2020 OHL Draft Recap

Photo Credit: (Steven Ellis/The Hockey News)

Written By: Clare McManus

Today the Ontario Hockey League made their draft selections, consisting of fifteen rounds. North Bay Battalion had the first selection, Niagara Ice Dogs had the second, and the Sarnia Sting had the third.

The other day, North Bay locked in their choice for the first pick, and announced they would be taking GTHL’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens defenseman Ty Nelson. 

In the beginning of the 2020 OHL draft process, all eyes were on top prospect Adam Fantilli out of Kimball Union Academy. The fifteen-year old posted 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points in 26 games. He made it very clear he could play at a high level, and impressed many scouts in the process. As the days led up to the draft, Fantilli made his announcement commitmenting to the USHL Chicago Steel, along with his brother Luca Fantilli. This came as a shock to OHL teams, especially North Bay, as he was their clear choice for the first pick. Any team who wanted him made a risk of him potentially not reporting to the Ontario Hockey League. Eventually during the draft, he was chosen at eighteen by the Saginaw Spirit. 

Even though the North Bay Battalion did not choose Adam Fantilli, Ty Nelson is a very solid choice and will most definitely make an impact right away. He is a reliable two-way defenseman who is strong in both ends of the ice. He has excellent vision and does well leading the rush or making plays out of the zone. With his high-end skating abilities, he can get open for a scoring opportunity or also give his teammates an opportunity for a goal. Defensively he is always moving and makes smart decisions. 

With the second pick, the Niagara Ice Dogs chose center Pano Fimis from the GTHL’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens. Fimis is a guy who can lead the team offensively. He does a good job creating space for himself to make a play, whether it’s setting up teammates or giving himself a scoring opportunity. Scouts see him as a potential first line player. 

With the third pick in the draft, the Sarnia Sting chose HPHL Honeybaked u15 center Max Namestnikov. Max is the brother of current NHLer Vladislav Namestnikov, who currently plays for the Colorado Avalanche. The top 2004 forward out of Michigan is committed to the University of Michigan, but is supposedly coming to Sarnia after saying this: “Being drafted by such a great organization makes me proud. I can’t wait to get it started”. The center scored 53 goals and 75 assists in 59 games played this year with Honeybaked. He is a high impact forward who can make plays and score goals.

Here is a list of the other selections in round one:

Photo Credit: (@ohloffical, Instagram)