Whalers, Spirit both draft American-born

The Plymouth Whalers went distinctly American in their early selections of Saturday's Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, held online through the 20 OHL cities.

After selecting dynamic Huron-Perth Lakers center Garrett Meurs with their first round selection at 13th overall, Plymouth took four straight Americans through the fifth round - Monroe goaltender Matt Mahalak in the second round, Compuware Under-16 center Stefan Noesen (Northville) in the fourth round and Pittsburgh Hornets center Jonathon Miller and New Jersey Avalanche defenseman Nick Malysa in the fifth round.

According to Plymouth head coach-GM Mike Vellucci, the American content wasn't planned, but an acknowledgment of talent.

Plymouth Whalers Draft Picks – 2009 Priority Selection
1st round – Garrett Meurs, F, Huron-Perth Lakers
2nd round – Matt Mahalak, G, Culver Academy
4th round – Stefan Noesen, F, Compuware U-16
5th round – Jonathon Miller, F, Pittsburgh Hornets
5th round – Nick Malysa, D, New Jersey Avalanche
6th round – Calvin Higley, F, York Simcoe Express
7th round – Dylan MacDonald, D, London Knights
8th round – Conner Burton, F, Ohio Blue Jackets U-16
8th round – Kevin Tansey, D, Eastern Ontario Wild
9th round – Adam Nanji, F, Mississauga Senators
10th round – Peter Hand, D, Compuware U-16
11th round – Adam Restoule, F, Thunder Bay Kings
12th round – Kenny Gillespie, F, Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep
13th round – Christian Elsborg, F, Vaughan Kings
14th round – Chris Albertini, D, Toronto Jr. Canadiens
15th round – Sean Kuraly, F, Ohio Blue Jackets U-16

Read the full draft coverage here.

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The Saginaw Spirit wrapped up the 2009 OHL Priority Selection and started out by picking winger Anthony Camara 14th overall and Vincent Trocheck 24th overall with their first two picks.

Both 1993-born players are scheduled to attend the team's rookie mini-camp later this month.

Camara played the 2008-09 season with the GTHL Mississauga Senators. The forward tallied 31 goals and 25 assists in 31 regular season games last year and hails from Toronto.

"Probably the best way to describe Anthony is that he is a bigger Jordan Szwarz," stated Spirit head coach Todd Watson. "He is a big competitor that hits, works, and plays hard. He also has the skill to put up big numbers. We are very excited to have Anthony join our team."

From the OHL Scouting Report: Camara is an up and down, hard nosed winger who plays a very effective game. His strength is his highly competitive physical play and he shows the potential to be more productive offensively then your typical physical winger. He keeps his game pretty honest and competes on a consistent basis. He isn't flashy, but his play does play a big role in the success of his hockey club. He has the look of a player that you need to be successful.

Trocheck is a native of Bingham Farms and played in the Little Caesars program last season, posting 17 goals and 14 assists in 36 games.

"I feel that Vincent is a top-10 pick," stated Watson. "He could have very well gone in the first round of the draft and we are thrilled to have him as a part of our organization. He sees the ice well, can score and provides a lot of ability up front."

From the OHL Scouting Report: Trocheck is a very smart, effective two-way center that was one of his team's most effective forwards despite playing against older and stronger competition. He displays speed and quickness and reads the play exceptionally well. He always seems to be in the right place and he doesn't seem to take any wasted strides when he is on the ice. Trocheck has no problems staying with the play and having a positive influence on the game.

The Spirit Draft War Room 'Roster'
Todd Watson, Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach

Jim Paliafito, Director of Scouting

John Kisil, Associate Coach

Adam Mattson, Director of Hockey Administration and Assistant Coach

Randy Wilson, Goaltending Coach

Marc Cipparone, Scout

Frank Robinson, Scout

Saginaw Spirit Draft Picks - 2009 Priority Selection

1st round - Anthony Camara, F, Mississauga Senators

2nd round - Vincent Trocheck, F, Little Caesars

4th round - Alex Lepkowski, D, St. Francis High School

4th round - Jay Williams, G, TPH Thunder

4th round - Paxton Leroux, F, Peterborough Petes

7th round - Frank Schumacher, D, Victory Honda U-16

7th round - Mark Scheifele, F, Kitchener Rangers

9th round - Billy Ulrick, F, Quinte Red Devils

10th round - Dominick Shine, F, Compuware U-16

12th round - Keenan Hodgson, F, Mississauga Reps

12th round - Marc Bessey, D, Mississauga Senators

13th round - Carlton Richard, F, Kitchener Rangers

14th round - Joe Fiala, D, Verona High School

15th round - Peter Dudek, G, Buffalo Regals Select U-16