History:
The concept for the OHL Under-18 Priority Selection was developed in 2017 with full support from Hockey Canada’s three Ontario Branches including the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF), Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO), and Hockey Northwestern Ontario (HNO), to assist in the growth of Midget hockey and provide further opportunities for players at different stages of their hockey development.
OHL U18 Draft Picks in the OHL:
Victor Hadfield (Barrie Colts, 1st overall 2017), Emmett Serensits (Sudbury Wolves, 7th overall, 2017), Marko Jakovljevic (Sarnia Sting, 28th overall 2017), Kaleb Pearson (Owen Sound Attack, 29th overall 2017).
Mitchell Weeks (Sudbury Wolves, 1st overall 2018), Dustin Hutton (Kingston Frontenacs, 3rd overall (PBO) 2018), Daniel D'Amato (Erie Otters, 4th overall 2018), Griffin Wilson (Owen Sound Attack, 15th overall 2018), Dakota Betts (Niagara IceDogs, 17th overall (KIT) 2018)
Ryan Thompson (North Bay Battalion, 8th overall 2019), Logan LeSage (Owen Sound Attack, 29th overall 2019), Gavin White (Hamilton Bulldogs, 47th overall 2019)
Players Eligible for Selection:
All Midget players not currently on a CHL Member Team Protected List who were carded with a Midget AAA Hockey Club within the OHF, HNO, or HEO in the 2019-20 playing season are eligible for selection in the OHL Under-18 Priority Selection.
Once selected, players will be added to a separately designated Under-18 Priority Selection protected list, distinct from the 50-man protected list for players selected in the OHL Priority Selection or committing to OHL member teams as free agents.
Selection Procedure:
The Under-18 Priority Selection Process is capped at two rounds with each OHL Member Team required to select two players.
Given the cancellation of the 2019-20 OHL regular season, the order of Selection for the 2020 OHL Under-18 Priority Selection is determined by inverse order of the standings at the 61-game mark of the 2019-20 OHL regular season schedule of games with those teams who would not have qualified for the playoffs at that time selecting ahead of teams in playoff positions.
The North Bay Battalion will select first overall, followed by the Niagara IceDogs, Sarnia Sting, Soo Greyhounds and the Kingston Frontenacs rounding out the top five selections.
Goaltender Policy:
Should a Member Team select a goalie with one of their two selections, the Club has the option to select another player (skater only). There will be an additional round added to the Under-18 Priority Selection to facilitate the drafting of the additional skater utilizing the same selection order and process.
General Rules of Selection:
OHL Member Teams may utilize a maximum of five minutes to select a player through the duration of the Under-18 Priority Selection.
Each OHL Member Team will have the opportunity for one two minute timeout during the Under-18 Priority Selection.
Follow on social media using #OHLU18Draft
