It is rare when a team in the Ontario Hockey League would select three players from the same Minor Midget program within one draft, let alone with their first three picks. It’s even rarer if two of those picks happen to be twin brothers.
Yet that’s the situation the North Bay Battalion created for themselves when they drafted Centre Liam Arnsby (1st round, ninth overall), Defenseman Paul Christopoulos (2nd round, 38th overall) and his brother Right Winger Alex Christopoulos (3rd round, 50th overall).
All three players are graduates of the Don Mills Flyers who were undefeated in 33 regular-season games and then went 7-0 in the OHL Cup.
They were in North Bay this past weekend along with 36 other young men, to give the Battalion brass a first extended look at what they may have to offer to the Troops for the upcoming 2019-20 season at the annual North Bay Battalion orientation camp.
“It’s very exciting and really good to see everyone,” says 15-year-old Liam Arnsby, who at a young age already understands that this weekend was about competing against your peers and impressing the coaches.
“We have to play hard on the ice even though we’re good friends off of it.”
The native of Ajax, Ontario already has high expectations of himself and what he envisions for his future prospects, “my dream is to come here, and develop and hopefully make it to the next level.”
It was likely the same thing he was saying while playing in the Greater Toronto Minor Midget Hockey League for the Don Mills Flyers, only the “next level” at that point, was the OHL.
He says, “I think it was just how hard I work, and how I play with a team,” is what made him attractive as a top 10 first-round draft pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection.
Arnsby is hoping to be joined up north by a couple of his teammates from the Toronto area club, for his first season of Major Junior Hockey.
They aforementioned Christopoulos twins, Paul and Alex, are two pieces that could fit into opposite ends of the battle plan the Battalion are drawing up.
Alex, listed at 5’10” and 183lbs plays up front while Paul, listed at 5’10”, 180lbs and mans the blue line.
The brothers from Richmond Hill, have played together their whole lives and were thrilled when they heard the Battalion wanted them both, as well as Arnsby.
“I was a little bit anxious and nervous,” Paul says about how he was feeling on draft day. “We didn’t know where we were going to end up going, but in the second round I was chosen by the North Bay Battalion and it’s an honour.”
“It means a lot that my brother is with me, and that Arnsby is here, I think we’re a pretty good package,” said Alex.
The thought did cross their minds that they could have been spending this weekend of orientation camp in completely different cities. “It’s good we got picked together,” says Alex, “but if we had to get broken up, I mean, what you can say, we’d just have to go out and play the game.”
The twins and Arnsby combined for 92 goals and 230 points for the Flyers last year. Something the Troops could certainly use as they are losing their leading scorer, Justin Brazeau, who graduates after firing 61 goals and 113 points in his final OHL season last year.
Paul says he feels they were well prepared for this next step because of work put in at the Minor Midget level, “the training was really good with Don Mills, our coach trained us really hard, he made us skate at almost every practice.”
He says it shows in the fact that three of the first four players chosen in this years draft were part of that Flyers team, but also praises the level of competition within the whole league, “it was a really good league, really competitive and playing in it, makes yourself better and ready for that next level.”
Brother Alex, echoes that sentiment, “it’s good to see all the boys going to different places, and taking different paths and it will be fun to compete against them at this next level.”
However, neither of the brothers, nor Arnsby are taking anything for granted. Paul says, “I’m going to have to earn my spot on this team. It’s a good team and Stan Butler is a good coach, he pumps out a lot of prospects and you got to work hard to get on his team.”
It’s only been three days and three on-ice inter-squad games, mixed in with player photos and other off-ice pre-season commitments that players go through, but the whole experience can be a bit surreal to these young players. But going through it all with someone that has been already been a teammate (and in this case a relative) can make the transition that much smoother.
“It’s great to be with my brother, he’s my sidekick, he’s my partner in crime, we have good chemistry together,” said Alex.
“It’s good to have people around you that you already know, it just makes you feel a little more welcome," noted Arnsby.
The Christopoulos twins won’t be the only familiar faces for Arnsby once training camp arrives. He’s neighbours with Brandon Coe who will be coming into his third season with the Troops.
“He told me once I got drafted about how good North Bay is and how lucky I am to be here,” said Arnsby.
