OHL Draft Notebook
A few notes and anecdotes pertaining to the annual Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft:
STORM WATCH
For the third year in a row the Guelph Storm took a player from Sault Ste. Marie when it selected left winger Keegan Stevenson with the first pick of the sixth round at Saturday’s 2016 OHL draft.
In 2015, Guelph selected defenseman Nolan Makkonen from the Soo midgets in the ninth round.
And in 2014, the Storm drafted forward Nicolas Sicoly of the Soo in the fourth round.
Sicoly made the jump to the OHL as a 1998 birth-year rookie this 2015-2016 season and in 64 games for last-place Guelph, he tallied 8 goals, 5 assists, 13 points.
Guelph’s connection to Sault Ste. Marie is Jimmy Mancuso, who serves as the Storm’s northern Ontario scout, a position he has held for a number of years.
SON OF A GROULX
Owen Sound Attack snagged the son of one of the most-prolific point-getters in OHL history when it took forward Daylon Groulx from the Southern Tier Admirals in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.
The youngster is the son of former Soo Greyhounds centre Wayne Groulx, who put up mind-boggling numbers during a spectacular four-year OHL career that ended in 1985.
Regular season and playoffs included, the elder Groulx scored 232 goals, 347 assists for an amazing 579 points in 328 career games as a Greyhound.
SON OF AN OLD 67
Ottawa 67’s looked to the son of an alumnus when they selected right winger Trevor Peca from the Buffalo Jr. Sabres in the sixth round of the 2016 draft.
Peca is the son of former 67’s star forward Michael Peca, who would go on to play in close to 1,000 National Hockey League games.
As an OHLer, Peca represents one of the best trades ever made by legendary former 67’s coach-general manager Brian Kilrea.
It was midway through the 1991-1992 season when Kilrea fleeced Sudbury Wolves general manager Sam McMaster in a one-sided trade.
Somehow, Kilrea managed to send 19-year old goalie Mike Lenarduzzi to Sudbury for 19-year old goalie Dan Ryder and a then 17-year old Peca.
Not only did Ryder put up better numbers for Ottawa than Lenarduzzi did for Sudbury but Peca played two more seasons with the 67’s after the two goalies had graduated.
In back-to-back full seasons with the 67’s, Peca produced 38 goals, 64 assists, 102 points in 1992-1993 and then capped his OHL career in 1993-1994 with 50 goals, 63 assists, 113 points.
TIME FOR TASSONE
There should be no shortage of OHL tryout opportunities this off-season for Mark Tassone, a 1999 birth-year forward who has suited up this 2015-2016 campaign for the Soo Thunderbirds as one of the youngest players in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
Not only does Tassone have solid size at 5-foot-11, 177 pounds but he has a nice combination of skill and speed to go with a good scoring touch as evidenced by his 13 regular-season goals as the youngest player on the Thunderbirds. He’s also a character kid from a good family, which only helps.
The OHL is just one avenue that could open up for Tassone, who somehow was bypassed when first up for selection at the 2015 draft.
Besides any OHL tryout offers, Northern Michigan Wildcats of the Division 1, Western Collegiate Hockey Association have shown more than a passing interest in Tassone, who is represented by seasoned player advisor David Maciuk of JDM Sports.
Also noticed that former Hound Paul Beraldo (39 goals 1986/87) son Aiden was drafted by Peterborough!
Mike Torchia’ s son Nathan drafted as well! Torchia starred for Kitchener in a memorable Memorial Cup led by the Eric Lindros led Oshawa Generals (Mike is still seen often on Kitchener TV broadcasts)
I believe Torchia’s son is also a goalie.
Great to see Mark Tassone getting the recognition he rightfully deserves. Sad to say he should have left town in his minor midget year. Mark is a highly skilled player with gifted hands and hockey sense who was always years ahead of his age group since Tom Thumb . A great kid on and off the ice. I wish this kid the best and it would be great to see him play Division 1 down the road.
Hey that’s the result of our so called positive scouts in this town lol!! Good job Jim Mancuso.