Stonehouse, Veccia Among Strong Elgin-Middlesex OHL Draft Class
Brady Stonehouse, seen here with the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs had 4 points in his Junior B debut with the Komoka Kings – Photo by CKSN
The team includes several surefire picks including Hunter Haight, Brady Stonehouse, Owen Van Steensel, and Zander Veccia, along with prospects Wyatt Adkins, Marcus Vandenberg, Cole Jenken, Maddox Amaral, Charley Barnes, and Logan Shannon.
Haight is a probable first round pick, but Blenheim’s Brady Stonehouse, who played last season with the Chatham-Kent Cyclones, won’t be far behind.
“The change of scenery has done him well as he made a strong team stronger,” said Neutral Zone scout Derek Munroe.
“The velocity on his shot is one of the best for his age and a 4-point game in his GOJHL debut for Komoka against league leading London seems to have sparked an offensive spurt at the Minor Midget level.”
Stonehouse finished the season 5th in Alliance scoring with 22 goals and 54 points in 32 games. According to Neutral Zone’s 2020 OHL Draft rankings, which can be seen in their entirety on NeutralZone.net, Stonehouse has a chance to be selected in the opening two rounds of the draft.
“He may sacrifice defensively in his own zone looking for a quick transition opportunity, but every team needs a player that is looked for more offensively,” added Munroe.
Van Steensel was the Alliance’s top scorer, but what made the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs so difficult to play against this season was the depth of their lineup, which included Ridgetown’s Zander Veccia.
Veccia, who finished 7th in Alliance scoring with 20 goals and 49 points in 29 games, is projected to go between round 5 and 8 in this April’s draft.
‘Veccia has a pass first mentality and his hands and vision are exceptional,” said Munroe. “His foot speed will always be a question, but he has shown signs of improvement since the start of the season.”
The local duo of Stonehouse and Zeccia will certainly be the first Chatham-Kent products off the draft board in the 2020 OHL Draft.
— With contributions from Neutral Zone. Visit NeutralZone.net for exclusive rankings and scouting reports —-
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