Opening week of the Ontario Hockey League season has begun and here you’ll find all the players eligible for the first time for the 2017 National Hockey League Draft.
While there are some top notch players that will have their name’s called in June, It’s not a particularly strong or deep draft class from the O.
On the high end, there is Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires, Owen Tippet and Nicolas Hague of the Mississauga Steelheads and Matthew Strome of the Hamilton Bulldogs to name a few. Standout goaltender Michael DiPietro of the Spitfires has the makeup to push for first round consideration as a goalie.
As for my season prediction, I like Hamilton versus Mississauga in the Eastern Final and London versus Windsor in the Western Final with London defeating Mississauga for the OHL Championship.
Here are the first time draft eligible players
| # | Rookie | Player | Pos | Team | |
| 5 | * | Chris Cameron | D | Barrie Colts | |
| 7 | * | Kade Landry | D | Barrie Colts | |
| 8 | Lucas Chiodo | LW | Barrie Colts | ||
| 12 | * | Joey Keane | D | Barrie Colts | |
| 15 | * | Jaden Peca | RW | Barrie Colts | |
| 19 | * | Jason Willms | C | Barrie Colts | |
| 25 | * | Kyle Heitzner | C | Barrie Colts | |
| 26 | * | Tom Hedberg | D | Barrie Colts | |
| 17 | Kyle Auger | D | Barrie Colts | ||
| 31 | Ruan Badenhorst | G | Barrie Colts | ||
| 33 | * | Christian Propp | G | Barrie Colts | |
| 3 | * | Ryan Martin | D | Erie Otters | |
| 8 | * | Carson Edwardson | C | Erie Otters | |
| 13 | Brett Neumann | C | Erie Otters | ||
| 22 | Josh Wainman | D | Erie Otters | ||
| 27 | Ivan Lodnia | C | Erie Otters | ||
| 39 | * | Gera Puddbnyi | C | Erie Otters | |
| 40 | * | Anand Oberoi | G | Erie Otters | |
| 6 | * | Samuel Duchesne | D | Flint Firebirds | |
| 9 | * | Jack Phibbs | LW | Flint Firebirds | |
| 12 | * | Jake Durham | RW | Flint Firebirds | |
| 5 | * | Dmitri Samorukov | D | Guelph Storm | |
| 13 | * | Hanna Quinn | D | Guelph Storm | |
| 14 | * | Cedric Ralph | C | Guelph Storm | |
| 16 | * | Nate Schnarr | C | Guelph Storm | |
| 19 | Isaac Ratcliffe | LW | Guelph Storm | ||
| 20 | Albert Michnac | C | Guelph Storm | ||
| 22 | Liam Stevens | LW | Guelph Storm | ||
| 26 | Nick Deakin-Poot | C | Guelph Storm | ||
| 32 | * | Anthony Popovich | G | Guelph Storm | |
| 9 | * | Reilly Webb | D | Hamilton Bulldogs | |
| 11 | * | Isaac Nurse | RW | Hamilton Bulldogs | |
| 12 | * | Zachary Johnson | LW | Hamilton Bulldogs | |
| 15 | * | Fedor Gordeev | D | Hamilton Bulldogs | |
| 18 | Matthew Strome | LW | Hamilton Bulldogs | ||
| 28 | Marian Studenic | C | Hamilton Bulldogs | ||
| 44 | MacKenzie Entwistle | RW | Hamilton Bulldogs | ||
| 33 | Kaden Fulcher | G | Hamilton Bulldogs | ||
| 6 | Jacob Paquette | D | Kingston Frontenacs | ||
| 13 | * | Colin Van Den Hurk | D | Kingston Frontenacs | |
| 19 | Jason Robertson | LW | Kingston Frontenacs | ||
| 22 | * | Jakub Brahaney | D | Kingston Frontenacs | |
| 23 | * | Tyler Burnie | RW | Kingston Frontenacs | |
| 75 | * | Linus Nyman | RW | Kingston Frontenacs | |
| 77 | * | Eemeli Rosonen | D | Kingston Frontenacs | |
| 4 | Joseph Garreffa | C | Kitchener Rangers | ||
| 21 | Nick McHugh | LW | Kitchener Rangers | ||
| 25 | * | Alex Peterson | D | Kitchener Rangers | |
| 48 | * | Cedric Scheimenz | C | Kitchener Rangers | |
| 81 | * | Dylan Seitz | C | Kitchener Rangers | |
| 88 | Greg Meireles | RW | Kitchener Rangers | ||
| 98 | Elijah Roberts | D | Kitchener Rangers | ||
| 34 | Luke Richardson | G | Kitchener Rangers | ||
| 6 | * | Ryley Coome | D | London Knights | |
| 15 | * | Cole Tymkin | RW | London Knights | |
| 24 | * | Ian Blacker | D | London Knights | |
| 26 | * | Josh Nelson | C | London Knights | |
| 27 | Robert Thomas | C | London Knights | ||
| 42 | * | Jacob Golden | D | London Knights | |
| 80 | * | Alex Forementon | LW | London Knights | |
| 15 | Shaw Boomhower | C | Mississauga Steelheads | ||
| 17 | * | Scoley Dow | LW | Mississauga Steelheads | |
| 18 | * | Aidan McFarland | LW | Mississauga Steelheads | |
| 28 | * | Matthew Titus | RW | Mississauga Steelheads | |
| 41 | Nicolas Hague | D | Mississauga Steelheads | ||
| 74 | Owen Tippet | RW | Mississauga Steelheads | ||
| 94 | * | Jeremy Goodwin | LW | Mississauga Steelheads | |
| 3 | Ben Jones | C | Niagara Ice Dogs | ||
| 5 | * | Drew Hunter | D | Niagara Ice Dogs | |
| 6 | Hayden Davis | D | Niagara Ice Dogs | ||
| 16 | * | Danial Singer | C | Niagara Ice Dogs | |
| 18 | * | Matthew Philip | C | Niagara Ice Dogs | |
| 19 | * | Pavel Demin | C | Niagara Ice Dogs | |
| 20 | * | Ondrej Machala | C | Niagara Ice Dogs | |
| 27 | * | Cal Davis | RW | Niagara Ice Dogs | |
| 29 | * | Liam Ham | D | Niagara Ice Dogs | |
| 1 | * | Colton Incze | G | Niagara Ice Dogs | |
| 2 | * | Eric Allair | D | North Bay Battalion | |
| 3 | Adam Thilander | D | North Bay Battalion | ||
| 11 | * | Daniel Walker | LW | North Bay Battalion | |
| 20 | Jacob Ball | LW | North Bay Battalion | ||
| 22 | Lyle Brady | D | North Bay Battalion | ||
| 23 | Daniil Vertiy | LW | North Bay Battalion | ||
| 24 | * | Brad Chenier | LW | North Bay Battalion | |
| 27 | * | Adam McMaster | C | North Bay Battalion | |
| 35 | * | Mat Woroniuk | G | North Bay Battalion | |
| 3 | * | Jaimen Allison | D | Oshawa Generals | |
| 4 | * | Matt Stoia | D | Oshawa Generals | |
| 7 | Sullivan Sparkes | C | Oshawa Generals | ||
| 15 | Kyle MacLean | LW | Oshawa Generals | ||
| 17 | Renars Krastenbergs | LW | Oshawa Generals | ||
| 18 | Robbie Burt | RW | Oshawa Generals | ||
| 23 | Jack Studnicka | C | Oshawa Generals | ||
| 38 | Kyle Keyser | G | Oshawa Generals | ||
| 35 | * | Barrett Mundell | G | Oshawa Generals | |
| 2 | Noel Hoefenmayer | D | Ottawa 67’s | ||
| 5 | * | Andrei Golikov | D | Ottawa 67’s | |
| 9 | Austen Keating | LW | Ottawa 67’s | ||
| 16 | * | Ben Evans | C | Ottawa 67’s | |
| 18 | Hudson Wilson | D | Ottawa 67’s | ||
| 89 | Sasha Chmelevski | C | Ottawa 67’s | ||
| 5 | Sean Durzi | D | Owen Sound Attack | ||
| 7 | * | Zachary Roberts | LW | Owen Sound Attack | |
| 12 | * | Nick Pryce | LW | Owen Sound Attack | |
| 18 | Markus Phillips | D | Owen Sound Attack | ||
| 21 | Jonah Gadjovich | LW | Owen Sound Attack | ||
| 24 | * | Maksim Sushko | RW | Owen Sound Attack | |
| 37 | Nick Suzuki | C | Owen Sound Attack | ||
| 2 | Cole Fraser | D | Peterborough Petes | ||
| 7 | Nick Grima | D | Peterborough Petes | ||
| 11 | Zach Gallant | C | Peterborough Petes | ||
| 12 | C. J. Clarke | RW | Peterborough Petes | ||
| 15 | * | Nick Isaacson | LW | Peterborough Petes | |
| 23 | * | Matyas Svoboda | LW | Peterborough Petes | |
| 25 | Igor Martynov | LW | Peterborough Petes | ||
| 6 | * | Robert Proner | D | Saginaw Spirit | |
| 7 | * | Kyle Bollers | LW | Saginaw Spirit | |
| 9 | Brady Gilmour | C | Saginaw Spirit | ||
| 24 | * | Brock Hill | D | Saginaw Spirit | |
| 25 | Kirill Maksimov | RW | Saginaw Spirit | ||
| 49 | Cole Coskey | RW | Saginaw Spirit | ||
| 91 | * | Gianluca Fuoco | LW | Saginaw Spirit | |
| 20 | * | Brendan Bonello | G | Saginaw Spirit | |
| 19 | Ryan McGregor | LW | Sarnia Sting | ||
| 21 | * | Adam Ruzicka | C | Sarnia Sting | |
| 23 | * | Egert Curtis | LW | Sarnia Sting | |
| 27 | * | Sean Josling | RW | Sarnia Sting | |
| 28 | * | Kelton Hatcher | D | Sarnia Sting | |
| 30 | * | Aidan Hughes | G | Sarnia Sting | |
| 7 | Anthony DeMeo | D | Soo Greyhounds | ||
| 11 | Mac Hollowell | D | Soo Greyhounds | ||
| 15 | Calvin Martin | LW | Soo Greyhounds | ||
| 16 | Morgan Frost | C | Soo Greyhounds | ||
| 21 | Connor Timmins | D | Soo Greyhounds | ||
| 22 | Liam Hawel | C | Soo Greyhounds | ||
| 29 | * | Dougie Newhouse | G | Soo Greyhounds | |
| 31 | * | Matthew Villalta | G | Soo Greyhounds | |
| 7 | Reagan O’Grady | D | Sudbury Wolves | ||
| 8 | * | Conor Ali | D | Sudbury Wolves | |
| 12 | Brady Pataki | RW | Sudbury Wolves | ||
| 14 | * | Owen Lane | LW | Sudbury Wolves | |
| 18 | Macauley Carson | LW | Sudbury Wolves | ||
| 20 | * | Shane Bulitka | LW | Sudbury Wolves | |
| 22 | Ben Garagan | C | Sudbury Wolves | ||
| 28 | Drake Pilon | RW | Sudbury Wolves | ||
| 29 | Darian Pilon | LW | Sudbury Wolves | ||
| 30 | * | Drake McGrath | G | Sudbury Wolves | |
| 13 | Gabriel Vilardi | C | Windsor Spitfires | ||
| 26 | * | Cole Purboo | RW | Windsor Spitfires | |
| 29 | * | Jasper Forgrave | RW | Windsor Spitfires | |
| 61 | Luke Boka | RW | Windsor Spitfires | ||
| 31 | * | Lucas Patton | G | Windsor Spitfires | |
| 64 | Michael DiPietro | G | Windsor Spitfires | ||
OHL Writers 