The U18 AAA Major Draft has come and gone, so lets analyze the selections!
East Coast Blizzard
Forwards Drafted: 13
Defence Drafted: 8
Goalies Drafted: 2
Wildcards: 2 (Nick MacLean, Nathan Green)
Synopsis: Based on the selections made by the Blizzard, Head Coach Mark Lee placed a high priority on the forward position and solidified the middle of his line-up with the Peddigrew/Carroll picks. I could see one of these players moving to the wing for the 2022-23 season, unless Lee plans on rolling 4 lines and using Peddigrew, Carroll, King and Noble in the middle. 2 of the Blizzard’s 8 draft picks on the blue line are currently playing away (Marnell – Champions, Hill – OHA), but you could make a case for all 6 remaining selections to make the team.
In my opinion, the Blizzard’s D core will be decided in camp and will be a dog fight. There are definitely 3 spots open with the departures of Marshall, Garland and McGuire; all remaining returnees have question marks. Will Brothers be back? Is Coady going away? Will Cross be healthy across a full season? Can Smith, Down and Marner make the jump in development from year to year? Am I possibly forgetting someone on this list? There are a vast range of outcomes here, and it will be exciting to see which players separate themselves this summer prior to main camp in August.
Between the pipes, Jack Carter has committed to RNS for the upcoming season but Carter Arnold will be a QMJHL Prospect in his rookie season for the Blizz. Arnold has the size, compete level and attitude that Junior teams will covet.
Player(s) we will be watching at main camp: Ashton Farrell is an intriguing pick by the Blizzard. The right winger showed chemistry with Peddigrew throughout the season, and is a solid passer off the wall. With speed improvements in the off-season, Farrell is a player to keep an eye on at main camp. Another face I want to see with the big boys is Kris Browne – his father Bill was a great player in his day (University hockey alum). Lets see what the summer brings for Browne.
Pinnacle Growlers
Forwards Drafted: 12***
Defence Drafted: 6***
Goalies Drafted: 3
Wildcards: A bunch.
*** – unsure of a couple players positions
Synopsis: The Growlers locked up the Hitmen trio (Boland, O’Brien, and Tucker) at the draft table, which should pay immediate dividends for the black and gold. Wright and Kearley replace PK studs Veitch and Whitten on the depth chart, giving coach Budgell the freedom to create a jack-of-all-trades unit. The Growlers – who could return as many as 4 D (Hodder, M Dawe, Cooper, Devereaux), struck gold acquiring Dawe and Gillespie which could be a solid rookie pair this season. The Growlers added some depth at the goaltending position with Kirk Noel and Drew Pearce, but it is unlikely that Donald Hickey ever dons a Growlers uniform.
The strength of the Growlers organization shifts away from being a high-octane offence to more of a defensive team in 2022-23. The D-O-double G’s lose their top-7 scorers from last season, but will be rock solid on the blue line assuming everyone listed above reports to main camp. The Growlers have some players in their pipeline that not only could – but we think will – be contributing in their line-up this fall. Make no bones about it, Jack Chafe could be one of the best defenceman in U18 AAA hockey next season and Andy Knight showed everyone who he can be in the playoffs.
Player(s) we will be watching at main camp: The Growlers selected some players that we are not familiar with (Brendan Ryan, Andrew George, Andrew Barrett) – will the Growlers strike gold with any of these players? Only time will tell. Mark Corbett is also an intriguing selection – the Growlers have swung and connected on some players from the Conception Bay Central area in recent years (Porter, R Snow, Devereaux) and Corbett could fit that mould if he has a strong camp.
Related Content
2021-22 U18 AAA Team Previews YouTube Playlist – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcxYnNTexj8&list=PL9OgJxIdKeNI1qBPA3QftQ-Vxa_W2h9n0
U18 AA Importance Article – https://vhghockey.ca/vhg-boys-stick-taps-the-importance-of-u18-minor-aa/