The 2018-19 hockey season is winding down, as the 2019 OHL Priority Selection now stands less than 40 days away.
While the playoffs have come to a decisive close for most, a number of Minor Midget teams remain mired in the midst of a postseason run within their respective leagues. In two specific cases, both of the GTHL and HEO have a ways to go — a short break was imposed as Team Ontario and its representatives did battle in the 2019 Canada Winter Games.
Although roughly a month remains until the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, a great deal of time remains for each and every prospect to prove himself as a can’t miss talent. And, perhaps no opportunity to do so is stronger than in the annual postseason, as every prospect must raise his respective game to a new level in order to catch the eyes of scouts and management alike.
So, let’s take a moment to recap this season’s postseason picture as it stood as of Feb. 26th, 2019 before discussing the Canada Winter Games and March’s ranking.
The Playoff Picture
In the world of Minor Midget hockey, the majority of leagues have named a champion and come to a close for the campaign. However, select leagues and their teams continue to battle on.
- Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario:
In ALLIANCE, the championship round is set with the Brantford 99ers set to clash with the Kitchener Jr. Rangers. During the regular season, the 99ers claimed a total of 46 points while the Jr. Rangers trailed closely behind with 45 points — a reality which should make for a highly entertaining final round.
In their respective semi-final bouts, the 99ers defeated the pesky Windsor Jr. Spitfires in a tightly contested five-game series, while the Jr. Rangers bounced the tenacious Waterloo Wolves in a surprisingly short four-game series.
- Great North Midget League:
Early in the month of February, the Sudbury Wolves Minor Midget defeated the Thunder Bay Kings to claim the GNML Minor Midget crown for the 2018-19 season. One of the strongest teams in Ontario, the majority of the Sudbury Wolves’ roster will help to comprise Team NOHA for the 2019 OHL Cup, where the tournament team is expected to be a legitimate threat to nab the prestigious championship.
- Greater Toronto Hockey League:
After a multiple week break for the 2019 Canada Winter Games, the GTHL playoffs resume on Feb. 27th with four teams remaining — all of which having cemented a place within the 2019 OHL Cup.
In one semi-final, the Don Mills Flyers will battle the upstart Toronto Red Wings. Although the two teams tied on one occasion during the regular season, the Flyers stand as the obvious favourite in the series. On the other side of the bracket, the Toronto Marlboros and Toronto Nationals will battle in what will surely be one of the most competitive playoff series’ this spring.
- Hockey East Ontario:
In the Ottawa region, the regular season was slated to come to a close on Feb. 28th, meaning that the postseason had yet to officially begin. Once it does, however, the Ottawa Jr. Senators, Pembroke Lumber Kings, and OHA Maroon are expected to legitimately fight for the title, as the three clubs stood high above the rest of their competition in 2018-19.
- High Performance Hockey League:
Across the border, the HPHL postseason campaign has already come to a close. At the 16U level, Detroit Compuware claimed hard-fought title despite having to overcome a great deal of adversity in order to reach the championship round. Meanwhile, at the 15U level, the Chicago Mission carried their incredible regular season play into the playoffs and straight to league championship.
- Ontario Minor Hockey Association:
As far as the ETA and SCTA are concerned, five stellar teams recently did battle for this year’s OMHA Championship. Representing the ETA were the York-Simcoe Express, Quinte Red Devils, and the host Whitby Wildcats — who were defeated by the Express rather surprisingly in postseason action.
On the other hand, the Guelph Gryphons and Halton Hurricanes represented the SCTA — the Gryphons entered the Championship red-hot after defeating the Niagara North Stars.
In the end however, it was the host and favourite Whitby Wildcats who defended their OMHA Championship. The Wildcats won all four round robin games before downing the Halton Hurricanes in the gold medal game. Elsewhere, York Simcoe defeated Quinte to claim the bronze medal.
- Tier 1 Elite Hockey League:
In the T1EHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite were victorious at both the U16 and U15 levels. In U16 action, the Penguins were paced by 2019 OHL Draft eligibles Colby Saganiuk and Teddy Sawyer, while Johnny Fratto led the U15 team offensively with remarkable consistency.
Recap: The 2019 Canada Winter Games
The 2019 Canada Winter Games proved to be a tremendous display of skill and talent, as numerous provinces and territories did battle in what was a wildly entertaining week of hockey. Come the championship game, it was Team Quebec and Team Ontario who clashed in a thrilling overtime tilt. After a seemingly endless number of chances by both teams, Team Quebec captured the Gold Medal owing to a tally by Zachary L’Heureux.
Despite the loss, Team Ontario and its players were extremely impressive throughout the tournament. While Shane Wright, Brandt Clarke, and Brennan Othmann were outstanding, so too were the likes of Connor Lockhart, Jacob Holmes, and Danil Zhilkin — three prospects who strengthened their respective stocks ahead of the 2019 OHL Draft through their stellar play for Team Ontario.
March’s Top-260 Prospects
With the postseason in full swing, the Canada Winter Games in the rearview mirror, and the 2019 OHL Cup on the horizon, it’s time to unveil our 2019 OHL Draft ranking for the month of March.
In this month’s edition, the top prospects eligible for the upcoming Priority Selection have remained fairly stable. In some instances however, strong play in postseason competition or at the Canada Winter Games has fuelled a significant rise in the standing of specific prospects. On the other hand, some have fallen slightly due to an inability to perform under the most intense of conditions and situations.
Before we dive into March’s Top-260 prospects, be sure to catch up on our previous rankings in order to see how particular players and their perceived values have fluctuated over the course of the 2018-19 campaign.
- 2019 OHL Draft Ranking: October’s Top-20
- 2019 OHL Draft Ranking: November’s Top-60
- 2019 OHL Draft Ranking: December’s Top-100
- 2019 OHL Draft Ranking: January’s Top-160
- 2019 OHL Draft Ranking: February’s Top-220
- 2019 OHL Draft Ranking: Top-20 Goaltenders
Here they are, March’s top prospects followed by 20 honourable mentions to watch in the weeks and days leading up to the 2019 OHL Draft:
Note: This list features the Top-260 skaters available for the 2019 OHL Draft, and does not include goaltenders. Also, it is not a mock draft.
Rank | Player | Team | Position |
1 | Shane Wright | Don Mills Flyers | C |
2 | Brandt Clarke | Don Mills Flyers | RD |
3 | Brennan Othmann | Don Mills Flyers | LW |
4 | Mason McTavish | Pembroke Lumber Kings | C |
5 | Jeremy Wilmer* | North Jersey Avalanche | C |
6 | Connor Lockhart | Kanata Lasers | C |
7 | Dylan Duke* | Detroit Compuware | C |
8 | Sasha Pastujov* | Detroit Compuware | RW |
9 | Brett Harrison | London Jr. Knights | C |
10 | Liam Arnsby | Don Mills Flyers | C/LW |
11 | Ethan Del Mastro | Toronto Marlboros | LD |
12 | Danil Zhilkin* | Toronto Marlboros | C |
13 | Brenden Sirizzotti | Whitby Wildcats | RW |
14 | Francesco Pinelli | Toronto Red Wings | C |
15 | Francesco Arcuri | Don Mills Flyers | C |
16 | Stuart Rolofs | Kanata Lasers | LW |
17 | Dylan Gratton* | North Jersey Avalanche | LD |
18 | Maddox Callens | Brantford 99ers | C |
19 | Artem Guryev | Toronto Marlboros | LD |
20 | Roman Schmidt* | Don Mills Flyers | LD |
21 | Braeden Kressler | Mississauga Senators | C |
22 | Cole Hipkin | Brantford 99ers | RD |
23 | Josh Bloom | Toronto Nationals | LW |
24 | Jack Devine* | Chicago Mission | C |
25 | Ryan Winterton | Whitby Wildcats | C |
26 | Luke Hughes* | Detroit Little Caesars | LD |
27 | Ryan Del Monte* | Toronto Nationals | C |
28 | Wil Murphy | Kingston Jr. Frontenacs | LD |
29 | Deni Goure | Chatham-Kent Cyclones | C |
30 | Kaleb Nelson | York Simcoe Express | C |
31 | Sean Behrens* | Chicago Mission | LD |
32 | Jon-Randall Avon | Peterborough Petes | C |
33 | Colby Saganiuk | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite | C |
34 | Logan Mailloux | Toronto Marlboros | RD |
35 | Daniel Michaud | Quinte Red Devils | C |
36 | Deven Nagra | Toronto Nationals | LD |
37 | Isaac Enright | Pembroke Lumber Kings | RD |
38 | Wyatt Johnston | Toronto Marlboros | C |
39 | Kaleb Lawrence | OHA Maroon | C |
40 | Jacob Holmes | York Simcoe Express | LD |
41 | Chase Stillman* | Sudbury Wolves | C |
42 | Connor Punnett | North Central Predators | LD |
43 | Ranvir Gill | Ottawa Jr. Senators | RD |
44 | Jesse Fishman | Mississauga Rebels | C/RW |
45 | Kai Alexander Greaves | Cambridge Hawks | RD |
46 | Cole Patey | North Central Predators | LW |
47 | Ty Gallagher* | Detroit Compuware | RD |
48 | Joshua Kavanagh | Sudbury Wolves | RD |
49 | Ethan Burroughs | Halton Hurricanes | RW |
50 | Jordan D’Intino | London Jr. Knights | C/RW |
51 | Davis Burnside* | Chicago Mission | LW |
52 | Ethan Larmand | North Central Predators | RW |
53 | Teddy Sawyer | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite | LD |
54 | Zacharie Giroux | Sudbury Wolves | RW |
55 | Marc Boudreau | Toronto Marlboros | LW |
56 | Ethan Straky* | Oakland Jr. Grizzlies | RD |
57 | Paul Christopoulos | Don Mills Flyers | RD |
58 | Jack Silich* | Chicago Mission | RW |
59 | Landon Cato* | Toronto Nationals | RD |
60 | Owen Watson | Smiths Falls Bears | LW |
61 | Nolan Dann | Toronto Red Wings | LW |
62 | Jack Matier | Soo Thunderbirds | RD |
63 | Ryan Burke | Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs | C |
64 | Thomas Johnston | Whitby Wildcats | LW |
65 | Jonah Copre | Chicago Mission | RD |
66 | Jake Coleman | Pembroke Lumber Kings | RW |
67 | Declan Ride* | Toronto Nationals | RD |
68 | Tyler Procious | Buffalo Jr. Sabres | RD |
69 | Pasquale Zito | Mississauga Rebels | C |
70 | Ryan Cutler | York Simcoe Express | RW |
71 | Devon Savignac | Sudbury Wolves | LW |
72 | Tyler Pfister | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite | RD |
73 | Sam Sedley | Huron Perth Lakers | RD |
74 | Tbone Codd | Little Caesars | C |
75 | Vitaly Levyy | Long Island Gulls | RW |
76 | Christian Catalano | Mississauga Rebels | RW |
77 | Isaiah Moran-Weekes | Kanata Lasers | LD |
78 | Griffen Jurecki | Little Caesars | C |
79 | Jack Beck | Toronto Marlboros | LW |
80 | Beckett Palmer-Stephen | Kingston Jr. Frontenacs | LW |
81 | Owen Parsons | Waterloo Wolves | C |
82 | D.J. Walsh | Long Island Gulls | C |
83 | Joshua Orrico | Toronto Red Wings | RD |
84 | Landon McCallum | Brantford 99ers | RW |
85 | Mitchell Martin | Sudbury Wolves | LW |
86 | Owen Hollingsworth | Navan Grads | RW |
87 | Ty Anselmini | Guelph Jr. Gryphons | C |
88 | Eddie Shepler | Detroit Honeybaked | RW |
89 | Marko Sikic | Kitchener Jr. Rangers | C |
90 | Owen Forester | Toronto Nationals | RD |
91 | Ty Hollett | Navan Grads | RD |
92 | Cole Eichler | Don Mills Flyers | RW |
93 | Steven LaForme | Brantford 99ers | RW |
94 | Chris Innes | Sudbury Wolves | LD |
95 | Lawson Sherk | Halton Hurricanes | C |
96 | Barret Joynt | Kingston Jr. Frontenacs | LW |
97 | Max Smolinski | Detroit Little Caesars | RD |
98 | Justin O’Donnell | Toronto Marlboros | RW |
99 | Douglas Carr | Whitby Wildcats | RD |
100 | Adam O’Marra | Oakville Rangers | C |
101 | Joshua Reid | Pembroke Lumber Kings | C |
102 | Vincent Salice* | Oakland Jr. Grizzlies | C |
103 | Judd Katz | Mississauga Rebels | LD |
104 | Tucker Robertson | Toronto Marlboros | LW |
105 | Calum Chau | Halton Hurricanes | LD |
106 | Max McCue | Sudbury Wolves | LW |
107 | Chas Sharpe | North Central Predators | RD |
108 | Ryan Ufko* | North Jersey Avalanche | C/LW |
109 | Brayden Hislop | Waterloo Wolves | LD |
110 | Nikita Tiatinkin | CIHA Green | C |
111 | Ethan Lindsay | Barrie Jr. Colts | C |
112 | Chandler Romeo | Toronto Red Wings | LD |
113 | Ben Felicetti | Burlington Eagles | RW |
114 | Ethan Mistry | Don Mills Flyers | LD |
115 | Ethan Broderick | Guelph Jr. Gryphons | RD |
116 | Brody Fournier | Smiths Falls Bears | RW |
117 | Redmond Savage* | Detroit Compuware | LW |
118 | Braden Hache | York Simcoe Express | LD |
119 | Jacob Maillet | Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs | C |
120 | Kobe Tallman | Toronto Young Nationals | LW |
121 | Bradley Brunet | Sudbury Wolves | RW |
122 | Angelo Duscio | Kitchener Jr. Rangers | RD |
123 | Ryan Gillespie | Toronto Red Wings | C |
124 | Raymond Hamlin | Windsor Jr. Spitfires | C |
125 | Camden Daigle | Huron Perth Lakers | LW |
126 | Josh Ziliotto | Burlington Eagles | C |
127 | Owen Mahoney | Brockville Braves | LD |
128 | Edward Moskowitz | Don Mills Flyers | LW |
129 | Therien Thiesing | Chicago Mission | LD |
130 | Easton Ryan | Kemptville 73’s | RW |
131 | Nicholas Dowling | North Central Predators | RW |
132 | Teegan Dumont | Sudbury Wolves | RD |
133 | Eric Bertelsen | Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs | RW |
134 | James Jodoin | Oakville Rangers | RD |
135 | Ikki Kogawa | Toronto Young Nationals | RW |
136 | Simon Motew | Chicago Mission | RD |
137 | Jordan Fuller | York Simcoe Express | LW |
138 | Jake Kovacs | Soo Thunderbirds | C |
139 | Riley Wood | London Jr. Knights | RW |
140 | Tyler Savard | Peterborough Petes | LW |
141 | Mark MacPhee | Ottawa Jr. Senators | C |
142 | Mark McIntosh | Guelph Jr. Gryphons | RW |
143 | Aidan Shepard | Toronto Marlboros | LD/LW |
144 | Ryan Humphrey | Detroit Honeybaked | C |
145 | Nathan Oickle | Peterborough Petes | RD |
146 | Nolan Forster | Toronto Marlboros | LW |
147 | Jordan Adams | Halton Hurricanes | LW/C |
148 | Sam Volturo | Detroit Little Caesars | RD |
149 | Carson Noble | Chatham-Kent Cyclones | LW |
150 | Owen Carter | Cornwall Colts | RD |
151 | Alex Christopoulos | Don Mills Flyers | RW |
152 | Eric Bonsteel | Mississauga Senators | RD |
153 | Cameron Walker | Sudbury Wolves | C |
154 | Noah Janicki | Barrie Jr. Colts | LD |
155 | Lucas Brzustowski | Kitchener Jr. Rangers | LD |
156 | Matteo Giampa | Niagara North Stars | C |
157 | Anthony Agostinelli | Buffalo Jr. Sabres | C |
158 | Connor Miller | Honeybaked | LW |
159 | Adam Cater | Nepean Raiders | LD |
160 | Dante Palombo | North Jersey Avalanche | C |
161 | Cole Turcotte | York Simcoe Express | C |
162 | Cooper Way | Waterloo Wolves | C/LW |
163 | Liam Shwedyk | Niagara North Stars | C/RW |
164 | Tyler Hotson | London Jr. Knights | LW |
165 | Luca Del Bel Belluz | Toronto Red Wings | C |
166 | Ryan Remick | CIHA White | C |
167 | Trever Burns | Chicago Fury | C |
168 | Jacob Frasca | Mississauga Senators | LW |
169 | Payton Robinson | Don Mills Flyers | RD |
170 | Ethan MacKinnon | Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs | LD |
171 | Owain Johnston | Mississauga Rebels | RD |
172 | Skyler St. Pierre | Sudbury Wolves | RW |
173 | Andre Anania | Toronto Red Wings | RD |
174 | Kyle Maloney | Waterloo Wolves | C |
175 | Noah Laba | Detroit Compuware | C |
176 | Joseph Blackley | Buffalo Regals | LD |
177 | Gabriel Crete | Navan Grads | C/RW |
178 | Aidan Haws | Detroit Honeybaked | C |
179 | Sean Clarke | Vaughan Kings | C |
180 | Mateo Amaral | Cambridge Hawks | LW |
181 | William Gourgouvelis | Whitby Wildcats | LD |
182 | Luca Rea | North York Rangers | LW/RW |
183 | Dylan Richardson | Guelph Jr. Gryphons | LW |
184 | Cayden Faust | Windsor Jr. Spitfires | LW |
185 | Samuel Mayer | Hawkesbury Hawks | LD |
186 | Johnny Fratto | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite | LW |
187 | Stephen Pszeniczny | Soo Thunderbirds | C |
188 | Lucas Lapalm | Quinte Red Devils | LW |
189 | Jack Bulmer | Windsor Jr. Spitfires | RD |
190 | Roberto Mancini | Mississauga Reps | LD |
191 | Andrew Whitton | Brampton 45’s | RW |
192 | Zachary Burfoot | Chicago Fury | LD |
193 | Vladislav Dvurechenskii | North York Rangers | LW |
194 | Chase Costantino | Burlington Eagles | RD |
195 | Jax Dubois | Nepean Raiders | RW |
196 | Joshua Cyrenne | Sun County Panthers | D |
197 | Adam Zuckerman | Toronto Nationals | LD/LW |
198 | Justin Brown | Barrie Jr. Colts | C |
199 | Christian Campanelli | North York Rangers | C |
200 | Matthew Sop | Kitchener Jr. Rangers | RW |
201 | Blake Hall | Southern Tier Admirals | C |
202 | Tyler Dunbar | Soo Thunderbirds | LD |
203 | Connor Brooks | Quinte Red Devils | LD |
204 | Myles Yearwood | Markham Majors | LW |
205 | Connor Smith | Oakland Jr. Grizzlies | RW |
206 | Nicholas Sewecke | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite | C |
207 | Justin Ertel | Toronto Red Wings | LW |
208 | Giovanni Morneau | Rockland Nationals | RW |
209 | Cole Melady | Huron Perth Lakers | C |
210 | Ty MacDonald | Ajax-Pickering Raiders | C |
211 | Dominic Cassillo | Buffalo Regals | C |
212 | Amadeus Lombardi | Toronto Titans | C |
213 | Jak Vaarwerk | Buffalo Jr. Sabres | C |
214 | Ethan Esposito | Mississauga Senators | LW |
215 | Nicholas Paone | Southern Tier Admirals | RD |
216 | Benjamin White | Quinte Red Devils | C |
217 | Braeden Bowman | Kitchener Jr. Rangers | RW |
218 | Callum Chisholm | Richmond Hill Coyotes | RW |
219 | Parker Hendsbee | Niagara North Stars | C |
220 | Will Rivet | North Bay Trappers | C |
221 | Bill Gourgon | Carleton Place Canadians | C |
222 | Alexander Babich | Chicago Mission | LW |
223 | Jonah Cochrane | Brantford 99ers | LD |
224 | Connor Driscoll | Toronto Nationals | RW |
225 | Jake Darlison | Whitby Wildcats | LD |
226 | Ty Voit | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite | RW |
227 | Joshua Cini | Mississauga Rebels | RW |
228 | Brett Cowen | Oakville Rangers | RW |
229 | Blake Boudreau | Sun County Panthers | C |
230 | Will Howarth | Carleton Place Canadians | RD |
231 | Dylan Hudon | Guelph Jr. Gryphons | LW |
232 | Dominick Rivelli* | Chicago Mission | C |
233 | Connor Rooney | Nepean Raiders | LW |
234 | Atkin Dwyer | Toronto Red Wings | LD |
235 | Jacob Dupuis | Clarington Toros | RW/RD |
236 | Jake Barkley | Mississauga Rebels | LW |
237 | Jack Natyshak | Toronto Jr. Canadiens | C |
238 | Nicholas Mazza | Chatham-Kent Cyclones | LW |
239 | Jaxson Murray | Waterloo Wolves | C |
240 | Tarabh Nolan | Toronto Nationals | RW |
241 | Anthony Maurice | North Jersey Avalanche | LW |
242 | Brady Cerkownyk | Mississauga Rebels | RW |
243 | Nicholas Beneteau | Windsor Jr. Spitfires | RW |
244 | Kevin Henstock | Toronto Nationals | C |
245 | Christian Kyrou | Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs | RD |
246 | Maxwell Donohoe | Mississauga Rebels | RW |
247 | Cole Benoit | Toronto Titans | RD |
248 | Cole Watson | London Jr. Knights | RW |
249 | Dylan Holroyd | Ottawa Jr. Senators | LD |
250 | David Palmer | Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs | LD |
251 | Odaro Ewere | Richmond Hill Coyotes | C |
252 | Mason LaCivita | Buffalo Jr. Sabres | LW |
253 | Quinn Tavares | Mississauga Reps | C |
254 | Thomas Stewart | Vaughan Kings | RD |
255 | Alexander Cunningham | Windsor Jr. Spitfires | LW |
256 | Noah Theodor | Whitby Wildcats | C |
257 | Jacob Bramwell | Hamilton Huskies | LD |
258 | Hunter Brown | Kemptville 73’s | RD |
259 | Alexey Yarmulnik | North Jersey Avalanche | C |
260 | Luca Pasciuta | Windsor Jr. Spitfires | LD |
HM | Jacob Napier | Buffalo Jr. Sabres | LD |
HM | Jett Morningstar | Chatham-Kent Cyclones | RW |
HM | Patrick Saini | North York Rangers | C |
HM | Tye Scott | Mississauga Rebels | LD |
HM | Anthony Demkiw | Toronto Titans | C |
HM | Elias Vavitsas | Markham Majors | RW |
HM | Jake Eaton | Windsor Jr. Spitfires | C |
HM | Nathan Zadorozny | Niagara North Stars | RW |
HM | Matthew Worden | Smiths Falls Bears | LD |
HM | Matthew Roy | York Simcoe Express | LD |
HM | Justin Kelly-Boxe | Mississauga Reps | C |
HM | Jack Price | Vaughan Kings | RW |
HM | Marcus Ferrara | Markham Majors | LW |
HM | Nicolas Carvalho | Whitby Wildcats | LW |
HM | Matteo Barbieri | Richmond Hill Coyotes | C |
HM | Colin MacDougall | Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs | RW |
HM | Blake Hall | Southern Tier Admirals | C |
HM | Griffin Vaughan | Southern Tier Admirals | RW |
HM | Oliver Peer | Burlington Eagles | LW |
HM | Owen Rainey | Brantford 99ers | RW |
* – Indicates a prospect currently committed to an NCAA program.