IceDogs select defencemen with first two picks; seven locals chosen
Defenceman Isaac Enright, centre, was selected by the Niagara IceDogs in the first round of the 2019 Ontario Hockey League Selection Saturday. Flanking Enright are IceDogs general manager Joey Burke on the left and head coach Billy Burke on the right.
The Niagara IceDogs got their man when they selected defenceman Issac Enright with their first pick in the 2019 Ontario Hockey League Selection Saturday.
Enright, who was chosen 17th overall, is listed at 5-foot-10, 172 pounds and hails from Cobden, Ont.
“He was all over our radar,” IceDogs general manager Joey Burke said. “We were extremely high on him. We never though he would get to us. We thought he was going top 10, 100 per cent.
“We never imagined he would fall to us. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Enright split time last season between the Pembroke Lumber Kings midget AAA where he collected two assists in five game and the Pembroke U18 squad of the Hockey Eastern Ontario League where he had seven goals and 28 points in 41 games.
“Offensively, his instincts are fantastic,” Burke continued. “He’s a bigger guy who has unbelievable feet and does everything at a great pace. His hands are high end, his instincts are very elite offensively, but he’s also a strong defender. He’s great in transition and can lead a rush from the back end.”
Enright was thrilled when he found out he was going to be an IceDog.
“I was really excited and honoured to be picked by them,” Enright said. “I’m looking forward to getting started with them and getting to know all the guys there.”
Enright had no clue how high he would be chosen and had no inkling the IceDogs would select him.
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure. I was thinking anywhere in the first two rounds but I wasn’t completely sure,” he said.
Enright didn’t chain himself to a desk and follow the draft online. Instead, he went out to a bush near his home to make some syrup.
“I had my phone on me and kept refreshing the page and checking hoping for my name to pop up and then I got a call 30 seconds before it happened,” he said.
Enright likes to play both ends of the ice.
“I’m kind of a two-way defenceman,” he said. “I like to be back for my teammates and get clean breakouts and then jump in the rush into the offensive zone as well.”
Niagara did not have a selection in the second round but added another defenceman with the fourth selection of the third round.
Landon Cato is a 6-foot, 206-pound rearguard from Toronto who played last season for the Toronto Nationals where he collected nine goals and 11 points in 20 games.
“He could be the most complete defenceman in the draft,” Burke said. “He is absolutely the meanest, strongest, hardest hitting defenceman there is.
“He has extremely high-end vision and is smooth on his feet and sees things well.”
Landon Cato/OHL IMAGES
The IceDogs originally did not have a selection in the third round this year but moved a fourth-round pick this year, a third next year, and a third in 2024 to acquire the selection from the Kitchener Rangers.
“We had to overpay a bit but it put us in a position where we felt we could get Landon,” Burke said.
Burke said selecting two defencemen early was by design.
“With moving out two young defencemen over the last year (Lleyton Moore, Billy Constantinou) it was certainly a need of our to address and we’ve done that in the first and third. We will have the best 03 pairing the league in two years in my mind. These guys are that high-end. I think we’ve completely revamped and solidified our blueline. I think we did a good job of addressing our biggest need.
“I think both are going to come in and take off from Day 1.”
Burke said Enright is expected to attend Niagara’s game Sunday afternoon versus Oshawa while Cato is scheduled to come for a visit next week.
The IceDogs, who did not have selections in the fourth or fifth rounds, rounded out their draft with the following selections:
Sixth round (119): Josh Rosenzweig, goalie, Toronto Red Wings.
Seventh round (139): Riley Brueck, winger, St. Louis Blues, AAA 15’s
Eighth round (154): Nicholas Athanasakos, winger, Toronto Red Wings.
Eighth round (159): Anthony Agostinelli, centre, Buffalo Sabres 16U.
Ninth round (179): Cole Turcotte, centre, York-Simcoe Express.
10th round (199): Ethan Mistry, defence, York Mills Flyers
11th round (219): Tyler Procious, defence, Buffalo Sabres 16U.
12th round (239): Cole Eichler, forward, Don Mills Flyers.
13th round (259): Bradley Brunet, forward, Sudbury Wolves.
14th round (279): Eli Pilosof, centre, Pickering Panthers.
15th round (299): Stephen Pszeniczny, defence, Soo Thunerbirds.
15th round (302): Bryan An, centre, Mississauga Beast.
Connor Federkow of the Niagara North Stars was the top local player selected when the London Knights chose the defenceman in the third round (53rd overall).
The Knights also took Niagara North Stars forward Matteo Giampa in the seventh round, 142nd overall.
Forward Parker Hendsbee of the Niagara North Stars went to the Ottawa 67’s in the eighth round, 152nd overall.
Centre Blake Hall of the Southern Tier Admirals went in the 10th round (187th overall) to the Barrie Colts.
Defenceman Nicholas Paone of the Southern Tier Admirals was selected in the 12th round (233rd overall) by the Peterborough Petes.
Defenceman Jacob Cielen-Gough of the Niagara North Stars went to the Flint Firebirds in the 15th round (285 overall).
Defenceman Joshua Reilly of the Southern Tier Admirals was selected by the Erie Otters in the 15th round (286 overall).
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