Scouting the Great North
To be sure, when it comes to scouting — and subsequently picking — players for the annual Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft there is a preference towards those from associations that include the Greater Toronto Hockey League and the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario. Which is fine, to an extent.
Still, the Northern Ontario Hockey Association, through its Great North Under 18 League, has had a pretty good run of players taken by OHL teams over the past three priority selections drafts.
Thirteen players from the Great North were taken at the 2024 OHL priority selections draft. And before that, 11 players from the Great North were drafted at each of the 2023 and 2022 OHL priority selections processes.
To be sure, there is a tendency by certain OHL teams to pay closer attention to the Great North than others. Sudbury Wolves, North Bay Battalion, Barrie Colts, Flint Firebirds and Saginaw Spirit are among the OHL teams that seem to recognize the Great North more than others. (And it can said that the Windsor Spitfires have at least recently taken the time to do due diligence and inquire about players from the Great North.)
This is not intended as a shot towards OHL teams who don’t give the time of day to players just because they happen to be from “up north” — as some of the loafing, listless, work-shy scouts have been known to say, with sarcasm. Then again, maybe it is a jab. No matter. The old hockey writer here will always try to promote players from the north, even to those OHL scouts and general managers who wear geographical blinders and are convinced that the hockey world begins and ends in the GTA.
At any rate, the fact of the matter is that there is considerable talent that scores, defends and stops pucks within the ranks of the Great North in a given season. (There are also players from northern Ontario who stay home to develop until age 15 when they move away to play elsewhere for reasons such as wanting more exposure or wishing to get away from certain associations who do not have a proper handle on development.)
At any rate, without further ado, following is a mention of 15 skaters and two goalies from the Great North who make our initial Hockey News North list of 2009 birth year players who OHL teams might be wise to give more than a passing glance to ahead of the 2025 OHL priority selections draft. They are listed by forward, defense and goalie positions and in alphabetical order.
FORWARDS
Nico Bossio, Soo U16 Jr. Greyhounds. Grady Dale, North Bay U16 Trappers. Ty Dubreuil, North Bay U16 Trappers. Mikael Guerin, Sudbury U16 Wolves. Wyatt Jarratt, Soo U16 Jr. Greyhounds. Gillis O’Daiskey, Sudbury U16 Wolves. Sam Piette, Sudbury U16 Wolves. Adam Pszeniczny, Soo U16 Jr. Greyhounds. Owen Smith, North Bay U16 Trappers.
DEFENSEMEN
Dreyon Boissoneau, Soo U16 Jr. Greyhounds. Carter Brownlee, North Bay U16 Trappers. Kingston Kellar, Soo U16 Jr. Greyhounds. Tanner Morris, Sudbury U16 Wolves. Rob Landry, Sudbury U16 Wolves. Frankie Reda, Soo U16 Jr. Greyhounds.
GOALIES
Tyson McMahon, Sudbury U16 Wolves. Cooper Peever, New Liskeard Cubs.
Where’s Vincent? Better points per game than many here. And many stronger two way players missing, have you actually watched much of these players ?
I think we need to remember that we are talking about kids. A group of kids who all work hard and are passionate about hockey. Not everyone is going to see things the same way.
I’m sure there are kids who are deserving and feeling disappointed that they weren’t mentioned. Having said that, can we not support and be kind to the kids that were and hope that they all have the fairest shot at achieving their dreams?
From the sounds of this you must be related to Vincent, He is a good young player who can score but small in size and does not have elite speed for his frame, points in the great north don’t mean much it’s all about tournament play.