Updated as six players with area ties taken in OHL Draft

Author of the article:

Jim Parker • Windsor Star

Published Apr 14, 2024 • Last updated 18 hours ago • 3 minute read

Sun County Panthers’ captain Eddie Hickson was taken by the London Knights in Saturday’s OHL Draft. (PHOTO COURTESY: DAN HICKLING/OHL IMAGES) Dan Hickling/OHL Images

The draft wait can be long and frustrating.

It took some time on Saturday before six players with area ties heard their name called on the second day of the Ontario Hockey League.

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“It’s a sigh of relief,” LaSalle’s Cooper Otterman said. “You wait for a bit and me and my family were just waiting around, staring at the (computer) screen and you get frustrated.”

A six-foot-one, 188-pound defenceman, Otterman played last season with the Halton Hurricanes minor midgets and was projected to go between rounds three and seven.

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It wasn’t until the latter stages of the seventh round that the Oshawa Generals stepped up to select Otterman with the 139th pick overall.

“I kind of got excited,” Otterman said.

LaSalle defenceman Cooper Otterman was the area’s first player taken in Saturday’s OHL Draft with the Oshawa Generals selecting him in the seventh round. win

The 16-year-old Otterman played with the Windsor Jr. Spitfires before moving over to Halton this past season.

“It think it was an awesome year,” Otterman said. “I lived with my aunt and we only lost four times in the regular season. My development was awesome and I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Three picks after Otterman’s selection, the London Knights grabbed Essex centre Eddie Hickson from Sun County Panthers minor midgets.

“That was one of the teams I was thinking,” said Hickson, who captained the Panthers to a spot in the OHL Cup. “It’s sweet to go to one of the great organizations in the OHL.

“It’s been a roller coaster for sure. I got the call and thought this might be it and saw name pop up and it was surreal. It doesn’t matter where (you’re taken), it’s just a matter of proving yourself.”

Hickson was one of two Sun County player taken on Saturday along with Tecumseh centre Matthew Crawford, who went to the Peterborough Petes in the 15th round with the 283rd pick overall.

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The Windsor Jr. Spitfires also had a pair of players selected. Right winger Nicholas Rosati will stay home after the Windsor Spitfires selected in the 11th round with the 210th pick overall while Oshawa took left winger Matthew Spencer in the 15th round with the 299th pick overall.

“It was pretty cool hearing my name called,” said the 15-year-old Rosati, who captained the Jr. Spitfires. “I was in contact with them a bit. They gave me a quick call and asked me a few questions. That was the main team. If I was going to be taken, it was going to be them. I think it’s pretty awesome. It’s right here.”

The only other player selected was Leamington Flyers goaltender Sebastian Gatto, who went to the Knights in the 12th round with the 242nd overall pick.

Leamington Flyers’ goaltender Sebastian Gatto (88) was a surprise selection by the London Knights in Saturday’s OHL Draft. Photo by Tim Bates /(Photo by Tim Bates / OJHL Image

“I didn’t know I would be taken,” said the 18-year-old Gatto, who is from Troy, Mich. “I thought I was going in (Wednesday’s) U18 draft.”

The six-foot-three Gatto was not selected previously in the OHL Draft. He attended camp with London last season, but landed with the Flyers and had a standout season that saw him earn a place on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s ranking list for this year’s NHL Draft.

“It’s been awesome,” Gatto said of playing for the Flyers. “I had a great year in Leamington (2.23 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in 30 games) and couldn’t have asked for a better year. What we did this year was awesome.”

Gatto has not accepted an NCAA scholarship offer yet, but he’s also not sure about playing in the OHL and will continue to weigh his offers.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do next year,” Gatto said.

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