Peterborough Petes gear up for draft day

The 2018 Ontario Hockey League draft will get underway at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.

And for the first time in five years, the Peterborough Petes will have the third overall pick. For general manager Mike Oke, it’s a day he’s looking forward to.

“It’s exciting to be a part of an exciting day for all of the prospects, it’s a real highlight for a lot of their careers,” Oke said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's exciting to be a part of an exciting day for all of the prospects, it's a real highlight for a lot of their careers," Oke said.

In the past, there have been prospective players who let the Petes know before the draft they would not report to the team if they were selected by the Petes. Oke isn’t letting that get in the way of this year’s pick, he said. He is taking the best available player.

“We feel very confident once the draft is complete and we have the opportunity to sit with players and families, to showcase that the Peterborough Petes is a very attractive place for young hockey players to come and play,” he said.

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“I’m very confident the Petes provide players with a great opportunity to further hockey development and also academic goals through the scholarship program that … I feel, quite frankly, is second to none,” Oke said.

The Petes will introduce the newest additions after the fifth round at a press conference in the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame. The public is welcome to attend.