Ontario Hockey League
Guelph Storm go forward-thinking on draft’s Day 2
The Guelph Storm took aim at their forward lines on the second day of the OHL draft in Kingston as they selected nine forwards among the 12 players they picked Saturday.
The Storm also selected two defencemen and a goaltender on Day 2.
The forwards picked were Finley Butler of London in the second round, 29th overall, Joseph Fenwick of Markham in the fifth round, 82nd overall, Alexander Moore of Northville, Mich., in the eighth round, 148th overall, Chace Minard of Owen Sound in the ninth round, 168th overall, Jaxson Menary of Whitby in the 11th round, 208th overall, Jacob Tysick of Perth in the 12th round, 228th overall, James Ware of Greenwich, Conn., in the 13th round, 248th overall, Landon Girardi of Niagara Falls in the 14th round, 268th overall, and Joshua Pagani of Toronto in the 15th round, 288th overall.
The blueliners picked were Kellen Paetsch of Spencerport, NY, in the fourth round, 68th overall, and Colton Van Geffen of Strathroy in the 10th round, 188th overall, and the goaltender selected was Ayden Dark of Ottawa in the sixth round, 114th overall.
Including their first-round pick Declan McNally who stands a little under 6-foot-6, the Storm picked eight players who are at least six-foot tall.
The 6-foot-5½, 216-pound Butler had 23 goals, 37 assists and 62 penalty minutes in U16 AAA play for the London Junior Knights in the 2025-2026 season and also had four goals, three assists and four penalty minutes in six games in the OHL Cup tournament.
The 6-foot-2½, 173-pound Paetsch had nine goals and 39 assists in 54 regular-season and playoff games for the Bishop Kearney Selects 15’s last season.
The 5-foot-11, 152-pound Fenwick had 15 goals, 14 assists and 20 penalty minutes with the Markham Majors U16 AAAs last season and three goals and four penalty minutes in five games at the OHL Cup.
The 5-foot-11, 153-pound Dark had an 8-8 (W-L) record, 3.38 goals-against average and .716 save percentage in 18 league games for the Hill Academy U16s and a win, 3.15 GAA and .860 save percentage in two games at the OHL Cup.
The 6-foot-1, 172-pound Moore had 14 goals, 19 assists and 28 penalty minutes in 21 games for the Detroit Little Caesars 15’s and a goal, two assists and six penalty minutes in five games at the OHL Cup.
The 6-foot-1¼, 167-pound Minard had 11 goals, 16 assists and 20 penalty minutes in 37 regular-season and playoff games for the Grey-Bruce Highlanders U16 AAAs.
The 6-foot 2½, 205-pound Van Geffen had four goals, six assists and 24 penalty minutes in 36 regular-season and playoff games and also had six penalty minutes in four games in the OHL Cup.
The 5-foot-11, 168-pound Menary had six goals and 16 assists in 33 games for the Vaughan Kings U16 AAAs in league play and a goal and an assist in four games at the OHL Cup.
The 5-foot-8½, 157-pound Tysick had 20 goals, 33 assists and 22 penalty minutes in 38 regular-season and playoff games with the Ottawa Valley Titans U16 AAAs and also played one game in the OHL Cup.
The 6-foot-1, 171-pound Ware had 18 penalty minutes in 18 regular-season and playoff games with the Mid Fairfield Junior Rangers 15’s.
The 5-foot-8½, 131-pound Girardi had 10 goals, seven assists and 36 penalty minutes in 42 regular-season and playoff games with the Southern Tier Admirals U16 AAAs.
The 6-foot, 168-pound Pagani had four goals, 12 assists and six penalty minutes in 33 league games as Menary’s teammate with the Vaughan Kings U16 AAAs and a goal and four penalty minutes in four games in the OHL Cup.
The 5-foot-5½, 138-pound centre Stefano Chiavetti of Hamilton, who had 13 goals, 17 assists and 58 penalty minutes in 40 regular-season and playoff games with the Guelph Gryphons U16 AAAs last season was picked in the 15th round, 297th overall, by the Windsor Spitfires.
- Guelph Sports Journal