Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today conducted the sixth annual OHL Under-18 Priority Selection for U18 AAA hockey players in Ontario.
Eligibility for the 2022 OHL Under-18 Priority Selection included all U18 players (2004 and 2005 birth years) not currently on an OHL Member Team Protected List who were carded with an Ontario based U18 AAA Hockey Club or an accredited Hockey Canada sport school within the Ontario Hockey Federation, Hockey Eastern Ontario or Hockey Northwestern Ontario in the current season.
A total of 52 players were selected from 32 different teams and included 23 forwards, 16 defencemen and 13 goaltenders. 46 of the 52 players selected were born in 2005.
“Congratulations to all 52 players selected tonight,” said OHL Director of Player Recruitment and Development Kyle Pereira. “It’s an exciting day for players, family members, coaches and teammates to celebrate perseverance through the past couple of seasons that may have included some players being overlooked in last year’s OHL Priority Selection. The Under-18 Priority Selection has provided the OHL with a number of quality players since its inception in 2017, and it presents another opportunity for prospects to further their development and showcase themselves in an effort to become the best player they can be.”
Winners of the Under-18 Priority Selection Draft Lottery back on April 20, the Saginaw Spirit used the first overall selection to take right-winger Lincoln Moore of the Soo Jr. Greyhounds U18 program. The pick follows their selection of Calem Mangone with the second overall choice from the same program last year. Mangone recorded 13 goals and 34 points in his rookie season with the Spirit.
The Erie Otters picked second and scooped up the first goaltender in 6-foot-2 netminder Vlad Visan of the Burlington Eagles U18 team. The Sudbury Wolves followed-up with another goaltender at third overall in Nate Krawchuk of the Thunder Bay Kings.
All OHL member teams were required to draft a minimum of two players, however to enhance opportunities specifically for goaltenders, clubs selecting a goaltender with one of their selections had the option to select another player (skater only) in a third round.
The Greater Toronto Hockey League led the way with 18 players selected including five from the Central Region U18 AAA champion Mississauga Reps. The Ontario Minor Hockey Association followed with 16, including five each from the Ajax-Pickering Raiders and Oshawa Generals U18 programs. The Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario produced 12 picks, Hockey Eastern Ontario produced seven, and first overall pick Lincoln Moore was the lone representative from the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. One player was selected from an accredited Hockey Canada sport school.
The OHL Under-18 Priority Selection was conducted in partnership with RinkNet as picks were submitted online by OHL member clubs and displayed in real time at ontariohockeyleague.com. The selections were also streamed live on CHL TV.
Announced in January 2017, the concept of the OHL Under-18 Priority Selection was developed with full support from Hockey Canada’s three Ontario Branches including the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF), Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO), and Hockey Northwestern Ontario (HNO).
About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.
OHL Writers 