A’s add four in draft
The St. Catharines Athletics picked up four talented players in the OJLL draft Sunday. File photo: BILL POTRECZ
The St. Catharines WMKL Athletics stocked their prospect cupboard Sunday, picking up four promising players at the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League Entry Draft.
“We’re super happy with everyone we got,” A’s general manager Jeff Chcoski said. “It was kind of what we planned.
“We truly got the four guys we thought we would get, which is good.”
Chcoski said all four would have an opportunity to earn a spot on next year’s squad as the A’s are in the first year of a retool after winning the Ontario title last summer.
The Athletics did not own a selection in the first round but had four picks in the second round, adding an additional selection when they traded forward Trent Jackson to Oakville for the 14th pick overall and Mimico’s second-round selection in 2023.
The A’s used that selection to choose defender Kaelen Smith of Wallaceburg. Smith is the grandson of former A’s general manager Jim Hopgood.
“Huge St. Catharines ties. I talked to the dad and they are super-excited to get down here,” Chcoski said. “They still have a lot of roots down here.”
Chcoski said Smith is a great physical specimen.
“He’s got muscles on muscles,” Chcoski said. “He’s legit and he’s got five years.”
Four picks later, with the 18th overall selection, the A’s chose forward Carson Robins of Huntsville.
“We liked him a lot,” Chcoski said. “He’s a 6-foot-2, lefty, offensive guy.
“He’s going to be really good from everyone I talked to. He’s going to be a real asset in the future.”
Robins has local ties as well. His father’s family hail from Welland.
With the 21st overall pick, the A’s added forward Laden Johnson, who played in Niagara-on-the-Lake and has huge St. Catharines ties — his uncles are former A’s Rich Kilgour, Travis Kilgour and Daris Kilgour.
“That was monstrous for us to bring the Kilgour family back into the program because of the ties they have had all that time,” Chcoski said.
With the final pick of the second round, the A’s selected Jack Moores of Oshawa on the suggestion of head coach Steve Toll, who resides in Oshawa.
“He’s a hard-hitting D who we’re excited to have here too,” Chcoski said.
Next year, the A’s have stockpiled four first-round picks and two seconds.
“We always knew the 06s (2006-born players) were a group we wanted to target,” Chcoski said.
The A’s will be holding runs Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Haig Bowl.
Players wishing to attend can sign up on the A’s website at: https://www.stcatharinesjra.com.
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