2022 OHL Draft Recap

Photo by Steven Ellis | The Hockey News

Misa goes No. 1, Toronto Jr. Canadiens dominate first round selections

As expected — and formally announced a day early — Michael Misa was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection.

The latest of a select few to be granted exceptional status and be allowed to enter the OHL draft a year early, Misa was announced as the Saginaw Spirit first overall selection at a press conference Thursday. The elite prospect from the Mississauga Senators U16 team posted 43 points in 27 games, helping them to an OHL Cup championship this spring.

On Friday, the rest of the first round (and the second and third) was completed by the OHL member clubs, kicking off Day 1 of the two-day selection process.

Malcolm Spence, a teammate of Misa’s on the Senators, was selected No. 2 overall by the Erie Otters to start Friday’s festivities. Spence posted 56 points in 28 games with the Senators this season.

At No. 3, the Sudbury Wolves claimed center Nathan Villeneuve of the Navan Grads U18 team. Villeneuve, competing in the HEO U18 division, posted 67 points in only 30 games. Next up was the first defenseman selected in this year’s draft, as the Niagara Ice Dogs took Sam Dickinson out of the Toronto Marlboros organization. Dickinson knows how to orchestrate an offense from the back-end, having recorded 35 assists and 39 total points in 46 games.

Porter Martone of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens was selected at No. 5 by the Sarnia Sting – he posted a whopping 104 points in 53 games.

Here is a look at all of the first-round selections, with more analysis below the list:

No. 1 – Saginaw – Michael Misa (Center, Mississauga Senators U16)
No. 2 – Erie – Malcolm Spence (Left Wing, Mississauga Senators U16)
No. 3 – Sudbury – Nathan Villeneuve (Center, Navan Grads U18)
No. 4 – Niagara – Sam Dickinson (Defense, Toronto Marlboros U16)
No. 5 – Sarnia – Porter Martone (Right Wing, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16)
No. 6 – Peterborough – Jack Van Volsen (Center, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16)
No. 7 – Ottawa – Henry Mews (Defense, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16)
No. 8 – Oshawa – Beckett Sennecke (Left Wing, Toronto Marlboros U16)
No. 9 – Kitchener – Michael Hage (Center, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16)
No. 10 – Barrie – Cole Beaudoin (Center, Nepean Raiders U18)
No. 11 – Owen Sound – Ben Cormier (Center, Navan Grads U18)
No. 12 – Guelph – Jett Luchanko (Right Wing, London Jr. Knights U16)
No. 13 – Mississauga – Lucas Karmiris (Center, Brantford 2 U16)
No. 14 – Oshawa – Ben Danford (Defense, Quinte Red Devils U16)
No. 15 – London – Luca Testa (Center, Niagara North Stars U16)
No. 16 – Soo – Christoper Brown (Center, North York Rangers U16)
No. 17 – Kingston – Gabriel Frasca (Center, Mississauga Senators U16)
No. 18 – Flint – Kaden Pitre (Center, Vaughan Kings U16)
No. 19 – Saginaw – Zayne Parekh (Defense, Markham Majors U16)
No. 20 – North Bay – Ethan Procyszyn (Right Wing, North Central Predators U16)
No. 21 – Ottawa – Frank Marrelli (Defense, Markham Waxers U16)
No. 22 – Windsor – Anthony Cristoforo (Defense, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16)
No. 23 – Hamilton – Marek Vanacker (Left Wing, Brantford 99ers U16)

The Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) led the way in number of players selected in the first round with the 13 players from the storied youth organization hearing their names called. Three players came from Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO) and three came from the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario. Meanwhile, four skaters came from the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) — three from the Eastern AAA Hockey League (ETAHL) and one from South-Central AAA Hockey League.

The GTHL’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 team produced the most first-round picks from any one single team, as five players from the club were selected. The Mississauga Sens — with Misa, Spence and forward Gabriel Frasca at No. 17 — had three players picked. Two came from the Toronto Marlboros U16, two from the Navan Grads U18 and two from the Brantford 99ers.

Six of the 23 players chosen in the first round were defensemen, while the rest were forwards. The first goaltender picked was Ryerson Leenders of the Toronto Nationals U16 team at No. 32 overall in the second round by Mississauga.

All of the players selected in the first round are Canadian homegrown products. The first American player chosen was defenseman Cole Longacre; the Kitchener Rangers picked him at No. 31 overall.

The lone bit of ‘drama’ in the battle between the junior leagues was that the No. 9 overall pick, defenseman Michael Hage of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 team, signed a USHL tender with the Chicago Steel three days before the OHL draft.

For a full look at the entire 2022 OHL Priority Selection, click HERE. Want more from the world of youth hockey? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for events, updates, top prospects, highlights, interviews and more.