IceDogs primed for draft
Ryan Roobroeck of the London Junior Knights. PHOTO: neutralzone.net
The most important draft in the history of the Niagara IceDogs is quickly approaching and head scout Adam Henrich is convinced the club will be able to fill their shopping list.
The IceDogs will select second and fifth in the first round of the 2023 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection which begins Friday, April 21 with rounds 1-3 starting at 7 p.m. and continuing Saturday, April 22 beginning at 9 a.m. with rounds 4-15.
“I think we’re very fortunate because any one of those three or four of the top five we’re going to get are going to be franchise players,” Henrich said. “Right away, they’re going to make an impact.
“We’re really focused on drafting high character guys but also guys who can put the puck in the net. Guys who are skilled enough to score goals. That’s missing in our game as well as a solid 1A defenceman and hopefully we get a top goalie too.”
Henrich feels it is crucial for the organization to hit a home run with a pair of top-five picks after coming off the worst season in club history.
“We can’t go wrong here but we also know we can’t miss with what we need,” he said. “I think it’s so critical right now with what we’re in, first year owning the organization, and for the fans, for the city itself.
“It’s a rebuilding year. Darren (owner/general manager Darren DeDobbelaer) has worked really hard at trying to turn this thing around and we can make some serious changes here with our picks with players like Kevin He coming in and making an impact right away. Within a few years, we’re contending.”
Henrich, a former OHL first-round pick who is in his first season as head scout for the IceDogs, feels this year’s draft is both top-heavy with elite players and overall deep with talent.
The IceDogs own 17 picks, including a second-round pick and two in the third round.
“I would look at this similar to the NHL draft this year,” said Henrich, a 39-year-old Thornhill native. “You can count on two hands a really strong amount of players — if that — and then after that it gets really deep from 10 to as far as the 40-60 range.
“I’m excited about our top two picks but our second and third (picks) are just as important because there are some really good players who I think we might get at 28 or that third round range. You might go off the board even in the late first round. It’s that type of draft. You can’t underestimate any of out top picks. They’re still as important as the top two.”
Matt Schaefer, a defenceman from the Halton Hurricanes and younger brother of former IceDog Jonathon Schaefer, is generally thought of as the top rearguard while a case could easily be made for Brady Martin from the Waterloo Wolves as the best forward available.
Other top prospects include forwards Tyler Hopkins of Halton; Ryan Roobroeck of the London Junior Knights and younger brother of former IceDog Dylan Roobroeck; Owen Griffin of York Simcoe; Luca Romano and Jake O’Brien of the Toronto Junior Canadiens.
“Players like Ryan Roobroeck, he’s been the consensus No. 1 pick for the whole year,” Henrich said. “He’s a special hockey player. He has the ability to put up big numbers in the OHL within a quick time frame. You watch him in minor midget and it seems too easy for him sometime. Brady Martin can put on a clinic. He plays a 200-foot game. He just go, go, goes and then you have Matt Schaefer, an elite, two-way, offensive defenceman.
“We’ve been watching these kids all year. We’re getting to know them. We’re talking to their families and advisors.”
Last season, Sam Dickinson refused to report to the IceDogs after being selected fourth overall and was ultimately traded to the London Knights. In the past, Lucas Lessio, Logan Brown and Adam Bateman also turned down the organization after being selected in the first round.
Henrich said the process of recruiting players has been on going and will intensify over the next couple of weeks.
He remembers being courted by a team and having his parents turn down the organization.
“When I was drafted in 2000, seventh overall, I don’t want to say what team but the GM and scout came to my house and discussed with my parents and they respectfully declined because they didn’t want me going four hours away,” Henrich recalled. “That happens everywhere, every team. It’s not just Niagara.”
He feels the IceDogs have much to offer.
“It’s been a transition year. A lot of people want to know what we’re doing, what the program is like, they want to see what it’s all about and we have to sell them on that,” he said. “We have to show them this is an amazing place to play. Look at the fan support, look at the city. We have a new committed owner and GM who will do anything to upgrade this team. He has tons of passion. We have a new coach who has pro experience who is very intelligent in his own right.
“I think we have a lot of key selling points and my job, Darren’s job, the scouts’ job, is to show them what we have here.”
Teams are permitted to contact player’s agents and need permission from parents to deal directly with players.
“It seems like the agents are the ones who guide the players and that’s fair,” Henrich said. “The kids are kids. They come in and want to play. It’s more about comfort level. Who wants to leave home? Who wants to go here? Who wants to go there? What is their program? What does it look like?
“We always get questions but we’ve never had anyone say, no, no no. It’s always been, ‘We want to look into it, we want to find out what you guys are doing.’ That’s what we’re getting a lot but it’s not anything negative. When you get to the draft you hope everyone reports and they want to come.”
The Erie Otters own the first overall selection followed by Niagara, Sault Ste. Marie, Kingston and Niagara.
Ideally, the IceDogs would be able to add both a defenceman and a forward with those two picks.
“That’s a tricky one,” Henrich admitted. “There are those five or six guys right there. Ideally we know we need a D but we know we can get an elite forward. We’re lucky enough we think we can get an elite D and an elite forward with those two top five picks. That being said, if one of those D are gone, and we have two stud forwards, you can’t bypass. If there is a player I have rated at 20 I’m not taking him all the way to five. A 20th overall rated D man, we can get a guy very similar to him at 28, but we’re not going to get a four or five at 28.
“In our situation it’s a mix of what we need and best available.”
The IceDogs are also preparing for the Import Draft.
“We’re actively working hard on that,” Henrich said. “We have our contacts in Europe and we’re always looking at players who can upgrade and improve our situation. We have recognized and selected a few kids we might like but at this point we focus on the U16 draft.
“It’s a tricky situation. You really want to find a diamond in the rough who wants to come and can make an impact. There are so many amazing players overseas who can make an impact right away. If you look at the Europeans, for the most part, they’re impactful.”
Niagara’s 2023 picks
First round – 2 picks – 5th overall plus lottery pick.
Second round – 1 pick
Third round – 2 picks
Fourth round – 1 pick
Seventh round – 1 pick
Eighth round – 2 picks
Ninth round to 14th round – 1 pick per round
15th round – 2 picks
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