The Peterborough Petes have landed the third overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, following the Draft Lottery held last night.
After finishing in the 18th spot in the regular season standings, the Petes entered the lottery with a 20 percent chance of securing the first overall pick, while the last-place Niagara IceDogs had a 40 percent chance, the 19th place Windsor Spitfires had a 30 percent shot, and the 17th place Sarnia Sting went in with a 10 percent chance of getting the first pick.
The lottery results are as follows:
- Windsor Spitfires
- Sarnia Sting
- Peterborough Petes
- Niagara IceDogs
The last time the Petes had the third overall pick was in 2018 when they drafted forward Will Cuylle, who refused to report to the team. Cuylle is currently playing in the NHL for the New York Rangers.
Prior to that, the Petes also selected third in the 2013 draft, where they selected defenseman Matt Spencer, who would go on to play four seasons with the team, including as Assistant Captain for his final two years. Spencer is currently playing pro hockey in Denmark.
In 2012, the Petes drafted Eric Cornel third overall, a forward who would become their future captain during his fourth and final season with the team. After a four-year stint in the AHL with the Rochester Americans, Cornel moved to Germany, where he is still playing pro hockey.
Star forward Jordan Staal was selected by the Petes third overall in the 2004 draft. Staal would play two seasons in Peterborough, helping them win an OHL Championship in 2006 before moving on to the NHL at just 18 years old. Staal is now in his 18th season in the NHL, captaining the Carolina Hurricanes for the past five seasons.
The Petes also selected third overall in the 1994 draft, selecting defenseman Kevin Bolibruck. The Peterborough native played three seasons with his hometown team, winning an OHL Championship in 1996 and captaining the team in 1996-97. Bolibruck played five seasons in the AHL before heading overseas with stops in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Italy before retiring from pro hockey in 2011.
The highest the Petes have ever selected in the draft was in 2011 when they picked power forward and fan favourite Nick Ritchie, who would go on to play for the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Arizona Coyotes, and the Calgary Flames. After playing some pro hockey in Europe this year, he is now a free agent.
This year’s OHL Priority Selection draft is scheduled to take place on Friday, April 12th at 7 pm, with rounds 1-3. Rounds 4-15 will follow on Saturday, April 13th.
(Written by: Scott Arnold)
