Great North recognition
All in all, it was a pretty-good showing by the Great North Midget Hockey League at the recent, first-ever, Ontario Hockey League under-18 draft.
After having eight players selected at the annual under-16 draft on April 8, the Great North loop had 10 of its products picked at the April 12, under-18 process.
Whether this suggests that players in the Great North develop a year or so later than others probably cannot be pinpointed in any sort of analytical manner.
But facts are facts.
A total of 300 players were picked at the 15-round under-16 OHL draft, eight of them from the Great North.
A total of 96 players were picked at the five-round under-18 OHL draft, 10 of them from the Great North.
In a sense, the 18 players picked by teams at the two drafts does indicate that OHL scouts have certainly not lost sight of the Great North.
Four of the seven teams in the Great North had players picked at the under-18 draft. Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves led the way with four players selected followed by Soo Greyhounds with three, North Bay Trappers with two and New Liskeard Cubs with one.
Three Great North teams had players picked at the under-16 draft. North Bay led the way with five selections, Sudbury Minor Midget Wolves had two and the Soo had one.
Recapping the under-18 OHL draft and the 10 players selected from the Great North.
1st round: Forward Caleb Boman, selected by Soo Greyhounds from Soo Greyhounds.
2nd round: Defenseman Bradon Caruso, selected by Guelph Storm from Soo Greyhounds.
2nd round: Goalie Alex Vendette, selected by Sudbury Wolves from Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves.
4th round: Defenseman Brandon Atkins, selected by Saginaw Spirit from Sudbury Capital Wolves.
4th round: Forward Mason McMahon, selected by Oshawa Generals from North Bay Trappers.
4th round: Defenseman Clark Allair, selected by Owen Sound Attack from New Liskeard Cubs.
5th round: Forward Nick Davis, selected by North Bay Battalion from North Bay Trappers.
5th round: Forward Matt Dokis-Dupuis, selected by Niagara IceDogs from Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves.
5th round: Forward Parker Savard, selected by Sudbury Wolves from Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves.
5th round: Forward Caleb Wood, selected by Soo Greyhounds from Soo Greyhounds.
Recapping the under-16 OHL draft and the eight players selected from the Great North.
3rd round: Forward Camaryn Baber, selected by Saginaw Spirit from Soo Greyhounds.
4th round: Defenseman Payton Vescio, selected by North Bay Battalion from North Bay Trappers.
7th round: Forward Joe Mazur, selected by Sudbury Wolves from Sudbury Minor Midget Wolves.
8th round: Forward Cole Craft, selected by Sarnia Sting from North Bay Trappers.
10th round: Forward Ryan Mills, selected by North Bay Battalion from North Bay Trappers.
12th round: Defenseman Kobe Seguin, selected by Soo Greyhounds from North Bay Trappers.
12th round: Forward Matt Hardwick, selected by North Bay Battalion from North Bay Trappers.
14th round: Forward Jarod Hurley, selected by Niagara IceDogs from Sudbury Minor Midget Wolves.
PHOTO: Defenseman Bradon Caruso of the Soo Greyhounds midgets was selected by the Guelph Storm at the under-18 OHL draft. (Photo by Ali Pearson.)
It probably didn’t hurt to have the OHFs hosted by Sudbury this year a couple weeks before the U18 draft with North Bay and the Wolves getting one last chance to show their stuff.