The Oakville Blades are pleased to announce that six Affiliated Players, Ryan McLeod, Zach Gallant, Evan Bouchard, Rob Proner, Kyle Potts and Jack Ricketts, were selected in the Ontario Hockey League Priority Draft on Saturday.
McLeod, 15, had a tremendous season with the Toronto Marlboros this season, grabbing many awards while leading his team in scoring. The brother of former Blade Matt McLeod, Ryan became the first pick of the newly-relocated Flint Firebirds, hearing his name called third overall. McLeod finished with 81 points during the regular season and would go on to lead the Toronto Marlboros to the OHL Cup championship last month, scoring seven points in seven games to earn the tournament MVP honours. The recipient of the GTHL’s Player of the Year Award, McLeod won the Canada Winter Games gold medal with Team Ontario earlier this year. With the Blades this season, McLeod brought incredible speed and net presence to Junior A. It gave Matt a regular chance to play before heading to the OHL to face Michael McLeod and the Mississauga Steelheads next year.
Gallant, 16, found himself chosen by the Peterbourgh Petes fifth overall on Saturday. Gallant made a big impact right away with the Blades. In his first two games with Oakville, Gallant scored on his very first shot against the Stouffville Spirit before putting up a two point performance against the Lindsay Muskies the night after. A gold medal champion with Team Ontario, Gallant impressed Canadian scouts by posting 58 points in 62 games with the Mississauga Rebels Minor Midget club this year. Known to be a fast skater, Gallant has great offensive awareness and is often one of the most effective players on every shift.
Bouchard, 15, heard his name selected 17th overall by the London Knights. An assistant captain with the Oakville Rangers Minor Midget team, Bouchard was considered to be one of the best offensive defensemen in the draft. In 35 games with the Rangers, Bouchard potted 18 goals and added 13 assists for 31 points with the Rangers this year. The Oakville native saw a lot of game action with the Blades this year, assisting on Kamil Tkaczuk’s second period goal in a 5-1 victory over the Stouffville Spirit in February. Bouchard should be a power-play specialist with the Knights in the near future, joining a young defensive core with a ton of skill all-around.
Proner, 16, was selected in the second round, 30th overall by the Saginaw Spirit. The Spirit already have a strong connection to the Blades, with former players Kris Bennett and Jesse Barwell already on the roster, as well as former Oakville Rangers defenseman Troy Henley. A big, punishing defenseman, Proner has been mentioned as one of the toughest blueliners to play against.
Potts, 16, was drafted by the North Bay Battalian in the fifth round of the draft. A former Minor Midget player with the Mississauga Reps, Potts switched over to the Oakville Rangers for his Major Midget season in 2014-2015. His play with the club earned him AP status with the Blades, which saw him score one goal and four points in eight games in the OJHL.
Ricketts, 15, was drafted in the tenth round of the draft by the all-new Hamilton Bulldogs. Joining former Blade Matt Luff and first round pick Matt Strome, Ricketts played 15 games for the Minor Midget Oakville Rangers team, scoring three goals and nine points. At the recent OHL Cup tournament in Toronto, Ricketts led the team with four goals in four games, helping his draft status after an earlier injury.