IceDogs awarded fourth pick in OHL draft
The Niagara IceDogs are no fans of the OHL Priority Selection Lottery.
For the second straight season, the IceDogs had the odds in their favour to land the first overall pick, only to have random chance not work in their favour.
The IceDogs Wednesday night were awarded the fourth overall pick despite entering the night with the highest odds at obtaining the No. 1 overall pick at 40 per cent.
The Windsor Spitfires, who had a 30 per cent chance, were awarded the first overall selection followed by the Sarnia Sting (10 per cent) and the Peterborough Petes (20 per cent).
The 2024 OHL Priority Selection is set to begin on Friday, April 12 at 7 p.m. with rounds 1-3, followed by rounds 4-15 on Saturday, April 13.
By dropping to fourth, it would seem to put the IceDogs out of the running for Braidy Wassilyn, a 6-foot-2, 195 pound forward from the Markham Majors, who according to OHL Central Scouting, is a threat every time he is on the ice and has the size, skill and speed that makes him hard to handle.
Other players who could be in the running to be chosen by Niagara include forward Adam Valentini of the Toronto Marlboros, defenceman Zachary Nyman of the Vaughan Kings and forward Ethan Belchetz of the Oakville Rangers.
Valentini, who is listed at 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, is very dynamic when he has the puck on his stick and he makes everyone around him better, according to OHL Central Scouting. He is a very good skater that jumps in and out of holes well and has another gear when he needs to step up and win a race for a loose puck or beat someone one on one.
Nyman, who been compared to Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters, is the highest-rated defenceman.
“Zach is one of the nicest skating defencemen that I have seen in quite some time,” OHL Central Scouting said. “He is an effortless skater that has elite edge work and balance. He can reach top speed quickly and has elite mobility in all four directions. He can beat pressure with ease and has the ability to join the rush and recover quickly. He is not only a skater as he has elite puck skills and hockey sense as well. An offensive threat whenever he is on the ice, but is also a very good defensive player as well, using his footwork and smarts to defend against the other team’s top players.”
Belchetz is a big, power forward that, according to OHL Central Scouting, at times seems like he is a man playing amongst boys. He is an intimidating force whenever he is on the ice, is very competitive, takes the body every chance and really seems to like the physical side of the game. Belchetz is also rated a good skater that has a powerful stride and is hard to contain when he gets moving and his game has improved immensely since the beginning of the season.
Local players expected to be chosen in the first few rounds are forward Nick Gilby and defenceman Patrick Babin, both of the Niagara North Stars.
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