Trapper trio looking forward to OHL Draft

Joel Senecal (right) poses for a photo with Trappers coach Scott Kile as he holds the R O Beattie Memorial Award for top forward with the North Bay Trappers at the team's banquet on April 24th. Photo by Chris Dawson.

The OHL’s annual Midget draft takes place this Saturday and at least three North Bay Trappers could see their names pop up on the computer screen.

The OHL club’s gather in their war room and the selection process can be watched live via the internet (starts at 9 a.m. EST).

The North Bay Trappers have a trio of forwards who are on the OHL eligibility list of about 500 players from Ontario and the United States.

Jamie Olivier and Nick Huard are in their first year of eligibility while Great North Midget League leading scorer Joel Senecal was overlooked last season but may be taken this time around. North Bay’s Matt Marquardt, who was selected in the NHL Draft last summer by the Columbus Blue Jackets, was overlooked in his first year of eligibility by all the OHL clubs as well.

But Senecal hasn’t made any firm decisions yet. The Trappers sniper who scored 31 times in 36 Great North Midget League regular season games is keeping his options opens and hasn’t closed the door to going the U.S. College route or possibly heading to the Quebec league as a free agent.

“I know the draft is coming up and its something getting drafted but the drafting part is not really important it’s making a team that means something and whatever happens, happens I’m going to keep working hard and give it all I got,” said Senecal at the North Bay Trappers banquet on April 24th.

Huard, a small forward, improved his chances of getting drafted with an impressive showing in the Great North Midget League playoffs where he scored 6 goals and added 7 assists in only 6 games.

The speedy Jamie Olivier, who saw limited ice time this season with the Trappers, is likely to be claimed late in the OHL draft by the Erie Otters.

Northern Exposure

The Great North Midget League had eight of its players selected in the first five rounds of the 2006 OHL draft with Sudbury’s Vern Cooper taken 13th overall by the Plymouth Whalers.

Valley East’s Jamie Haines, Rayside’s Nick Esposto, the Soo’s Anthony Colizza and Sudbury’s Marcus Foligno are considered to be the top end talent this year out of the Great North Midget League but some scouts say none will likely be chosen until the second round.

No Alouettes to be selected

Meantime, the areas newest Junior “A” team, the Nipissing Alouettes, won’t have any of their underage players selected.

Players from the outlaw league that started up last fall are not permitted to be selected by Ontario Hockey League clubs due to the fact that the league doesn’t adhere to Hockey Canada rules regarding the amount of 15 and 16 year old players allowed to be on GNML team’s respective rosters.

The Junior “A” league expanded to include another local team out of Temiscaming to start up play in the fall. But officials involved in the new league say that their players cannot be drafted but can negotiate with all teams in the Quebec League or Ontario League to sign on as a free agent the following year.