OHL Draft Approaching For Local Prospects

The 2016 OHL Draft is rapidly approaching, as the 2016 event will be held April 9, and again, local prospects are hoping to hear their names called by an OHL franchise.

Locally, the Chatham-Kent Cyclones are hoping 2016 will be a bounce back year for the organization, after only one Cyclone, captain Kier Cumming heard his name called last year at the OHL Draft.

Cumming was a 15th round selection of the Sudbury Wolves, 282nd overall last year, and spent this season with the Junior C Blenheim Blades. Thamesville’s Lucas Vanroboys, a former Cyclone was also selected in the 14th round by the Hamilton Bulldogs. Vanroboys plays with the South Kent Selects Academy 16U team.

Following a bumper crop of players selected in 2014, and last year’s group of Cumming and Vanroboys, this year looks to be another season with few guarantees. There are however, a few compelling prospects in the group hoping to be selected in the 2016 OHL Draft.

Leading the way for Chatham-Kent in the 2016 draft class is forward Grant Spence. An Alliance all-star selection, Spence has remained among league leaders all season in scoring. A tall frame will be enticing to scouts looking for potential. Spence has a high compete level, and can finish, scoring 18 goals and 29 points in 33 regular season games, and added 10 points in 10 playoff games. Spence has been projected as a round 6-10 pick most of the season, but could rise due to his potential, or fall due to a lack of exposure on a weaker Cyclones squad. The team’s assistant captain this season, Spence also got a sniff with the Junior B Chatham Maroons on an emergency call up basis.

Following Spence, the question marks begin to pop up for the Cyclones.

Garrett McArthur, a Lambeth prospect playing for Chatham-Kent was the team’s top scorer. McArthur totalled 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points in 30 games this season and added 8 points in 8 playoff games. McArthur could slide into the bottom 5 rounds of the draft, and would continue a long line of import players who have used the added ice time in Chatham-Kent to get noticed.

Eric Carter is another skilled forward who could slip into the late rounds. Carter has a great release, and has also seen time with the Chatham Maroons. In net, CJ Burgess looks to continue a trend of Cyclones netminders, who in recent years have included Joseph Raaymakers, Brendan Johnston, and Anthony Hurtubise, who have all been drafted and gone on to successful Junior careers.

The Guelph Storm hold the first pick in the 2016 OHL Draft come April 9 after finishing last overall. Guelph’s leading scorer, James McEwan is a former Chatham-Kent Cyclone, as are Storm defenders Levi Tetrault and Brock Philips. Ryan Merkley who plays for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens is wildly considered the top prospect available for the 2016 OHL Draft, although there are several other prospects who could slide into the top spot, including NCAA commit Bode Wilde

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