When all was said and done, the Soo Greyhounds feel like there could be an impact to be made from the 2022 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
The two-day event wrapped up Saturday afternoon and, for the Greyhounds, they added a mix of players, some of which could have major impacts depending on how things shape up down the road.
“We got a good mix of some players with high IQ’s, some guys that can skate, some bigger bodies,” said Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis.
“We were happy as a whole when you take a step back and look at the entire board and how it shapes up,” Raftis said.
With their first pick of the day, the Greyhounds selected defenceman Matthew Virgilio of St. Andrew’s College.
The 16-year-old is currently committed to the University of Michigan with the plan of attending the school beginning in the fall of 2024.
“It’s no secret if he didn’t have his commitment, he’s a first round pick,” Raftis said. “He’s one of the top defencemen in the draft. In our conversations with him, there weren’t any promises or anything like that, but at the same time, he’s such a good kid off the ice and the talent on the ice speaks for itself. We thought at that spot, ‘Let’s get him a part of the organization through the draft and see where it trends. If you get a player like that to commit, it adds a top-end talent to your group.”
Virgilio, a right-shooting defenceman, scored seven goals and 24 points in 44 games with St. Andrew’s this season.
Raftis called Virgilio “a really smart, really skilled defenceman.”
“He can really run a power play and play heavy minutes,” Raftis added. “He just has everything you look for in our defenders.”
Holding a pair of picks in the fifth round, the Greyhounds first selected centre Tate Vader of the Huron Perth Lakers 92nd overall.
“He came out of the gate this year and was excellent,” Raftis said of Vader. “He’s got an edge to his game. He seems to get under opponents skin. He’s got skill, a good skater and good size.”
In 28 games with the Lakers, Vader scored 24 goals and 38 points in 28 games.
The Greyhounds then selected Nate Brentnell, a centre with the Richmond Hill Coyotes U16 team, with the 98th overall.
“He’s somebody that, as we tracked throughout the year, has good skill and somebody that can potentially be a true centre for us,” Raftis said. “A lot of times when you draft centres, a lot of the elite players at a young age play centre and then come to the OHL or junior level and have to play wing. With Nate, giving him another year to see where he’s at, he’s somebody that could potentially be a really sound player for us.”
Brentnell scored 20 goals and 36 points in 31 games with Richmond Hill.
Selecting in round six, the Greyhounds drafted defenceman Spencer Evans with the 118th pick.
“Spencer’s got some edge to his game, but at the same time, he’s a guy that can skate really well,” Raftis said. “When you’re looking at that group of defencemen, he was somebody that could really, after a year, step into this group. He’s got a lot of those tools that are tough to teach.”
Evans scored five goals and 29 points in 30 games with the Smiths Falls Bears U18 team.
Round seven saw the Greyhounds select winger Justin Tavares 138th overall.
“Justin is somebody that commands the puck when he’s on the ice,” Raftis said. “He puts up good numbers and can play with good players. He’s a hard-worker and has a really good nose for the net and can make plays too.”
Tavares is coming off a 17 goal, 40-point performance in 34 games with the Vaughan Kings U16 team.
Defenceman Logan Shannon was selected by the Greyhounds in round eight, 158th overall.
“He’s a lanky defender right now that’s going to need to add some strength to his game,” Raftis said. “He’s got good feet on him. He can move really well. He’s smart. With a player like that, if he can gain some size, he puts himself in good spots defensively, he’s definitely going to give himself a chance.”
Shannon scored twice and assisted on 16 goals in 27 games with the North Central Predators U16 team.
On the local front, the Niagara IceDogs selected Soo Jr. Greyhounds goaltender Charlie Burns in the ninth round, 167th overall.
Later in the round, the Greyhounds selected winger Brayden Russell of the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs U16 team.
“Brayden’s a shooter,” Raftis said. “He can score goals. When you’re looking at our board at that spot, we had a lot of centres and defencemen lined up. He’s somebody that, in the right spot, can work hard, play hard, and at the same time, he can finish. If he can continue on that path, it gives us a look.”
In 23 games with the Jr. Bulldogs, Russell scored 12 goals and 23 points this season.
After not having a selection in the 10th round, the Greyhounds selected winger Aiden Nicholson of the Toronto Nationals U16 team in round 11.
“He’s really smart,” Raftis said. “His height (6-feet) and weight (134 pounds), he’s pretty thin at this point, but he’s really smart and got good skill as well. He’s an athlete. He plays other sports at a high level and when you see that athleticism, combined with some strength, it’s going to make him an impact player.”
Nicholson posted three goals and 13 points in 26 games this season with the Nationals.
In the 12th round, the Greyhounds drafted centre Elijah Lilja of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 15’s.
“He’s somebody that has high end skill and it’s just a matter of can we translate that each game,” Raftis said. “He’s somebody that has that dynamic on-on-one skill. For him to come in and play, he’s going to have to up his game in terms of that 200-foot (game). He has nice hands. He can really create for himself.”
Lilja scored 13 goals and 35 points in 48 games this season.
Round 13 saw the Greyhounds select Troy Hunka, a winger with the Cleveland Barons 15’s.
“Troy is another player that’s got really good skill,” Raftis said. “He’s a hard-working player that, from some of the showcases this year, his name just kept coming back to us. We kept tracking him and as the draft went on, it was something that, he has great interest in our program and we thought if we can add him in and see where he is a year from now, he could really turn some heads.”
Hunka scored 14 goals and 27 points with the Barons in 17 games this season.
Raftis said both Lilja and Hunka showed interest in major junior hockey as well.
The 14th round saw the Greyhounds select centre Andrew Hopley of the Whitby Wildcats U16 team.
“Andrew is a good playmaking centre,” Raftis said. “He’s a little undersized, but bigger than what he was listed at (5.06, 148 pounds). He’s somebody that has great IQ and can really make plays. He’s really smart on both sides of the puck. If he keeps trending this way, he’s going to give himself an opportunity.”
Hopley scored six times and assisted on 14 others in 28 games this season.
The Windsor Spitfires used their 14th round pick to select Soo Jr. Greyhounds defenceman Gage Evans.
The Greyhounds capped off the day by selecting local defenceman Evan Roach of the Soo Jr. Greyhounds in the 15th round.
“He’s a smart defender,” Raftis said. “He puts himself in good spots. He got better as the year went on. We’re hopeful that he can come in and add some size and some IQ to our back end and be that guy that can move pucks, but at the same time shut down.”
Roach, who scored three goals and seven points in 24 games this season with the Jr. Greyhounds, is the son of former Greyhounds blueliner Gary Roach, who was a member of the Memorial Cup champion team in 1993.