Saginaw ready for OHL draft this Saturday

The Saginaw Spirit is participating in the 2008 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection this Saturday starting at 9:00 a.m. The draft will be conducted via both telephone and Internet. Fans can follow along live at ontariohockeyleague.com.

The Spirit select 10th overall in the first round. The team selected forward Daniel Pachis (16th overall) in the first round of the 2007 OHL Priority Selection. Other players selected last season include forward Jordan Szwarz (24th overall), defenseman Cody Sol (116th overall) and goalie Joseph Lepera (276th overall).

Saginaw boasts eight picks in the first five rounds of the draft and 16 picks overall.

‘We are excited to have eight picks in the first five rounds,” stated Spirit general manager Don Edwards. “The Spirit scouting staff has worked all season long to pinpoint the top players that best fit our organization’s vision of a championship caliber team.”

First Round: 10th (10th overall)
Second Round: 17th (37th overall)
Third Round: 17th and 19th (57th and 59th overall)
Fourth Round: 10th and 14th (70th and 74th overall)
Fifth Round: 4th and 10th (84th and 90th overall)
Sixth Round: No Selection
Seventh Round: No Selection
Eighth Round: 10th (150th overall)
Ninth Round: 10th (170th overall)
Tenth Round: 10th (190th overall)
Eleventh Round: 10th (210th overall)
Twelfth Round: 10th (230th overall)
Thirteenth Round: 10th (250th overall)
Fourteenth Round: 10th (270th overall)
Fifteenth Round: 5th (285th overall)

The OHL Priority Selection is the primary method for building a successful OHL franchise. Last season’s Spirit roster featured several players selected by Saginaw in the draft, including forward Kain Allicock (127th overall, 2006), defenseman Chris Breen (125th overall, 2005), defenseman T.J. Brodie (47th overall, 2006), forward Chris Chappell (202nd overall, 2004), defenseman Adam Comrie (172nd overall, 2006), defenseman Nick Crawford (12th overall, 2006) and goalie Ryan Daniels (48th overall, 2004).

Previous Spirit first round selections include Pachis (2007), Crawford (2006), forward Zack Torquato (2005), defenseman Matt Corrente (2004), defenseman Patrick McNeill (2003) and forward Jean-Michel Rizk (2002).