The North Bay Battalion added a skilled forward with the third overall pick in the OHL’s inaugural U-18 priority selection which started at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night.
Ryland Mosely is a 5’10”, 181 pound forward with the Carleton Place Canadian Midgets where he amassed 20 goals and 36 assists for 56 points in 45 games this season.
He also played four affiliate games with the Junior ‘A’ Carleton Place Canadians of the CCHL where he netted one goal and one assist in four games.
Scouts describe the Arnprior, Ontario native as a “skilled, undersized forward with good speed and creativity to his game.”
The Troops then took another Ottawa area player with their second pick as they grabbed CIH Academy forward Jared Weber with the 23rd overall midget pick.
Weber, a native of Pembroke, is listed at 6’0”, 183 pounds.
He recorded 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points in 45 games with the Ottawa area academy midget AAA team.
Battalion Assistant GM Matt Rabideau was in charge of this draft.
He says they wanted to address some depth needs at the centre position.
"They are both phenomenal skaters, their compete level is off the charts and that’s one thing Stan wants is guys that are going to come in and compete because that’s always tough to teach," said Rabideau during a media conference Thursday afternoon.
"They both put up numbers, Mosely was top guy in that midget league and we hope that he can come in and maybe transition and hopefully challenge for a spot."
With the 43rd pick, the Troops stayed in the Ottawa region taking forward Francois Drouin from the Cumberland Grads Midget AAA team where he registered 14 goals and 25 assists for 39 points in 42 games last season.
Drouin, a left hand shot big body foward with a mean streak. He is listed at 6’3” and 184 pounds.
With the 63rd pick the Battalion took netminder Will Barber from the Oakville Rangers Midget AAA's. The 2000 birth year goalie also dressed for four games with the Milton IceHawks of the Ontario Junior 'A' Hockey League where he had a 4.88 GAA and a 0.891 save percentage.
HockeyProspect.com scout Mike Mackley describes Barber as an "averaged sized athletic goaltender, who moves well in the net, and is good technically. He squares shooters and field pucks cleanly. Competes in the net. Barber also battles on 2nd an 3rd chance opportunities."
The Battalion stayed local for their fifth and final pick as they chose Midget AAA Trappers forward Nick Davis with the 83rd and final pick. Davis is small in stature but had a very good second half of the season with the Trappers where he finished with 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points in 36 games this season.
Trappers forward Mason McMahon was selected in the fourth round, 74th overall by the Oshawa Generals.