DRAFT READY: QUINTET OF OJHLERS HOPE TO HEAR THEIR NAMES CALLED IN DALLAS
Jack McBain of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens celebrates an OJHL goal in Pickering during the 2017-18 season. (Photo by Ray MacAloney/ OJHL Images)
One or two more sleeps.
That’s all for the five Ontario Junior Hockey League players ranked for the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center in Dallas this weekend.
If they can sleep at all.
[TV coverage: Round 1 | Fri, June 22 (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS)
Rounds 2-7 | Sat, June 23 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS)]
The OJ quintet made NHL Central Scouting’s final list of prospects.
Jack McBain of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens is the top-rated OJHL player, as the 35th ranked North American skater. The Toronto Beach resident is the son of former NHLer Andrew McBain (Winnipeg, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Vancouver).
Pickering Panther rookie Dustyn McFaul, 17, leads the pack of four defencemen at No. 164 on the North American list.
A pair of 17-year-old Welllington Dukes blueliners – Mason Snell (173th) and Declan Carlisle (176th) – made the final rankings. The Dukes were RBC Cup national championship finalists last month.
They fit in around Oakville Blade Matt Kellenberger (175th).
McBain, who will attend Boston College next year, played for Canada at the World U18 Championships in Russia this spring.
“A great young man and a great player,” Jr. Canadiens head coach Jeff Angelidis said postseason of McBain.
“He’ll go to Boston College as a real student of the game. He won’t struggle to adjust to that level. His game elevates to those around him. It should be seamless.”
Angelidis saw a different player return from playing for Team Canada at the World Jr. A Challenge in Nova Scotia early this season.
“The kids would call it swagger,” the coach said with a laugh. “You could just see his confidence level go through the roof. He became a real vocal leader in the room.”
McFaul, from the Hamilton-area community Waterdown, is a Clarkson commit.
Snell committed to Penn State while playing for the Whitby Fury in 2016. He’s from Clarington.
Carlisle, a Michigan native, committed to Merrimack.
The Princeton-bound Kellenberger was honoured as the OJHL’s defenceman of the year. McBain was named Top Prospect in the OJHL.
