Atlantic Youth Hockey League

Three AYHL players and eight alumni selected in OHL Priority Selection

Release Date : 04/18/2016

Toronto, ON – Three active Atlantic Youth Hockey League players and eight AYHL alumni heard their names called among the 301 players drafted by the Ontario Hockey League during its 2016 OHL Priority Selection.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights forward Jacob Goldowski (Thornhurst, PA/Penn State) was chosen by the Saginaw Spirit with the third selection of the fourth round (64^th overall). Goldowski had 19 goals and 22 assists in 28 AYHL games. Goldowski has spent four seasons in the AYHL, all with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Thornhurst, Pennsylvania resident recently gave his commitment to the United States National Team Development Program for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.

Adam Samuelsson (Rye, NY/Boston College), selected by the Sudbury Wolves with the 14^th pick of the fifth round (95^th overall), was a late addition to the Avalanche team, scoring a goal with four assists in seven regular season games and two assists in five playoff games. A Boston College-committed defenseman, Samuelsson added one assist at the Toyota/USA Hockey Tier I National Championships. Samuelsson will join Goldowski in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with the national program.

Goldowski’s Wilkes-Barre teammate, Sammy Steele (Hummelstown, PA) was chosen by the Kitchener Rangers with the 17^th pick of the eighth round (158^th overall). In his one season with the Knights, Steele had 20 goals and 10 assists in 27 games.

New Jersey Devils Youth alumnus Douglas Connor (Bedford, NY) was selected by Kitchener with the 17^th choice in the 12^th round (238^th overall). Connor spent one season in the AYHL (Pee Wee Minor).

Jack DeBoer (Madison, NJ/Boston), a four-year member of the New Jersey Colonials organization, was selected by the Oshawa Generals with the 12^th pick of the second round (32^nd overall), the highest selection of any AYHL-connected player. A Boston University-commit, DeBoer advanced to the Salisbury School for the 2015-16 season and will join the NTDP for his two-year commitment.

The Barrie Colts selected Vinny DeSanctis (Howard Beach, NY) with the 15^th selection of the 13^th round (256^th overall). DeSantcis spent five seasons in the AYHL, from Squirt Minor through Bantam Minor. The Howard Beach native spent three seasons with the Long Island Gulls, and two with the Long Island Royals.

The Sarnia Sting chose alumnus defenseman Conner Hutchison (Hicksville, NY) with the 16^th choice in the 12^th round (237^th overall). Hutchison spent five seasons in the AYHL, two with the Gulls and three with the Royals.

The Guelph Storm selected Gulls alumnus Richard Ledek (Locust Valley, NY) with the first pick of the 11^th round (202^nd overall). Ledek spent three seasons in the AYHL, from Squirt Minor through Pee Wee Minor.

Nolan Moyle (Briarcliff Manor, NY/Michigan State) was also chosen by Kitchener, with the 17^th selection of the 13^th round (258^th overall). Moyle spent four seasons in the AYHL, from Pee Wee Minor through Bantam Minor, returning for his Midget 16U National season. Moyle then advanced to the prestigious Victory Honda (T1EHL) program.

Kitchener also selected alumnus forward Brayden Patricia (Stewartsville, NJ) with the 17^th selection of the 11^th round (218^th overall). Patricia spent six seasons in the AYHL, from Squirt Minor through 16U National.

The Sting returned to the AYHL to choose alumnus defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (Voorhees, NJ/Michigan) with the seventh selection of the fourth round (68^th overall). A two-year member of Team Comcast, spending his bantam seasons in the AYHL, Samuelsson won a pair of AYHL championships and took home All American Defenseman honors at Bantam Major. Samuelsson joined The Northwood School for the 2014-15 season and will join Goldowski and Samuelsson in Ann Arbor.

Click here to view all selections.