Scouting the NB Trappers
A consensus is that as many as seven players from the first-place North Bay Trappers of the Great North Midget Hockey League could become selections at the 2017 Ontario Hockey League draft.
According to a HockeyNewsNorth.com sampling of a few OHL general managers and scouts, leading the skilled set of 2001 birth-year prospects from North Bay is slick, right-handed-shooting defenseman Payton Vescio.
Others from the Trappers who are garnering various levels of attention ahead of the 2017 OHL draft are forwards Matt Hardwick, Cole Craft and Ryan Mills, defensemen Kobe Seguin and Jake Peterson-Galema and goalie Joel Rainville.
Current projection on the 6 foot-1, 170-pound Vescio is that he will be selected within the top three or four rounds at the 2017 OHL draft.
The book on Vescio according to North Bay head coach Guy Blanchard is that besides having high-end, puck-moving ability, the youngster “is very, very smart and makes good decisions.
“Defensively, he never gets beat one-on-one. His backward skating is very strong and when he goes into the corner, he comes away with the puck,” Blanchard added, in further praise of Vescio.
Vescio has hockey bloodlines traced to his father, Kevin Vescio, who was a second-round pick of the erstwhile North Bay Centennials back in 1982 and went on to play four full OHL seasons in the Gateway City.
Ironically, Blanchard was an assistant coach under the late, legendary Bert Templeton with the Centennials when the elder Vescio was an OHL defenseman in North Bay.
While saying that he “can’t say for sure” where he thinks what round Vescio and the others will be taken at the 2017 OHL draft, Blanchard did say that he believes seven of his Trappers have a good chance of being selected.
“But you never know. I told our kids that the longer we play this season the more exposure they will get and the more they will be seen by the scouts,” Blanchard pointed out. “If we get to the Ontario championships, every scout from the OHL is going to be in attendance along with coaches from the American schools.
“We have some kids who are sleepers for the draft who are really coming on the past while,” Blanchard continued.
Blanchard added that as a top 2001 birth-year goalie from the Great North, Rainville “is going to get drafted. I can almost guarantee you that.”
BABER IS TOP PROSPECT
As North Bay looks to have as many as seven players picked at the 2017 OHL draft, the top prospect from the Great North loop is said to be high-scoring, hard-nosed, free-wheeling forward Camaryn Baber from the Soo Greyhounds midgets.
PHOTO: North Bay Trappers defenseman Payton Vescio, in Great North midget action against the Soo Greyhounds. (Photo by Ali Pearson.)
Nice article RR .. you should come live in the Bay!
Really hope Sault Major reads this article. How can North Bay have 7 on the radar and the Sault only 1.
Don’t say it’s a weak birth, don’t say the good kids left. Start asking around and find out what you’re doing wrong.
2 kids drafted last year, likely one this year and possibly none with the 2002 group. Change is needed now.
Ask the former executives of soo minor why?
Dave I don’t understand your post?
As we all know Soo Minor is dead. Can’t ask them anything.
Sault Major needs a shake up. Current level of hockey within the Sault is embarrassing. Look at the rankings (As of Dec. 21st 2016)
Midget Minor AAA – we don’t have a team – & our kids biggest year.
Midget Minor AA – ranked 29 out of 66 teams. This would be our MM AAA team
Bantam Major AAA – ranked 53 out of 57 teams.
Bantam Minor AAA – ranked 52 out of 54 teams.
PeeWee Major AAA – ranked 13 out of 56 teams
PeeWee Minor AAA – ranked 49 out of 59 teams
Atom Major AAA – ranked 54 out of 56 teams & now without a head coach.
Our teams are almost dead last in four of the 5 AAA team rankings. Only one team has a decent ranking, the PeeWee AAA team.
Stats don’t lie my friend. Something is terribly wrong.
Change is needed, time is now.
I love the “northern exposure” that the kids are getting.
You do such a great job Randy you know that.
North Bay are kicking our ass and they are doing it with all the 2001 kids. What the f–k is going on in the Sault with our Minor Hockey system I ask ?????????? What a joke a piss ass Town such as North Bay even has a better Hockey system than we do. All these nobs with the Sault minor hockey when is this Bull Shit ever going to end ??????????
Randy your a joke , if you like northbay so much move there , they will love you there
Bloopsssss,
At least I have the culjones to sign my name to what I write unlike you, a coward who mouths off while hiding behind an alias.
Merry Christmas. Perhaps Santa Claus will bring you a set a balls for a present.
And thanks for reading and visiting the site, by the way.
Cheers!
North Bay’s moving ahead of the Sault in producing players for the next level so it certannly seems. Perhaps the truth hurts but if then so be it.
Wow people .
It’s been years since North Bay has been in a similar position.
And has there ever been so many on the radar? ?
Every area has cycles. And Soo and Suds have owned most of the dominance over the past many years.
Just seems to be the bays turn, and they (parents and organizers) have worked hard to develop their players.