Erie Otters general manager Dave Brown had his eye on a Mississauga Senators forward long before another member of that team stepped into the OHL priority pick spotlight.
As the lottery draw progressed last Wednesday, and Erie found out he would pick at No. 1 or 2, the Otters were going to get a top-notch player no matter what.
On Friday night, the Otters selected Malcolm Spence, the player they had listed at No. 1 on their draft board all season.
The introduction of Spence’s superstar Mississauga teammate, Michael Misa, to the draft process as an “exceptional player” may have pushed everyone else down the OHL roster. Still, Brown is certainly pleased with the addition of Toronto’s Major Hockey League Player of the Year.
“(Spence) was our guy from start to finish, we had like the guy we wanted,” he said. “We saw him earlier in the year and we were excited about the opportunity for him (he) to be in the draft.
“He plays a pro-style game and we’re very excited to have him, not only because of his skill level, but also because of the maturity and leadership he brings off the ice.”
Draft Preview:Without top prospect Misa, Erie Otters is on the clock for the second overall pick in the OHL draft.
Spence averaged two points per game during the GTHL regular season. In 28 games he scored 29 goals and 27 assists.
Then, in the Copa OHL tournament, Spence had 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in seven games as Mississauga won the championship.
The Burlington, Ontario native stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 179 pounds. He is the fourth GTHL Player of the Year to be drafted by the Otters. The other three were Connor McDavid (2012), Dylan Strome (2013), and Jamie Drysdale (2018), all of whom played for the Toronto Marlboros.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Spence said. “I’m excited to get going in Erie. They definitely have a prestigious organization. I’m definitely excited to play in front of such great fans and play for such a great staff.”
The notion of being taken second instead of first doesn’t bother Spence. Although, with the Senators teammates going 1-2, future matchups between Saginaw and Erie should be interesting.
“The number I’m being recruited from doesn’t really matter to me,” Spence said. “It was about getting to the right place.”
Spence, who is Black, hopes to inspire others to follow in his footsteps.
“I have this gift and I am the color of skin that I am,” he said. “I want kids to know that they can play this game. It’s not just a sport for one person. It’s for everyone.”
He is the third player of all time to come to Erie via the Mississauga Senators. The other two were his current tag team partner Elias Cohen (6th round, 2018) and Ryan Marra (1st round, 2003).
Two more added in second round
The Otters added two more players in the second round of the draft: goaltender Jacob Gibbons (38th overall) and forward Logan Sawyer (41st).
Gibbons played for the Markham Majors while Sawyer was a member of the Vaughn Kings.
At 6-foot-4, 181 pounds, Gibbons is a big-bodied goaltender. The native of Whitby, Ontario, he went 3-1 in the OHL Cup, finishing with a 1.54 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage.
Sawyer is 6 feet tall and weighs 168 pounds. In seven OHL Cup games he added two goals and five assists.
The Otters are scheduled to draft 13 more players when the OHL Priority Pick ends on Saturday. Proceedings will resume at 9 a.m.
Contact Josh Reilly at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ETNreilly.
Reference-www.goerie.com