Latest news with #PrioritySelection
Ottawa Citizen
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Greyhounds Laus, Croskery named to Canadian U17 and U18 camps
Recent Soo Greyhounds signings Noah Laus and Callum Croskery have been named to the Canadian under-17 and under-18 camps, respectively, Hockey Canada announced Thursday afternoon. Article content Laus, the Hounds' 2025 first-round OHL Priority Selection pick (7th overall), is among 30 OHL draft picks who have been tapped for the national under-17 development camp. After continued evaluation through the start of the OHL season, a selected roster will compete in the U17 World Challenge this fall. Article content Article content Croskery, a 2024 second-round Soo selection, will participate with 19 other OHLers in the under-18 camp for a chance to play in the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup next month. That roster will be finalized by Aug. 3. Article content Article content Laus, 16, is joining the Hounds this season after ripping through the GTHL as the captain of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA program, scoring 42 points in 33 games. More impressive were his 13 points in seven OHL Cup games to win the championship and tournament all-star honours. Article content 'Noah is an incredibly versatile player who excels at both wing and centre. He plays with speed, physicality, and skill,' Greyhounds GM Kyle Raftis said following his signing on May 29. 'His ability to control the game, set up his linemates with exceptional vision, and unleash a powerful shot makes him a constant offensive threat.' Article content Article content Laus will compete against 47 other forwards who have been drafted to the Canadian Hockey League at the under-17 development camp. Article content As for Croskery, the slick six-foot defender is coming to the Soo this season after playing for the Chicago Steel of the USHL, where he amassed 10 points in 54 games. He also won the OHL Cup prior to being drafted by the Greyhounds, starring for the Oakville Rangers U16 AAA program. Article content He's also been where Laus is hoping to go — Croskery represented Team Canada White at the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, winning gold and recording two points in five games. Article content '[Croskery is] a smooth-skating defenceman who truly excels in transition, showing the ability to exit the defensive zone with poise by evading pressure, using space, and applying his vision to manage the puck and drive the pace of play,' Raftis said following his signing on June 4. Article content
Ottawa Citizen
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Kingston Frontenacs' Dervin shocked first by NCAA's rule change, then by Vancouver Canucks at draft
Article content When the Kingston Frontenacs open their training camp next month, management and coaches will be scoping new additions to the team, namely their two first-round picks from the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, forward Aleks Kulemin and defenceman Matthew Henderson. Article content Perhaps the most intriguing player, though, will be a player who was a late addition to last year's team, centre Kieran Dervin. Article content Article content Dervin, an 18-year-old from Gloucester, made an impression with Kingston fans, scoring a goal and picking up two assists skating on the fourth line in 10 regular-season games and matching those numbers in the 11 post-season contests. Article content Article content Presumably scouts for the Vancouver Canucks saw something in Dervin they liked beyond the numbers, likely based on his play with St. Andrew's, the prep-school hockey factory in Aurora, Ont., where he played the last two seasons. Article content The Canucks made Dervin the first pick of the third round, No. 65 overall, at the draft in Los Angeles last month. There'd been clear signs that his stock was rising — NHL Central Scouting Service had ranked Dervin No. 95 among North American skaters in their mid-terms, but wound up slotting him at No. 71 on the final list based almost entirely on his play at St Andrew's. Article content Still, Dervin had only a dozen interviews at the NHL combine — by comparison, Tyler Hopkins, the Frontenacs' other draft-eligible prospect, had more than 20 interviews. Article content Article content So it was that Dervin was almost completely off guard when he was watching the draft at home with his family early in the Saturday afternoon session. Article content 'When Vancouver called my name, I just kind of froze,' Dervin said in a phone interview this week. 'I was at a loss for words when my agent called and when I spoke to the Canucks (management). I was just floored. They told me about arrangements for development camp, but I can't remember anything that I said. It was the happiest day of my life, the best day, but I didn't see it coming.' Article content The Dervins decided not to go to the draft, so that everyone in their family circle could make it to their Ottawa home for a party. Kieran's parents' busy schedule might have been a factor, too — his father Geoff is an orthopedic surgeon, and his mother Tracy is an operating-room nurse. Article content The selection by Vancouver was just the latest surprising turn in Dervin's young hockey life. Perhaps the biggest came last fall when the NCAA dropped its long-standing embargo against Canadian Hockey League players, opening up opportunities for major-junior players to play U.S. college hockey. Prior to that, Dervin had been all in on the NCAA route, having committed to play for Penn State University, in State College, Pa., targeting enrolment for the fall of 2026.
Ottawa Citizen
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Sault's Hudson Chitaroni focused on next season in Sudbury, playing pro hockey
With the Sudbury Wolves pushing to solidify their playoff position, an untimely injury to overage centreman Kocha Delic could have sent the team tumbling down the OHL standings. Article content Encouraged by the play of their rookie forwards, however, head coach Scott Barney and company were hopeful players such as Hudson Chitaroni would make the most of their opportunity for more ice time and lead the club to a strong finish. Article content Article content Article content Moving into Sudbury's top six, Chitaroni responded with his strongest stretch of the season with 11 points in 10 games, including three goals and three assists during a pivotal five-game winning streak through early March that secured a sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Article content Article content 'It's always nice to put up numbers and what not, but I'm a guy who always believes in himself and I believe in my abilities,' said the 17-year-old Sault Ste. Marie resident, reached in his hometown earlier this week. Article content 'With Delic out, somebody needed to step up. I was given that opportunity and ran with it and I ended up doing pretty well for myself.' Despite suffering his own late-season injury that surely hampered his contributions during the first round of the OHL playoffs, which saw the Pack eliminated by the Kingston Frontenacs in four games, the Soo Junior Greyhounds minor hockey product surely didn't lose any stock with big-league scouts for a lack of effort. Indeed, it's Chitaroni's commitment and character, as much as the impressive skill set that yielded a total of nine goals and 16 assists in his first year of major junior action, that have made the 5-foot-10, 178-pounder one of the Wolves' best hopes for a pick in the NHL Entry Draft this weekend. Article content Article content Round 1 of the annual draft goes Friday at 7 p.m., followed by Rounds 2-7 on Saturday at noon. Article content 'Obviously, getting drafted would be cool, but it's not really my main focus,' Chitaroni said. 'It's an invite to the dance. If I don't get drafted, it's not a big deal. I want to play pro one day and I just have to keep working and to keep listening to my coaches and doing everything I can to really improve and to just focus on myself as see how I do.' Article content One of three sons of former Wolves captain Terry Chitaroni to become major-junior draft picks, between defenceman Mason and winger Brock, Hudson Chitaroni became Sudbury's third-round choice in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection after a stellar 22-goal, 26-assist season with the Junior Hounds in the Great North Under-18 League. He was also a standout for Team NOHA at the 2023 OHL Cup showcase in Toronto, managing to hit the score sheet despite battling an illness that might have forced other players out of the lineup.
Ottawa Citizen
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Hudson Chitaroni focused on next season in Sudbury, playing pro hockey
Article content With the Sudbury Wolves pushing to solidify their playoff position, an untimely injury to overage centreman Kocha Delic could have sent the team tumbling down the OHL standings. Article content Encouraged by the play of their rookie forwards, however, head coach Scott Barney and company were hopeful players such as Hudson Chitaroni would make the most of their opportunity for more ice time and lead the club to a strong finish. Article content Article content Article content Moving into Sudbury's top six, Chitaroni responded with his strongest stretch of the season with 11 points in 10 games, including three goals and three assists during a pivotal five-game winning streak through early March that secured a sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Article content Article content 'It's always nice to put up numbers and what not, but I'm a guy who always believes in himself and I believe in my abilities,' said the 17-year-old Sault Ste. Marie resident, reached in his hometown earlier this week. Article content 'With Delic out, somebody needed to step up. I was given that opportunity and ran with it and I ended up doing pretty well for myself.' Despite suffering his own late-season injury that surely hampered his contributions during the first round of the OHL playoffs, which saw the Pack eliminated by the Kingston Frontenacs in four games, the Soo Junior Greyhounds minor hockey product surely didn't lose any stock with big-league scouts for a lack of effort. Indeed, it's Chitaroni's commitment and character, as much as the impressive skill set that yielded a total of nine goals and 16 assists in his first year of major junior action, that have made the 5-foot-10, 178-pounder one of the Wolves' best hopes for a pick in the NHL Entry Draft this weekend. Article content Article content Round 1 of the annual draft goes Friday at 7 p.m., followed by Rounds 2-7 on Saturday at noon. Article content 'Obviously, getting drafted would be cool, but it's not really my main focus,' Chitaroni said. 'It's an invite to the dance. If I don't get drafted, it's not a big deal. I want to play pro one day and I just have to keep working and to keep listening to my coaches and doing everything I can to really improve and to just focus on myself as see how I do.' Article content One of three sons of former Wolves captain Terry Chitaroni to become major-junior draft picks, between defenceman Mason and winger Brock, Hudson Chitaroni became Sudbury's third-round choice in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection after a stellar 22-goal, 26-assist season with the Junior Hounds in the Great North Under-18 League. He was also a standout for Team NOHA at the 2023 OHL Cup showcase in Toronto, managing to hit the score sheet despite battling an illness that might have forced other players out of the lineup.
Ottawa Citizen
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Cam Warren officially signs with the North Bay Battalion
Article content The North Bay Battalion has signed centre Cam Warren, its first-round pick in the 2025 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, to an education and development agreement, the club announced Wednesday. North Bay chose Warren sixth overall on April 11 from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16s. Article content Article content In 33 regular-season games, Warren, who turned 16 on May 7, scored 24 goals and earned 39 assists for 63 points. The Vaughan, Ont., resident stands five-foot-10 and weighs 153 pounds. Article content Article content Article content 'We're thrilled to officially welcome Cam to the Battalion family,' said general manager John Winstanley. Article content Article content 'Cam is a player who brings a combination of high-end hockey IQ and elite skills. An electrifying player on the ice, he's dynamic and creative with the puck on and off his stick. 'We've had our eyes on Cam for a while and are really looking forward to seeing what he can do here. He has a bright future, and our group is excited to continue working with him on the next stages of his development.' Article content Article content Warren visited Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens the day after he was selected, noting: 'I think I'm a fast player who likes to play smart and use my vision to make guys around me better. I love to play with speed and pace all around the ice.' Article content Warren was named the most valuable player in the OHL Cup at Toronto, which the Jr. Canadiens won after gaining entry as a qualifier. He tied for the tournament lead in points with 13 from six goals and seven assists in seven games. Article content A right shot, Warren is the second player selected this year to sign with the Battalion. The Troops announced June 9 that defenceman Carter Kunopaski, their second-rounder, had enlisted. Article content Article content Kunopaski, a six-foot-two, 201-pound resident of Pakenham, Ont., turned 16 on Feb. 14. In 32 regular-season games with the Ottawa Valley Titans U16s, the left-shot rearguard scored four goals and added 21 assists for 25 points.
