The Oshawa Generals hold the first overall pick in tonight’s OHL Priority Selection draft and junior hockey fans across Durham Region are eager to see who the team will choose to lead its next generation.
The Generals are hosting a watch party at a downtown Oshawa establishment starting at 6 p.m. Friday, with prizes and a chance at the first-ever replica jersey for the first overall pick. The event gives fans a chance to celebrate what the franchise hopes will be a franchise-altering selection.
The expectation for months had been that 15-year-old phenom Kade O’Rourke would be granted exceptional status and selected first overall by Oshawa. Those plans were upended on April 28 when Hockey Canada surprisingly denied his exceptional status request, sending the draft picture into uncertainty.
Now many scouts and observers believe the Generals are targeting Tanner Adams, a power forward from South Porcupine who played this past season with the Hill Academy prep school. Adams has drawn comparisons to a young Eric Lindros, with some calling him Lindros 2.0 — high praise considering Lindros was a man among boys when he broke in with the Generals and led the team to the 1990 Memorial Cup.
At six foot one and likely 200 pounds by training camp, Adams is not quite the physical specimen Lindros was at six foot four and 225 pounds, but he appears to play with a similar edge. He recorded 88 points in 52 games for the Hill Academy and added another six goals in just four games at the OHL Cup, the same tournament that also showcased O’Rourke’s talents.
He has the ability to display skill through contact and take over games, one scout said of Adams. Built for the big moments, said another.
Timmins Rock coach Brandon Perry, who had Adams for a three-game call-up this past season, called him exceptional and probably the best player he has ever coached.
However, the pick is far from certain. Paul O’Hagan, Neutral Zone’s Ontario Scouting Director and the architect behind the organization’s OHL Top 500 draft list, has defenceman Drew Daley of Shattuck St. Mary’s ranked number one overall, with Adams right behind him.
Only Generals general manager Roger Hunt and his staff know which direction the team will go, and they are keeping their cards close to the vest heading into draft night.
The last time Oshawa had the first overall selection was 2005, when they chose John Tavares, himself an exceptional status grantee. Two other players from that draft class besides Tavares are still playing in the NHL: Drew Doughty and Logan Couture. The Generals have also selected as high as second overall, taking Calum Ritchie in 2021 and Michael Del Zotto in 2006.
For Oshawa hockey fans, the OHL draft represents hope and anticipation in equal measure. The franchise has a rich history of developing elite talent and the first overall pick offers a rare opportunity to land a potential cornerstone player who could define the team for years to come. Whether it is Adams, Daley or a surprise pick, the selection will be one of the biggest stories in Durham Region sports this year.
