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2016 ECJLL Midget Entry Draft Review
2016-02-03
A great day and lots of great players up for grabs. The 2016 will see a lot of strong rookies joining the ECJLL.
Colin Beiswanger
The 2016 ECJLL Midget Entry Draft was all said and in the span of an hour. All the preparation, the scouting, and the anticipation culminated into XX players drafted, and a new crop of talent ready to make their mark on the East Coast Junior Lacrosse League in 2016 and beyond.
To say the Sportwheels Sackville Wolves stole the show on draft day would be an understatement. They had six of the first 12 selections, and picked up a number of quality players who will slip right into their lineup immediately.
That wasn’t the only excitement on draft day. I’ve laid out the draft classes for each team below.
As I mentioned above, the Wolves did very well on draft day. They picked up 12 players, of which five or six can be put in their lineup right away.
The Sackville Wolves surprised many people by selecting Michael Anthony first overall, and subsequently taking Mitchell Broussard at three. These two have dynamite potential, with the ability to provide an offensive spark to a club that only scored 87 goals in 15 regular season games last year.
Chris Duplisea has great potential at the sixth pick, where the Wolves were expected to take a goaltender. The Wolves have two upper-year players at the position, leaving a gapping hole with which prospect Ryan MacDonald was projected to fill. Chris offers upside on both ends of the floor.
From picks 10-12 the Wolves picked up great value nabbing field goaltender Ian Connors. Matt Beamish, a lefty with upside, could play this season with the Junior club.
The Warriors only made two picks on draft day, choosing to forego their remaining picks in the draft. That being said, the picks they made certainly have potential. Connor Dennis has been a much talked about prospect in this year’s draft, and could provide the highest ceiling of any player taken. Blaze McDonald looked good at the ECJLL Combine and flashed the ability to put the ball in the net. His Midget Select stats do not show this, but the ability is definitely there.
Though the Warriors surprised many and made the playoffs in their inaugural season as a club, they scored a league low 78 goals last season. Connor Dennis will be called on early to see that number increase with young Bryson Knockwood this season.
The Marley Lions were relatively active on draft day, selecting four of the first eight picks off the board.
With their first round picks they made moves to shore up the right side of their offence, after losing Paddy Quinn and Gavin Quigley who graduated from the Junior ranks last season. Matt and Mark provide great upside, with Matt posting the most goals of any draft-eligible player (30G 11A). Their first five picks all have experience playing on Nova Scotia provincial teams, and all have a high-level pedigree that will suit them well against tougher competition at the Junior level.
The addition of Ryan MacDonald gives the Lions a ton of young depth at the position. Including 2015 first-round pick Alex Mitchell and homegrown Jack Nielson, there will be stiff competition between the pipes upon the departure of fifth year Brendon Deveau.
With their final four picks the Lions focused on depth, and physical guys that could lend a hand on defence down the road for the club. Due to all other clubs passing their picks, the Marley Lions acquired the rights to the remaining 20 selections in the draft.
The Dartmouth Bandits didn’t have a selection until the fourth round, where they made three consecutive picks from 13-15. With these picks they scored some players that could put on the blue and red at some point in the future. Brogan Burton and David Patterson possess great size, with David Patterson a basketball product whose style of play could translate well to the Junior level. Lewis Jarvie is well known for his faceoff abilities and a team-first attitude that any coach would love to have.
Speaking of coach, the Dartmouth Bandits announced their new Head Coach in Luke Parker (more on that to come).
Thomas Mahaney led the Midget Club league in goals this past year and may provide an offensive spark down the road. This is seemingly a value pick with most of the top offensive talent off the board in the first two rounds.
The Halifax Southwest Hurricanes made three picks on Sunday, two of which were ECJLL Entry Draft firsts.
With their first pick at 16th overall the Hurricanes selected Brennan Shebib from the St. Margaret’s Bay Storm. Brennan has experience at the Midget Select level and with some physical gains could contribute to the talent-packed Canes roster down the road.
The Hurricanes made Blake Christmas the first Cape Breton born drafted player in ECJLL Draft History, and Mackenzie Faulkner the first female taken in the ECJLL Draft.
It’s always tough to gauge who will come out on top with the top draft class from the 2016 draft, however the quality of picks the Wolves have will immediately fill holes on their roster. Not to mention a couple quality players joining the team as homegrown talent, the Wolves club definitely has potential in future years.
Not only is this draft one of the better received in recent memory, but many of these players have legitimate chances to crack 25-man rosters and contribute right away. Only Connor Aquanno was able to crack the Top 25 in scoring as a draftee in his first year, and that number is likely to rise with a number of players who will see the floor with the opportunity to makes plays in 2016.
The 2016 ECJLL Midget Entry Draft was all said and in the span of an hour. All the preparation, the scouting, and the anticipation culminated into XX players drafted, and a new crop of talent ready to make their mark on the East Coast Junior Lacrosse League in 2016 and beyond.
To say the Sportwheels Sackville Wolves stole the show on draft day would be an understatement. They had six of the first 12 selections, and picked up a number of quality players who will slip right into their lineup immediately.
That wasn’t the only excitement on draft day. I’ve laid out the draft classes for each team below.
Sackville Wolves
| Pick | Name |
| 1 | Michael Anthony |
| 3 | Mitchell Broussard |
| 6 | Chris Duplisea |
| 10 | Ian Connors |
| 11 | Matt Beamish |
| 12 | Adam Grimmitt |
| 17 | Ian Oyler |
| 18 | Steven McEachern |
| 22 | Kyle MacPherson |
| 27 | Josh Geddes |
| 32 | Hunter Crowell |
| 37 | Aidan Trifts |
As I mentioned above, the Wolves did very well on draft day. They picked up 12 players, of which five or six can be put in their lineup right away.
The Sackville Wolves surprised many people by selecting Michael Anthony first overall, and subsequently taking Mitchell Broussard at three. These two have dynamite potential, with the ability to provide an offensive spark to a club that only scored 87 goals in 15 regular season games last year.
Chris Duplisea has great potential at the sixth pick, where the Wolves were expected to take a goaltender. The Wolves have two upper-year players at the position, leaving a gapping hole with which prospect Ryan MacDonald was projected to fill. Chris offers upside on both ends of the floor.
From picks 10-12 the Wolves picked up great value nabbing field goaltender Ian Connors. Matt Beamish, a lefty with upside, could play this season with the Junior club.
Mi’kmaq Warriors
| Pick | Name |
| 2 | Connor Dennis |
| 3 | Blaze McDonald |
The Warriors only made two picks on draft day, choosing to forego their remaining picks in the draft. That being said, the picks they made certainly have potential. Connor Dennis has been a much talked about prospect in this year’s draft, and could provide the highest ceiling of any player taken. Blaze McDonald looked good at the ECJLL Combine and flashed the ability to put the ball in the net. His Midget Select stats do not show this, but the ability is definitely there.
Though the Warriors surprised many and made the playoffs in their inaugural season as a club, they scored a league low 78 goals last season. Connor Dennis will be called on early to see that number increase with young Bryson Knockwood this season.
Northwest Marley Lions
| Pick | Name |
| 4 | Matt Wilson |
| 5 | Mark Seward |
| 7 | Ryan MacDonald |
| 8 | Aidan Walsh |
| 20 | Sean McNutt |
| 25 | David Worth |
| 30 | Kyle Bevan |
| 35 | William Bouchard |
| 40 | Cameron Jackman |
The Marley Lions were relatively active on draft day, selecting four of the first eight picks off the board.
With their first round picks they made moves to shore up the right side of their offence, after losing Paddy Quinn and Gavin Quigley who graduated from the Junior ranks last season. Matt and Mark provide great upside, with Matt posting the most goals of any draft-eligible player (30G 11A). Their first five picks all have experience playing on Nova Scotia provincial teams, and all have a high-level pedigree that will suit them well against tougher competition at the Junior level.
The addition of Ryan MacDonald gives the Lions a ton of young depth at the position. Including 2015 first-round pick Alex Mitchell and homegrown Jack Nielson, there will be stiff competition between the pipes upon the departure of fifth year Brendon Deveau.
With their final four picks the Lions focused on depth, and physical guys that could lend a hand on defence down the road for the club. Due to all other clubs passing their picks, the Marley Lions acquired the rights to the remaining 20 selections in the draft.
Dartmouth Bandits
| Pick | Name |
| 13 | Lewis Jarvie |
| 14 | Brogan Burton |
| 15 | David Patteron |
| 19 | Thomas Mahaney |
| 24 | Noah Beaton |
| 29 | Elijah Baker |
| 34 | Che Morales |
| 39 | Braden Pittman |
The Dartmouth Bandits didn’t have a selection until the fourth round, where they made three consecutive picks from 13-15. With these picks they scored some players that could put on the blue and red at some point in the future. Brogan Burton and David Patterson possess great size, with David Patterson a basketball product whose style of play could translate well to the Junior level. Lewis Jarvie is well known for his faceoff abilities and a team-first attitude that any coach would love to have.
Speaking of coach, the Dartmouth Bandits announced their new Head Coach in Luke Parker (more on that to come).
Thomas Mahaney led the Midget Club league in goals this past year and may provide an offensive spark down the road. This is seemingly a value pick with most of the top offensive talent off the board in the first two rounds.
Southwest Hurricanes
| Pick | Name |
| 16 | Brennan Shebib |
| 21 | Blake Christmas |
| 26 | Mackenzie Faulkner |
The Halifax Southwest Hurricanes made three picks on Sunday, two of which were ECJLL Entry Draft firsts.
With their first pick at 16th overall the Hurricanes selected Brennan Shebib from the St. Margaret’s Bay Storm. Brennan has experience at the Midget Select level and with some physical gains could contribute to the talent-packed Canes roster down the road.
The Hurricanes made Blake Christmas the first Cape Breton born drafted player in ECJLL Draft History, and Mackenzie Faulkner the first female taken in the ECJLL Draft.
It’s always tough to gauge who will come out on top with the top draft class from the 2016 draft, however the quality of picks the Wolves have will immediately fill holes on their roster. Not to mention a couple quality players joining the team as homegrown talent, the Wolves club definitely has potential in future years.
Not only is this draft one of the better received in recent memory, but many of these players have legitimate chances to crack 25-man rosters and contribute right away. Only Connor Aquanno was able to crack the Top 25 in scoring as a draftee in his first year, and that number is likely to rise with a number of players who will see the floor with the opportunity to makes plays in 2016.