IceDogs add three in U18 draft (updated with Pepperall and Salvatore selections)

The Niagara IceDogs selected Jaden Flora of the Fort Erie Meteors with their first selection in the 2024 U18 Priority Selection Wednesday. Photo: ALEC MURRAY

The Niagara IceDogs went local with two of their three picks in the 2024 U18 Priority Selection Wednesday.

With their first selection (fourth overall) the IceDogs selected St. Catharines native Jaden Flora, a 16-year-old forward who is having a notable playoff run with the Fort Erie Meteors of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. 

Flora had a solid season with the Niagara North Stars with 26 goals and 53 points in 34 games before adding nine points in nine games in the playoffs. Flora joined the Meteors for the playoffs and has more than held his own with seven goals and 13 points in 11 games, including a pair of goals in Game 7 Monday as the Meteors topped the Caledonia Corvairs to capture the Golden Horseshoe Conference championship.

“We are so proud of Jaden. He’s been around us off and on for the better part of two years,” Fort Erie general manager/coach Nik Passero said. “He has been a huge addition to our playoff roster and scored some monstrous goals on this run.”

With the second pick (21st overall) the IceDogs chose goaltender Linkin Stinson-Kurz, a 17-year-old Hamilton native who had a 2.78 goals-against average in 23 games with the Southern Tier Admirals U18 AAA team this season. 

Defenceman Vladyslav Drahun was the IceDogs third and final choice (41st overall).

The 18-year-old defenceman spent the Toronto Red Wings U18 AAA squad where he collected two assists in 30 games. Drahun is listed at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds.

The Branford Bulldogs selected winger Ethan Pepperall of the Southern Tier Admirals in the third round (51st) overall while the Oshawa Generals took Pepperall’s teammate, forward Jack Salvatore, two picks later.

Pepperall is a Niagara Falls native who had 14 goals and 26 points in the regular season before adding seven goals in eight playoff games. He was also an associated player for the Meteors.

Salvatore, who also hails from the Falls, had 34 goals in 34 games for the Admirals and also appeared in four games with the St. Catharines Falcons.

The concept for the OHL Under-18 Priority Selection was developed in 2017 with full support from Hockey Canada’s three Ontario Branches including the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF), Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO), and Hockey Northwestern Ontario (HNO), to assist in the growth of U18 AAA hockey and provide further opportunities for players at different stages of their hockey development. Players born in 2006 and 2007 are eligible.

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