Greyhounds add 14 hopefuls on draft day

In the end, 14 players became Ontario Hockey League property of the Soo Greyhounds.

The Hounds, led by general manager Dave Torrie and head coach/assistant GM Marty Abrams, completed the 15 round priority selection on Saturday and now hope that some of these players blossom into quality OHLers.

The Hounds began the day by selecting centre Chris Lawrence with the sixth overall selection in the first round. The Hounds then used their two second round picks on right winger Matt Leszczynski and defenseman David Jarram, who went 26th and 28th overall respectively.

Leszczynski, at six-foot-one and 190 pounds, is a power forward who likes to drive to the net and handles the puck well. With the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association's Sudbury Northern Wolves last season, Leszczynski scored nine goals and 24 assists for 33 points in 17 games.

Jarram is a big tough defenseman standing at six-foot-three and 190 pounds who played at junior B Strathroy this season. Jaarram scored a goal and eight assists to go with 110 penalty minutes in 30 games.

In the third round, the Hounds grabbed centre Brandon McLean from the Burlington Midgets. The small, offensive player scored 32 goals and added 50 assists in 56 games this season.

With two fourth round picks, the Greyhounds selected Detroit native Mike Van Wagner, a 6-foot-two and 180 pound defenseman, and goaltender Kyle Gajewski from the London Knights Minor midgets. Gajewski posted a 2.17 goals-against-average last season.

Next, the Greyhounds selected left-winger Adam Kneale in the fifth round. Kneale scored 16 goals and added 22 assists for 38 points with the Cambridge Hawks Minor Midgets this past season.

The Greyhounds late round picks include winger Sean Smyth in the eighth round, defenseman Tyler McKinley in the ninth, left winger Brandon Coccimiglio in the 10th and right winger Sean Bassingthwaite in the 11th round.

The 12th round selection was goaltender Louie George, defenseman Tyler Cuthbert was taken in the 13th round and the Hounds final selection was defenseman Andrew Doyhenard in the 14th round.

The Greyhounds did not own picks in the sixth, seventh and 15th rounds.