs will draft in the priority selection.

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With everyone having the same odds, we didnt know how things were going to work out, and coming out with the fifth pick its a great opportunity for us to add another impact player to our organization, he said.

Obviously weve been working very hard on the draft to get ourselves organized, and well be very excited to call a player on that day at fifth overall.

Without minor midget AAA hockey and one-stop shopping scouting tournaments for top prospects in 2020-21 due to the pandemic, all OHL scouts and general managers faced challenges in evaluating players.

We all faced some scouting challenges this year, but at the end of the day those are all just really excuses, McFarland said.

We still found ways to see players, to evaluate players, whether it was going to rinks when everything was open and available or scouting through video, so youve got to do your homework and be the best prepared you can for the job and the task at hand, he said. No excuses are going to be made at our end; we will be prepared and ready to go on draft day.

McFarland said hes had virtual staff meetings during the lockdown and has spoken with many prospects over the past few months.

The priority selection will still last 15 rounds but will be held in a serpentine arrangement, with the order of selection in the first round reversing for Round 2 and also alternating each round thereafter. Kingston also picks 34th and 35th on the first evening of the draft.

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In 2019, centre Shane Wright, the exceptional status player and No. 1 choice in the priority selection by the Frontenacs, and defencemen Ty Nelson, the first overall selection by North Bay in 2020, were consensus first picks. If there is a cant-miss first overall selection in 2021, McFarland is not sharing his thoughts with the local media.

Youll have to ask someone else that one, he said.

OHL beat writer Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press said there are a number of players in the running for the No. 1 selection. The names that keep popping up, he said, are Oakville Rangers centre Calum Ritchie and defenceman Cameron Allan of the Toronto Young Nationals.

According to Prospect Pipeline, its top five rated players are defencemen Beau Akey of the Waterloo Wolves, Allan and Matthew Andonovski, and forwards Taeo Artichuk of the Markham Majors, ranked fourth, and Christopher Barlas of the Ottawa Jr. 67s, ranked fifth.

Ritchie is a six-foot-one, 180-pound pivot known for his two-way play and leadership qualities. His older brother, Ethan, is a member of the Frontenacs blue-line corps.

Youre not really evaluating where they are today, McFarland said. Youre trying to understand their potential and where theyre going to be at 17, 18 or 19 years old when they are playing in this league.

Sometimes the best guy today is not always the best guy tomorrow, and thats the challenge that comes with any draft.

The priority selection is just the first step in the development of an OHL player, McFarland said.

For us, weve got to work every day to help our guys get better and obviously grow within their game, he said. I think were all excited for the next season to start. Were champing at the bit to be back around the players every day.

From a coaching side, what we love most is getting a chance to practise, getting a chance to be on the bench for games, and thats what were all excited for. And were excited for our players to have that opportunity next year as well.

imacalpine@postmedia.com

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Frontenacs to pick fifth overall in OHL Priority Selection - The Kingston Whig-Standard