By Raine Hernandez/OHL
Throughout the season, OHL Central Scouting has been around the rinks, putting in long hours observing the future of the Ontario Hockey League as U16 AAA players eligible for the 2023 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore put their best foot forward.
This week, we’re unveiling a new series that will be rolled out periodically over the course of the season, with this edition covering the first half of the 2022-23 campaign.
The OHL Central Scouting Poll consults 10 different scouts, asking them to provide their thoughts on a range of topics gleaned from first their half viewings.
What was your favourite event of the first half of the 2022-23 season?
This questions seems to have been a no-brainer.
Outside of the OHL Cup, the Whitby Silver Stick is the event that every U16 player looks forward to, and once again, this season did not disappoint with the Toronto Marlboros coming home with the tournament victory, defeating the Bishop Kearney Selects in an exciting championship final.
Based off your viewings, which position group do you feel is the deepest in terms of depth/quality of prospects?
Every age group has its strengths and weaknesses. Last year’s 2006 age group was a prime example.
Although many knew how talented the defencemen were from that class, not many can say they forecasted the early dominance from Sam Dickinson (4th overall) of the London Knights, Ottawa 67’s rearguard Henry Mews (7th overall), high-scoring Saginaw Spirit blueliner Zayne Parekh (19th overall) or Windsor Spitfires first rounder Anthony Cristoforo (22nd overall) this soon in their careers. A lot of last year’s attention was geared toward high profile forwards in Saginaw’s Michael Misa (1st overall), Erie’s Malcolm Spence (2nd overall) and Oshawa’s Beckett Sennecke (8th overall).
In the 2023 class, Central Scouting likes the strength coming down the middle.
Best individual performance of the first half of the season?
Among the many great things that come from being at the rink all the time is getting to see how impressive some of these players truly are.
There were many who impressed mightily in the first half of the season. Here’s the most popular responses by Central Scouting when asked which players put on the best individual performances in specific settings.
GTHL Regular Season – William Moore (Toronto Marlboros
ALLIANCE Regular Season – Ryan Roobroeck (London Jr. Knights)
GNML Regular Season – Hudson Chiratroni (Soo Jr. Greyhounds U18)
AYHL Regular Season – Henry Brzustewicz (North Jersey Avalanche)
Whitby Silver Stick – Lev Katzin (Toronto Marlboros)
Marlboros Holiday Classic – Matthew Schaefer (Halton Hurricanes)
Who is a player that exceeded your expectations/shot up your draft board (the player you’re fonder of than most?) What stood out about him?
It’s always great to see who these scouts are fond of at this point in the season, as well as getting to see what stands out most about their respective skill-sets on the ice.
Take a look at a few of the names that stood out most to OHL Central Scouting:
Jack Ivankovic (G) – Mississauga Senators: “Every game he is keeping his team in the game, making timely and difficult saves. Extremely athletic, poised and just technically better than almost any other goaltender.”
Brady Martin (F) – Waterloo Wolves: “I knew prior to this season that Brady would be high on my list. However, the way he has played (skills, speed and tenacity) makes me believe even more he will be a solid two-way player in the Ontario Hockey League.”
Luke Dragusica (D) – Toronto Marlboros: “His size stands out right away but as you continue to watch him, his skating ability is great and his skill/poise with the puck. Always seems to have his head up and makes the right plays.”
Carson Cameron (D) – Central Ontario Wolves: “Good solid d-man who really controls the play when he’s on the ice.”
Hudson Chitaroni (F) – Soo Jr. Greyhounds U18: “His speed, hockey smarts, puck skills and scoring. He leads the GNML in points as a 15-year-old.”
Gavin Lock (F) – Detroit Little Caesars 15U: He competes at a high level and does a lot of little things that sometimes go unnoticed to help his team win. He can also play any style game thrown his way.”
Matthew Schaefer (D) – Halton Hurricanes: “Matt had a serious shoulder injury and was out for six weeks at the beginning of the season. He came back, stepped on the ice and it was as if he had been playing since the first game of the season. He played at the Silver Stick a few weeks into his coming back and played at the top of his game.”
Cameron Reid (D) – Bishop Kearney Selects 15U: “A defenceman who just quietly produces at both ends of the ice, game after game. He does so many little things well that often go overlooked.”
Jimmy Lombardi (F) – Don Mills Flyers: “A player that has impressed me more and more as the season has gone on. He is the driving force for his team in all aspects of the game. He has a great combination of speed, skill, hockey sense and compete that make him fun to watch.”
What team do you feel is primed for a strong second half to the season? What do you like about how that team plays?
A number of teams consistently inside the OHL Cup Top 10 Rankings have solidified themselves as legitimate contenders to win the biggest event of the season.
Last season, the Brantford 99ers went on a second-half run that led them all the way to an OHL Cup appearance in addition to winning the ALLIANCE regular-season title. The eventual OHL Cup champion Mississauga Senators also made things entertaining when they qualified for the OHL Cup as a wild card entry, losing their opening game of the tournament before recovering to capture U16 AAA hockey’s coveted prize.
A number of teams south of the border have also impressed OHL Central Scouting, one such example being the Bishop Kearney Selects, a team that has had impressive showings in their three visits to Canada.
One team not mentioned below that would certainly be worthy of some consideration are the Peterborough Minor Petes, a team that flew under the radar coming into the season, and currently sits tied atop the ETA Standings riding a current 19-game winning streak.
Here are a few teams OHL Central Scouting thinks will make some noise in the second half:
Toronto Marlboros (GTHL): “They started a little slow losing their first tournament and being in third in the standings. However, they are coming into their own and dominating the past two tournaments. They are very deep, fast, physical and play puck possession. Every forward can make plays and score.”
Waterloo Wolves (ALLIANCE): “Brady Martin’s play lends to a lot of confidence in their group. They are playing a more physical game in all three zones and have solid depth in all positions.”
Halton Hurricanes (OMHA): “Good offensive-minded team that aren’t afraid to mix it up physically. Lots of great players should help them succeed in the second half.”
Whitby Wildcats (OMHA): “Because they have the best goaltending tandem and they are really playing well as a group.”
Sudbury Nickel Capitals U16 (GNML): “A team looks very strong and competed well in Whitby.”
Fox Motors 15U (T1EHL): “They play a skilled, yet heavy, gritty game which is made for playoff-style hockey.”
Bishop Kearney Selects 15U: “A team with a lot of depth that is consistently hard to play against. They have a nice balance of skilled/speedy forwards, and strength and power. There aren’t many holes in their lineup so they force teams to bring their best game shift-in and shift-out.”
What excites you most heading into the second half of the U16 AAA season?
With many of the major tournaments wrapped up, scouts are starting to turn their attention to the upcoming playoff stretch. Here’s what has them excited as they continue to see this 2007 class grow as players approaching the 2023 OHL Priority Selection.
Scout 1: “Seeing which teams continue to improve and pose a challenge to the Marlies. A strong GTHL playoffs will be fun.”
Scout 2: “Heading to the OHL Cup to see all the best players in the last tournament before the draft. Looking forward to the playoffs. Really shows you the quality of the players.”
Scout 3: “The reaction of the players left off Team Ontario and the reaction of players that made the team that maybe should not have. Will be interesting to see how all of those players respond in the second half.
Scout 4: “Playoff hockey and watching all these players and teams elevate their games. There’s nothing more exciting in sports than playoff hockey.”
Scout 5: “To see the improvement of certain players that tend to jump forward in the second-half of the season.”
Scout 6: “Taking in the Michigan State Tournament as well as the OHL Cup.”
Scout 7: “I’m eager to see how some of the higher-end players handle the pressure of carrying their teams into the playoffs.”
Scout 8: “I love watching playoffs and emotions and the compete-level that it brings out in players as they try and help their teams move on in the playoffs and hopefully earn a chance to play in the OHL Cup.”
