Updated: Spitfires size up early in OHL Draft taking Miedema, Ride while locals Paquette, Waddick selected

Article content

The Windsor Spitfires went big in the opening two rounds of Friday’s Ontario Hockey League Draft.

With the fourth overall pick, courtesy of a fortunate draw in an evenly weight draft lottery, the Spitfires grabbed 6-foot-4, 182-pound forward Ethan Miedema from Quinte Red Devils minor midgets.

“He’s got great offensive instincts and for a man that size, he’s a prototypical pro player,” Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler said. “He’s everything you’re looking for and again we knew when we were picking fourth that we were fortunate, but we didn’t realize how fortunate we would be. This is a real talented player.”

Bowler didn’t wait long to make his second selection. With the draft going in reverse order each round, Windsor held Barrie’s second-round pick from an earlier trade with Hamilton for defenceman Nathan Staios, which gave the Spitfires the 20^th pick overall. With Niagara forfeiting its first-round pick for recruitment violations, the selection was basically a second first-round pick.

Article content

Bowler used the pick to grab 6-foot-5½, 200-poud defenceman Bronson Ride from the Oakville Rangers minor midgets.

“Just a real big man with tremendous upside,” Bowler said. “To get a man with this size, ability and talent with where he’s at at this age and what he can become, we feel lucky to get him at 20.”

Miedema had been linked to the Kingston Frontenacs at No. 5, but the Cobourg native said he’s not upset about the Windsor selection.

“Honestly, I have no words,” the 16-year-old Miedema said. “I’m just really excited. (Kingston’s) closer, but I’m just grateful to be in Windsor and looking forward to the season starting.”

Some might try to paint him with the same brush as fellow Spitfire left-winger Will Cuylle, but Miedema considers himself more a playmaker that can also play centre.

Article content

“I’d say I’m more a playmaker than a shooter,” Miedema said. “I think my biggest strength is my IQ and how I create plays.”

With his size, Ride might also draw comparisons to former Spitfires’ defenceman Logan Stanley.

“I think (the aggressive part) of my game is coming along,” the 16-year-old Ride said. “I think I play with a lot of compete and competitiveness and use my size and my speed to my advantage.”

Ride put up solid offensive numbers in 2019-20 in bantam major with seven goals and 31 points in 28 games.

“This is the best,” Ride said of being selected by the Spitfires. “This is more than I could imagine and it’ll be great.”

The Spitfires did not have another pick in Friday’s first three rounds of the draft with the club’s third-round selection traded back in 2018 as part of the package to acquire Cuylle.

Article content

The draft continues on Saturday with the Spitfires selecting twice in the fourth round and 14 times overall over the final 12 rounds.

“We’ve added two players on Friday that are going to help our hockey club,” Bowler said. “We’ll keep adding what we hope are OHL-caliber players (on Saturday).”

Essex’s Charlie Paquette was the first local player off the board on Friday. The Windsor Zone AAA Junior Spitfires’ forward was taken by the Guelph Storm in the second round with the 31^st pick overall. That helped him reach his pre-draft goal of being taken higher than his father Andy Paquette, who was the 32^nd pick overall in the 1985 draft by the Sudbury Wolves.

“I had a little bit of a good feeling,” the 15-year-old Paquette said. “I heard from them quite a bit and I like it. I think it’ll be good.”

Lighthouse Cove’s Declan Waddick went to the Niagara IceDogs with the final pick of the second round at pick No. 39.

“Honestly, I’m honoured to be picked by Niagara,” the 16-year-old Waddick said. “They seem like a great organization.

“I’m just happy with what happened and honoured to be drafted. I’ve talked to them a couple times and just got off the phone with them. They seemed excited to draft me and I’m excited to go there.”

jpparker@postmedia.com

twitter.com/winstarparker