The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League is ecstatic to announce that two recent alumni were taken in the first round of the National Hockey League draft last night.
Ottawa native Oliver Bonk was selected 22nd by the Philadelphia Flyers. The skilled defenceman and former St. Thomas Star was ranked 20th by NHL Central Scouting after a solid season with the London Knights where he earned 40 points. He is the son of Radek Bonk, a former NHLer who played in nearly 1000 regular season games, most of them with the Ottawa Senators who picked him third overall in the 1994 draft.
Click here to read Sportsnet’s coverage on Bonk.
One of the biggest surprises in the first round was the Toronto Maple Leafs taking Easton Cowan with the 28th pick. Cowan was ranked 51st among North American skaters but the Leafs obviously saw something they liked in the 18-year-old from Mt. Brydges, Ontario. The centre and former Komoka King picked up 53 points in the regular season with the London Knights and averaged better than a point per game in the postseason.
Click here to watch an interesting Sportsnet video on why Cowan’s stock improved on draft night.
GOJHL Interim Commissioner, Tim Simmons, says it was a historic evening. “Having these two young men chosen in the first round is an incredible achievement for them and our league. The GOJHL is a tremendous place for young players to be able to improve and reach elite levels of hockey.” Simmons adds the fact Bonk and Cowan played in the league just two years ago is an incredible feat. ”Our teams do an amazing job developing young players. It is unfortunate these two stars weren’t with us longer, but we want nothing more than to see them reach their hockey goals. In this case, it is the NHL and the first round of the draft.”
There are still six GOJHL alumni who could be drafted in rounds two through seven today:
- Connor MacPherson (RW), Leamington Flyers – 128th
- Florian Xhekaj (LW), Pehlam Panthers – 131st
- Ty Higgins (D), Stratford Warriors – 147th
- Jacob Julien (C), London Nationals – 161st
- Warren Clark (D), Chatham Maroons – 169th
- Ryan MacPherson (C), Leamington Flyers – 211th
We will keep our fans informed on how today unfolds in Nashville, Tennessee. Good luck gentlemen!
