FeedsWhalers select 14 in OHL draft
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Plymouth head coach Greg Stefan (left) welcomes Beau Schmitz (right) to the hockey club. _Photo by Natalie Shaver_It’s too early to tell whether the Whalers’ 14 picks in the Ontario Hockey League Priority Draft on Saturday will make an immediate impact or just ride the pine.
Chances are fans will see a little bit of both as some rise to the top and others fall to the wayside when the season starts in September.
Leading the crop of drafted young players is Tyler Seguin of the Toronto Young Nationals, who was the ninth selection overall. Seguin, a talented center that is compared to the likes of NHL star Joe Sakic, scored 39 goals and 47 assists in 51 games last season.
Seguin already has a strong Whaler connection. He hails from Brampton, Ontario—the home of Whaler veteran Chris Terry. The two train together in the off-season and play in a summer league together.
“Chris’s dad (John) coaches my sister’s hockey team, so I see Chris at the rink all the time,” Seguin said. “We work out together in a little 3-on-3 league and play on the same line. We actually work very well together.”
The NHL’s Central Scouting Agency reports Seguin as a good skater with quickness and agility and with great puck-handling skills that plays at top speed with great vision.
“(He) is a young man we watched quite a bit over the course of the year and have been after all season,” said Mike Vellucci, the Whalers’ president and general manager. “He’s an exceptional talent who sees the ice very well. He’s grown a lot – he’s over 6-foot-1 right now. He’s a great playmaker and goal scorer. He’s a very, very good skater and offensive talent.”
With their second-round pick (26th overall), the Whalers added another offensive threat with 18-year-old center Zac Dalpe.
Dalpe scored 35 goals and 45 assists in 62 games for Penticton of the British Columbia Jr. A League.
Dalpe, a Paris, Ontario native, has a Whaler connection, too. He attended the Whalers’ Rookie Camp three years ago but was too small at the time. He was only about 5-foot-4 and weighed in between 110 and 115 pounds.
Over the last three years his size caught up to his talent and he gained the attention of college and pro scouts. Ohio State University even offered him a scholarship and Central Scouting has Dalpe listed at 16th overall in its final rankings. Dalpe is eligible for the NHL Entry Draft this summer.
“Dalpe came to our camp three years ago as a walk-on, then played in Stratford before moving to the British Columbia Jr. A League,” Vellucci said. “He’s rated in the top-16 in the NHL Draft this year. He is committed to Ohio State, but once he gets selected by an NHL team, we have a good shot at Zac reporting to Plymouth. We’ve talked to him and would like to get him into camp.”
Plymouth selected Detroit-area defenseman Jonathon Merrill in the third round with the 50th overall pick. Many believe Merrill, who played for the Detroit Little Caesars, to be a first-round NHL pick if he does not go the college route. Merrill is an extremely talented offensive-minded defenseman who plays a very high-risk, high-reward style of game, according to Central Scouting.
“We had (him) rated as a top defenseman on our list,” Vellucci said. “He is committed to Michigan and the US program, but we’ll wait and see.”
Plymouth added some size with its other 11 players. Eight of them are 6-foot or taller.
“I felt we needed some size,” Vellucci said. “We have some grit, but we also have guys with skill, so we have addressed that. We selected some guys that are physical – (Brendan) McLeskey is a tough kid, but has good hands. Austin Levi is a big, raw defenseman that plays for Compuware and we love him because he’s got some untapped ability. Levi and DJ Hastings will be playing for the Compuware Midget Majors and they’ll be able to practice with us every day and get stronger and bigger. I watched Kevin Gravel at the Ann Arbor Top-40 Tournament and love how he plays.”
Draft day came and went and now fans will have to wait and see what impact, if any, the new players will have on the team.
