Greyhounds ink top pick

The Soo Greyhounds made it official on Thursday as the organization signed first round draft pick Ryan O’Rourke to a standard player agreement.

The 16-year-old was selected 20th overall in the 2018 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection by the Greyhounds after spending last season with the Vaughan Kings minor midgets.

O’Rourke scored 12 goals and 44 points in 55 regular season games added a goal and an assist in the OHL Cup at the end of the season, a tournament that saw the Kings advance to the tournament final.

“This is what I’ve been working towards,” O’Rourke said in a prepared statement, “and I amd very excited for what comes next.”

Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Raftis said after the draft that O’Rourke was “a player that was a big target for us.”

“Ryan is a defenceman that has great mobility, high IQ, and a competitor who is very difficult to play against,” Raftis said. “He’s someone that plays with an edge and he’s got a real confidence when he’s moving pucks.

“He’s very skilled with pucks and he’s got a big shot,” Raftis also said. “And he’s got an edge on the defensive side of the puck. That’s always something where you want to be tough to play against, but you don’t want to give up the skill side of it. He combines both of those so it’s a perfect fit for us.”