Tag: Rutger McGroarty

2020 OHL Draft Ranking: Final Top-50 Americans

With the 2020 OHL Draft just one week away, it’s time to look south of the border for our 2020 OHL Draft Ranking: Final Top-50 Americans.

The 2004-born class of American prospects has long been regarded as a top-flight group of players who could potentially challenge the success of the 2001-born class. They put their skill on display all season long during 2019-20, consistently rolling over their Canadian opponents with relative ease.

Detroit Honeybaked led the way in terms of team success, capturing wins at a rate similar to last year’s Don Mills Flyers. With that said, Detroit Compuware, the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, and South Kent Selects Academy were also dominant in their own rights.

With the uncertainty caused this Spring by the COVID-19 Pandemic, virtually everything has had to be postponed or cancelled, which included the U.S. U17 National Development Evaluation Camp. As such, the NTDP jumped straight ahead and announced their U17 roster for the 2020-21 season.

This is a team laced with talent all throughout the lineup, with some extremely skilled prospects left off the squad. As a result, the picture has become much more clear ahead of the April 4th’s OHL Draft, as we now know which players will suit up for the National Development Team and which ones remain more available to play in the OHL next season.

However, all American-born players eligible for the 2020 OHL Draft will remain in this ranking, as they are still qualified to be selected in the draft.

Final Top-50 Americans

With that said, here are the top-50 American-born prospects eligible for the 2020 OHL Draft. Overall, this year’s class is loaded with talent and potential from top to bottom. Although many of the players in this ranking have now been named to the U.S. U17 team, several high-end prospects were left off of that roster, leaving plenty of options for OHL teams to make lower-risk, high-reward selections.

Please note: This is an OHL Draft Ranking and is in no way a prediction of when players will be selected. It is not a mock draft.

Rank Player Position Team
1 Rutger McGroarty* C Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U
2 Seamus Casey* D Florida Alliance 16U
3 Frank Nazar* C Honeybaked 15U
4 Lane Hutson* D North Jersey Avalanche 16U
5 Hunter Brzustewicz* D Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U
6 Tyler Duke* D Compuware 16U
7 Isaac Howard* C Shattuck St. Mary’s 16U
8 Devin Kaplan* C North Jersey Avalanche 16U
9 Cutter Gauthier LW Compuware 16U
10 Logan Cooley* C Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
11 Max Namestnikov* LW Honeybaked 15U
12 Gavin Brindley LW Florida Alliance 16U
13 Zach Filak* C Compuware 16U
14 Gavin Hayes RW Compuware 15U
15 Vinny Borgesi* D South Kent Academy
16 Owen Baker RW Honeybaked 15U
17 Tyler Catalano C St. Louis Blues
18 Justin Varner RW Honeybaked 15U
19 Chase Pietila D Honeybaked 15U
20 Spencer Sova D Honeybaked 15U
21 Dylan Gordon D Honeybaked 15U
22 Ryan Abraham C Compuware 15U
23 Jack Larrigan C Shattuck St. Mary’s U15
24 Tucker Shedd D Compuware 15U
25 Zion Green RW Compuware 15U
26 Matthew DiMarsico LW Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
27 Christian Kocsis LW Honeybaked 15U
28 Jake Manfre LW Long Island Gulls 16U
29 Patrick Geary D Buffalo Jr. Sabres 15U
30 Evan Konyen RW Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
31 Seamus Powell D Rochester Selects 15U
32 Tommy Budnick D Honeybaked 15U
33 Nathan Lewis RW Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U
34 Dominic Elliot D Fox Motors U15
35 Jonah Aegeerter C Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U
36 Carson Walters LW Chicago Mission 15U
37 Quinn Finley RW Green Bay Gamblers
38 Nathan McBrayer D Ohio Blue Jackets U15
39 Cole Bianchin LW Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
40 Michael Mesic LW Compuware 15U
41 Chris Able D Chicago Mission 15U
42 Colton Mauser D Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
43 Landon Fleming D Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U
44 Patrick Czarnecki D Honeybaked 15U
45 Evan Moore C Nashville Jr. Predators U15
46 Cole Knuble RW Fox Motors U15
47 Micah Berger LW Florida Alliance 16U
48 Michael DeAngelo LW Chicago Mission 15U
49 Sammy Kamienski RW Chicago Mission 15U
50 Charlie Masek C Miluakee Jr. Admirals U15

* Denotes player is currently committed to an NCAA program.

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2020 OHL Draft Ranking: December’s Top-100

Heading into the final month of 2019, it’s clear that American eligible prospects are dominating the class. Check out our 2020 OHL Draft Ranking: December’s Top-100.

Now into the final month of 2019, Ontario’s Minor Midget leagues are crossing the halfway point of their respective regular seasons, and have now competed in five of the season’s major tournaments.

The month of November offered two more major showcases to take in, and offered yet another look into the depth and talent of this year’s OHL Priority Selection. A trend with this year’s OHL Draft class has been the emergence of an impressively strong American group, who have been giving Ontario teams a run for their money at each of the major tournaments thus far.

November Recap

  • 2019 OHL Battle of the Border

In a battle between some of USA’s and Ontario’s top Minor Midget teams, Detroit Honeybaked and the Chicago Mission were the lone undefeated teams through a series of games without the usual tournament playoff breakdown. In the end, it was the United States who came away victorious over Ontario by a combined points score of 34-17.

The top scorers included Max Namestnikov (5-3–8) and Frank Nazar (3-5–8), each of Detroit Honeybaked, followed behind by teammate Cole Spicer (5-1-6) and the Chicago Mission’s Carson Walters (3-3-6).

  • 2019 Whitby Silver Stick

In one of the season’s premier tournament’s, it was much of the same story, with teams from the USA having a run of success once again. Through the round robin, only Detroit Honeybaked, Detroit Compuware, and the Buffalo Jr. Sabres came away with perfect 4-0-0 records. Those same three teams remained present in the semi-finals, joined by the Quinte Red Devils.

In the final, Honeybaked had their way once again, rolling over Compuware to a 7-0 victory. In all, Honeybaked rolled to a combined 7-0-0 record with 43 goals for and just 8 goal against.

The top three offensive leaders were once again from Honeybaked, with Nazar (8-7-15), Namestnikov (6-7-13) and Van Sickle (6-6-12) leading the charge. All top-10 scorers were from American teams, while Sam Alfano (5-4-9) of the Southern Tier Admirals was the leading Canadian scorer.

  • League Action

In the GTHL, the Jr. Canadiens (15-1-1) have slightly widened the gap between themselves and the competition. The Nationals (14-3-3) and Marlboros (13-3-3) remain in a tight battle for the second seed, with the Titans (11-5-3) and Reps (11-6-2) not far behind.

The ETA continues to be paced by the front-running Quinte Red Devils (17-2-2) and York Simcoe Express (17-3-3), but a couple dark horses in the Whitby Wildcats (11-4-3) and Richmond Hill Coyotes (10-4-6) are holding their own as well.

In the SCTA, the Southern Tier Admirals (16-1-1) continue to hold the reigns, but two red-hot teams in the Niagara North Stars (11-2-5) and Oakville Rangers (10-6-3) remain serious contenders as well, while the Burlington Eagles (12-9-2) hit a rough patch in November.

The battle at the top of the Alliance remains as tight as ever, with both the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs (15-0-6) and Waterloo Wolves (17-2-3) remaining as promising as ever. With that said, the Hamilton Huskies (16-4-2) were the league’s hottest team in November and are proving that they won’t go down without a fight.

3 Players to Watch

By now, Ty Nelson’s immense skill and on-ice presence are recognized all across the province. Wearing an “A” for Ontario’s top-ranked Minor Midget team, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, Nelson is a natural leader in and off the ice, and consistently has a tremendous influence on the outcome of JRC games.

Patrolling the blue line with poise and confidence, Nelson is a constant difference-maker at both ends of the ice. A fluid skater, he isn’t afraid to rush the puck through the neutral zone himself, and has the speed necessary to get back into position on the defensive side of the play.

Maintaining a low center of gravity allows Nelson to play a much stronger game than one would expect given his physical size. He’s very hard to knock off of the puck, and is equally effective when erasing opponents into the boards. Further, Nelson has shown the ability to be a quick and creative playmaker in the offensive zone too, establishing an elite two-way game.

Despite not suiting up for one of Ontario’s top teams, Bryce McConnell-Barker hasn’t let that slow down his chase to be a first round pick at the 2020 OHL Draft. Pacing the London Jr. Knights offence, McConnell-Barker has scored nearly triple the goals of any of his teammates, with an astounding 26 goals in just 24 games.

Leading the Alliance in both goals and points, McConnell-Barker has proven to be a dynamic offensive force in all situations, and has continued to build on his arsenal of tools. Boasting impressive sense of the ice and a wicked shot, McConnell-Barker can burn opponents with his combination of shifty skating, creative hands, and nose for the net.

Using a strong stride and a balanced lower-body, McConnell-Barker protects the puck with ease by using his frame to shield opponents from the puck and utilizes a long reach to keep the puck out away from opponent’s stick reach. He displays a solid net drive and isn’t afraid to go into the tough areas in order to score the dirty goals.

  • Carson Christy

Carson Christy has quickly emerged as one of the premier prospects from the ETA, currently leading the league in both goals and points, including an eye-popping 26 goals in just 21 games. Although the Oshawa Jr. Generals have been unable to translate their dynamic offence into wins, sitting comfortably in the fifth seed, Christy has been a bright spot each and every night.

Featuring an electric release and pin-point accuracy, Christy is able to turn the momentum of a game with one flick of the wrist. Although not the smoothest skater out there, Christy can utilize his size and strength to lug the puck through the neutral zone and also showcases quick and creative hands which allow him to maneuver through traffic.

Christy also displays good instincts of the ice and is able to read the play one step ahead of his competition. One of the province’s elite goal scorers, it will be incredibly hard for OHL teams to pass up on Christy in the mid-late first round of the 2020 OHL Draft.

December’s Top-100

Without further ado, here are the top-100 prospects for the 2020 OHL Draft as of December. One trend that has developed so far this year is the emergence of a strong draft class from the U.S., with several first-round talents available. Whether they choose to play in the OHL or not will have huge impacts on how the draft unfolds come April. As the 2019-20 season progresses, we’ll continue to hyperlink personal player profiles to our monthly rankings, so be sure to follow along as the campaign unwinds.

Rank Player Position Team
1 Adam Fantilli C
Kimball Union Academy (Prep)
2 Rutger McGroarty* C
Oakland Jr. Grizzlies (HPHL)
3 Ty Nelson D
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
4 David Goyette C
Selects Hockey Academy 15U (Prep)
5 Lane Hutson* D
North Jersey Avalanche U16 (T1EHL)
6 Kocha Delic C
Toronto Titans (GTHL)
7 Pano Fimis C
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
8 Seamus Casey* D
Florida Alliance U16 (NAPHL)
9 Devin Kaplan* C
North Jersey Avalanche U16 (T1EHL)
10 Paul Ludwinski C
Toronto Marlboros (GTHL)
11 Hunter Brzustewicz* D
Oakland Jr. Grizzlies (HPHL)
12 Dalyn Wakely C
Quinte Red Devils (ETA)
13 Tyler Duke* D
Detroit Compuware U16 (T1EHL)
14 Isaiah George D
Toronto Marlboros (GTHL)
15 Cutter Gauthier C
Detroit Compuware U16 (T1EHL)
16 Frank Nazar* C
Honeybaked U15 (HPHL)
17 Cedrick Guindon C
Rockland Nationals (HEO)
18 Bryce McConnell-Barker C
London Jr. Knights (Alliance)
19 Max Namestnikov LW
Honeybaked U15 (HPHL)
20 Carson Christy C
Oshawa Jr. Generals (ETA)
21 Isaac Howard* C
Shattuck St. Mary’s U16
22 Sam Alfano RW
Southern Tier Admirals (SCTA)
23 Evan Konyen C
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (T1EHL)
24 Aidan Castle RW
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
25 Donovan McCoy D
Quinte Red Devils (ETA)
26 Andrew LeBlanc C
Southern Tier Admirals (SCTA)
27 Zak Lavoie C
Toronto Young Nationals (GTHL)
28 Devin Mauro C
Soo Greyhounds (GNML)
29 Vinny Borgesi D
Selects Hockey Academy 15U (Prep)
30 Alec Leonard D
Mississauga Reps (GTHL)
31 Gavin Brindley LW
Florida Alliance U16 (NAPHL)
32 Hunter Haight C
Elgin Middlesex Chiefs (Alliance)
33 Matthew Poitras LW
Whitby Wildcats (ETA)
34 Thomas Sirman D
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
35 Owen Van Steensel LW
Elgin Middlesex Chiefs (Alliance)
36 Tai York C
Niagara North Stars (SCTA)
37 Nicholas Moldenhauer RW
Toronto Titans (GTHL)
38 Benjamin Bujold C
Kanata Lasers (HEO)
39 Cameron Van Sickle LW
Honeybaked U15 (HPHL)
40 Noah Van Vliet D
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
41 Jonathan Melee C/LW
Rockland Nationals (HEO)
42 Nathan Poole C
Oshawa Jr. Generals (ETA)
43 Michael Buchinger D
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
44 Mick Thompson C
North Jersey Avalanche U16 (T1EHL)
45 Jackson Edward D
York Simcoe Express (ETA)
46 Lorenzo Bonaiuto LW
Toronto Marlboros (GTHL)
47 Zach Filak* C
Detroit Compuware U16 (T1EHL)
48 Shawn Ramsey D
Toronto Young Nationals (GTHL)
49 Joshua Hoover D
Lambton Jr. Sting (Alliance)
50 Kyan Haldenby LW
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
51 Matthew Johanovic D
Toronto Marlboros (GTHL)
52 Brody Crane* C
Buffalo Jr. Sabres 16U
53 George Fegaras D
Richmond Hill Coyotes (ETA)
54 Jack Piper RW
York Simcoe Express (ETA)
55 Ryan McGuire LW
Burlington Eagles (SCTA)
56 Hayden Simpson C
Toronto Titans (GTHL)
57 Aidan Puley LW
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
58 Chase Pietila D
Honeybaked U15 (HPHL)
59 Aaron Brown D
Quinte Red Devils (ETA)
60 Evan Klein C
Waterloo Wolves (Alliance)
61 Justin Varner RW
Honeybaked U15 (HPHL)
62 Nicholas De Angelis D
Mississauga Senators (GTHL)
63 Matthew DiMarsico RW
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (T1EHL)
64 Chase Lefebvre D
North Bay Trappers (GNML)
65 Cole Spicer RW
Honeybaked U15 (HPHL)
66 Aaron Andrade RW
Toronto Titans (GTHL)
67 Trent Swick RW
Southern Tier Admirals (SCTA)
68 Jacob Lesser LW
Smiths Falls Bears (HEO)
69 Chris Able D
Chicago Mission U15 (HPHL)
70 Eli Sebastian RW
Toronto Marlboros (GTHL)
71 Lleyton McLean C
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
72 Liam Eveleigh D
Waterloo Wolves (Alliance)
73 Harrison Ballard C
York Simcoe Express (ETA)
74 Max Seguin LW
Toronto Young Nationals (GTHL)
75 Justin DeZoete C
Hamilton Huskies (Alliance)
76 Jordan Karafile C
Toronto Young Nationals (GTHL)
77 Ethan Best D
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
78 Jake Manfre C
Long Island Gulls U15 (AYHL)
79 Jake Sederoff LW
Toronto Titans (GTHL)
80 Michael Podolioukh RW
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (GTHL)
81 Cooper Matthews LW
York Simcoe Express (ETA)
82 Madden Steen D
Guelph Jr. Gryphons (SCTA)
83 Nathan Lewis RW
Oakland Jr. Grizzlies (HPHL)
84 Anthony Piccininno C
Toronto Titans (GTHL)
85 Cole Bianchin LW
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (T1EHL)
86 Wilson Farrow D
Toronto Young Nationals (GTHL)
87 Lane Hinkley D
Toronto Marlboros (GTHL)
88 Brady Stonehouse LW
Elgin Middlesex Chiefs (Alliance)
89 Owen Mehlenbacher C
Buffalo Jr. Sabres U15
90 Kalen Peterson RW
Toronto Marlboros (GTHL)
91 Noah Richard LW
Quinte Red Devils (ETA)
92 Patrick Thomas C
Hamilton Huskies (Alliance)
93 Sett Ursomarzo RW
Toronto Young Nationals (GTHL)
94 Joshua Vogelsburg C
Mississauga Reps (GTHL)
95 Zander Veccia RW
Elgin Middlesex Chiefs (Alliance)
96 Owen Beck RW
Quinte Red Devils (ETA)
97 Jorian Donovan D
Kanata Lasers (HEO)
98 Jake Karabela C
Guelph Jr. Gryphons (SCTA)
99 Nolan Collins D
Whitby Wildcats (ETA)
100 CĂ©dricson Okitundu D
Waterloo Wolves (Alliance)