A fantastic year for the London Jr. Knights minor midget team was capped off with an excellent day at the 2017 OHL Priority Selection.
Eleven players from their roster were picked by Ontario Hockey League teams.
After reaching number one in the Minor Midget Rankings, the Jr. Knights made it all the way to the OHL Cup semi-finals, before losing to the eventual champions, the Mississauga Reps.
Draft day actually began a day early for London as Ryan Suzuki was announced as the first overall pick of the Barrie Colts on Friday. Suzuki is thought of as one of the smartest players his age and will be counted on to lead the Colts offense as he joins his brother, Nick of the Owen Sound Attack in the Ontario Hockey League.
One of Ryan’s best traits is his unselfishness and his ability to find teammates. Players love to play with them. He is one of those guys who will reward you for having your stick on the ice.
As the OHL selection draws near, a number of names are always mentioned as potential first overall picks. It isn’t usually a complete consensus, given the options that players have.
Suzuki was always expected to go high, but it wasn’t until after the OHL Cup that his name really began to be mentioned as the potential first pick, but there was always that underlying chance, given how well Suzuki was playing.
Jr. Knights’ co-coach, Steve Benedetti says it was discussed internally pretty early on.
“It’s funny because we actually had a conversation with Ryan this year earlier in the season about potentially being the number one pick in the draft and trying to push him and get him ready to become an elite OHL hockey player…Ryan is just a humble kid, he’s a coachable kid, he’s a great teammate and I think that’s the reason why he’ll be so successful.”
The Saginaw Spirit made Aidan Prueter the second Jr. Knight selected, when they took him in the second round. Prueter had 51 points in 33 games and has all kinds of offensive skill and yet the ability to play a 200-foot game.
Jeff Burridge and Liam Van Loon went back-to-back in the third round. Burridge has outstanding size, pushing 6’2 and already over 200 pounds as a 16-year old. He averaged better than a point per game this season.
Van Loon does not have the same body-type as Burridge, but is 5-11 and with the way he plays, that is ideal. Van Loon is smart and crafty with a motor that never stops and also averaged more than a point per game.
Luke Drewiit went to the Kingston Frontenacs in the fifth round.
Peter Fleming joined Ryan Suzuki with the Barrie Colts in round six.
The Saginaw Spirit selected Mason Millman in the 7th round, 124th overall.
In the eighth round, the London Knights nabbed goaltender Owen Say from their Jr. namesake. Tyler Parsons will be graduating to the professional ranks in the Calgary Flames’ organization after this year, so the competition for a new number one will begin. At the moment, Tyler Johnson and Jordan Kooy are serving as Parsons’ backups.
The Niagara Ice Dogs grabbed 6’2, 201 pound defenceman, Mason Howard in the tenth round.
Levi Siau followed up an excellent performance at the OHL Cup with a 13th round selection by the Sudbury Wolves.
Bryce Lewis also went to Sudbury in the 14th round, becoming the eleventh players selected from the London Jr Knights’ roster.
The Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs did not have the same kind of season that the London Jr. Knights did, but still got some great recognition when defenceman Mark Woolley went to the Guelph Storm in 3rd round.