The Sedin's 6th Sense Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=623367 Connor McDavid, a 15-year-old forward with the Toronto Marlboros AAA Minor Midget team, has become the third player ever granted "exceptional player" status by the Ontario Hockey Federation, and will be eligible for the Ontario Hockey League draft this year as an underage player. The standard draft age for OHL players is 16. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound forward had 33 goals and 39 assists in just 33 games to earn the Greater Toronto Hockey League Player of the Year Award. He also led the 2012 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament in scoring with 11 goals and 8 assists in seven games. His 19 points were the most in the event since Edmonton Oilers center Sam Gagner had 17 points in five games in 2005. "What a great accomplishment it is for Connor to achieve exceptional player status," OHF Executive Director Phillip McKee said. "The process established for the exceptional player is very extensive in examining all aspects of a player's life. Connor should be very proud, just as the OHF is of him, for achieving the exceptional player status." Those who have watched McDavid this season believe he's ready to advance in his hockey career. NHL Network analyst Craig Button told the Toronto Star that McDavid has "all the elements that top players have. … He has the hockey sense, the hand skill, the passing, the explosive skating, the ability to play in those areas of the ice that very few can, and be elusive and everything that goes with it." The status review was conducted by Hockey Canada, with a special evaluation panel reviewing McDavid's hockey and academic skills to assess his level of maturity. McDavid will be eligible for the NHL Draft in 2015. The only players granted the exceptional player status were current New York Islanders centerJohn Tavares in 2005, and Barrie Colts defenseman Aaron Ekblad last season. Both players went on to become the first player picked in the ensuing OHL draft. Tavares led all OHL rookies -- and was tied for ninth in the league -- with 45 goals in his first season in the league, and his 77 points were second among first-year players. In his first OHL season, Ekblad had 10 goals and 19 assists in 63 games. His 29 points were second among first-year OHL blueliners. The 2012 OHL draft will be held April 7. The Erie Otters currently hold the first pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sedin's 6th Sense Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InSoM- Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 For those wondering; the other two exceptional players are John Tavares and Aaron Ekblad. I'll be keeping an eye on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smashian Kassian Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Seems to be a Guy who will be a Franchise Player in the Future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboose Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 For those wondering; the other two exceptional players are John Tavares and Aaron Ekblad. I'll be keeping an eye on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeStealth Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Don't be too hyped up so far, lots of players have done about equally has well in junior or more, but have minimal impact in the NHL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susraiders Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 He seems to be quite good. I would expect him to be 1st OVR in the bantam draft. Hopefully he pans out and is drafted high in his entry draft year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWhom Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Worth keeping an eye out for how this progresses. Could be great. Glad they didn't try a comparison with Gretzky: played a few games with Peterborough while still 15, then passed over by two teams in the 16 year old draft (lol...must on the list of big ooops). Playing professional for Indianapolis by 17. And the rest, as they say, is a large history book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Heyman Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I don't know about 1st overall. Josh Ho-Sang is available in this draft I believe, and he is very good. Him and McDavid will be very close in going 1st overall and it is a similar situation to the Taylor Hall vs. Tyler Seguin one two years ago. To put this in perspective, if Ho-Sang had asked for exceptional status, then he likely would have been awarded it last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlayStation Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I don't know about 1st overall. Josh Ho-Sang is available in this draft I believe, and he is very good. Him and McDavid will be very close in going 1st overall and it is a similar situation to the Taylor Hall vs. Tyler Seguin one two years ago. To put this in perspective, if Ho-Sang had asked for exceptional status, then he likely would have been awarded it last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pride Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 what month was he born in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucklehead53 Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 always exciting to observe the exceptional talent of the younger players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endtoend Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Thats a lot of pressure for a 15 year old isn't it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morrissex95 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Connor McDavid is an unbelievable skater. I watched the Mississauga vs. Marlboros highlights on Youtube. Him and Ho-Sang were absolute tanks out there. They weren't afraid to cut to the middle despite some pretty intimidating missisauga D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Vintage Canuck- Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 What year was he born? 1995 or 1996? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AV. Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 What year was he born? 1995 or 1996? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Vintage Canuck- Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Otters to select 15-year-old McDavid first in OHL draft http://bit.ly/IhLyHl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nail Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Ho-Sang went 5th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Heyman Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Ho-Sang went 5th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Tavares or Stamkos? Which would you choose? I'd take Stamkos, but maybe it's because he plays for a hockey club, not a lunatic asylum like The Islanders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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