When all is said and done, Soo Greyhounds believe there may be an impact on Ontario’s 2022 Hockey League’s priority selection.
The two-day event ended on Saturday afternoon and for the greyhounds they added a combination of players, some of whom could have a big impact depending on how things take shape down the road.
“We have a good combination of some players with high IQs, some guys who can skate, some bigger bodies,” said Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis.
“We were generally happy when you took a step back and looked at the whole board and how it was forming,” Raftis said.
With their first choice of the day, the Greyhounds chose defender Matthew Virgilio of St. Andrews College.
The 16-year-old is currently engaged to the University of Michigan with a plan to attend school in the fall of 2024.
“It’s no secret that if he didn’t commit, he was elected to the first round,” Raftis said. “He is one of the best defenders in the draft. There were no promises or anything like that in our conversations with him, but at the same time he is such a good kid off the ice and the talent of the ice speaks for itself. At this point we thought: “Let’s take part of the organization through the project and see where the trend is developing. Making a player like this engage adds top-notch talent to your group. ”
Virgilio, a defender with proper shooting, scored seven goals and 24 points in 44 games against St. Andrews this season.
Raftis called Virgilio “a really smart, really skilled defender.”
“He can really play a powerful game and play tough minutes,” Raftis added. “He just has everything you’re looking for in our defenders.”
Holding a pair of kicks in the fifth round, the Greyhounds for the first time chose center Tate Vader from Huron Perth Lakers 92nd overall.
“He came out the door this year and he was excellent,” Raftis told Vader. “He has an advantage in his game. He seems to get under the skin of opponents. He has skills, a good skater and a good size. ”
In 28 games with the Lakers, Vader scored 24 goals and 38 points in 28 games.
The Greyhounds then chose Nate Brentnell, center with the Richmond Hill Coyotes U16, with a total of 98th place.
“He is a man who, as we have been following throughout the year, has good skills and someone who could potentially be a real center for us,” Raftis said. “Many times when you draft centers, many of the elite players at a young age play centers and then come to the OHL or junior level and have to play winger. With Nate giving him another year to see where he is, he’s someone who could potentially be a really good player for us. “
Brentnell scored 20 goals and 36 points in 31 games against Richmond Hill.
Choosing in the sixth round, the Greyhounds chose defender Spencer Evans with the 118th choice.
“Spencer has some advantage in his game, but at the same time he is a man who can skate really well,” said Raftis. “When you look at this group of defenders, he was someone who could really join this group in a year. He has many of these tools that are difficult to teach. “
Evans scored five goals and 29 points in 30 games against Smiths Falls Bears U18.
In the seventh round, the chosen wing of Greyhounds Justin Tavares was 138th overall.
“Justin is the man who commands the puck when he’s on the ice,” Raftis said. “He shows good numbers and can play with good players. He is hardworking and has a really good nose for the net and can also play games. “
Tavares came out with 17 goals and 40 points in 34 games with the Vaughan Kings U16 team.
Defender Logan Shannon was selected by the Greyhounds in the eighth round, 158th in total.
“He is a long defender at the moment, which will have to add a little strength to his game,” Raftis said. “He has good legs. It can move really well. He is smart. With such a player, if he manages to win a little, he puts himself in a good position in defense, he will definitely give himself a chance. “
Shannon has scored twice and assisted on 16 goals in 27 games for the North Central Predators U16.
On the local front, Niagara IceDogs chose the goalkeeper of Soo Jr. Greyhounds Charlie Burns in the ninth round, 167th overall.
Later in the round, the Greyhounds chose winger Braden Russell from the Hamilton Junior Bulldogs U16.
“Braden is a shooter,” Raftis said. “He can score goals. When you look at our board in this place, we had a lot of centers and defenders. He is a person who in the right place can work hard, play hard and at the same time can finish. If he can continue on this path, that gives us a look. “
In 23 games with Jr. Bulldogs, Russell have scored 12 goals and 23 points this season.
With no selection in the 10th round, the Greyhounds chose winger Aidan Nicholson of the Toronto Nationals U16 in the 11th round.
“He’s really smart,” Raftis said. “His height (6 feet) and weight (134 pounds), he is quite thin at the moment, but he is really smart and also has good skills. He is an athlete. He plays other high-level sports and when you see that athleticism combined with some strength, it will make him an influential player. ”
Nicholson has scored three goals and 13 points in 26 games this season with the national team.
In the 12th round, the Greyhounds chose center Elijah Lily from Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 15’s.
“He’s a man with high-class skills, and it’s just a matter of whether we can translate that into any game,” Raftis said. “He is a man who has this dynamic one-on-one skill. In order to enter and play, he will need to improve his game in terms of those 200 feet (game). He has nice hands. He can really create for himself. ”
Lily has scored 13 goals and 35 points in 48 games this season.
In the 13th round, the Greyhounds chose Troy Hunka, a wing with Cleveland Barnes 15.
“Troy is another player who has really good skills,” Raftis said. “He is a hard-working player who from some of the showcases this year, his name just came back to us. We kept following him, and while the project was going on, it was something he had a lot of interest in our program, and we thought that if we could add him and see where he was in a year, he could really turn some heads. “
Hunka has scored 14 goals and 27 points with Barnes in 17 games this season.
Raftis said that both Lilya and Hunka were also interested in the big youth hockey.
In the 14th round, the selected center of Greyhounds Andrew Hopley from the team of Whitby Wildcats U16.
“Andrew is a good playmaker center,” Raftis said. “It is slightly lower, but larger than indicated (5.06, 148 pounds). He is a person who has a great IQ and can really make games. He’s really smart on both sides of the puck. If he continues to develop in this way, he will be able to afford it. “
Hopley has scored six times and assisted 14 others in 28 games this season.
Windsor Spitfires used their choice in the 14th round to choose the Soo Jr. defender. Greyhounds Gage Evans.
The Greyhounds ended the day by choosing local defender Evan Roach of Soo Jr. Greyhounds in the 15th round.
“He’s a smart defender,” Raftis said. “It simply came to our notice then. Over the years, he improved. We hope that he can come in and add a little size and a bit of IQ to our back end and be the kind of person who can move the puck but turn it off at the same time. ”
Roach, who has scored three goals and seven points in 24 games this season with junior greyhounds, is the son of former blue greyhound greyhound Gary Roach, who was a member of the 1993 Memorial Cup champion team.
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