The Sarnia Sting are building for the future during this weekend's Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
The Sting drafted a total of 15 players over the two days.
The Sting chose left winger Ryan Brown from the York-Simcoe Express U16 AAA team in the first round, 17th overall.
The Newmarket native scored 33 goals and added 34 assists for 67 points in 34 games this past season.
OHL Central Scouting described Brown as a "dog-on-a-bone type of player" who is always moving and is putting relentless pressure on the opposition.
"He is a very good skater with excellent quickness that allows him to get in on the forecheck and create havoc," read the profile. "He has good skills that allow him to make most plays and will score the majority of his goals by driving the net and going to the dirty areas for pucks. He plays in all situations and is very dependable in all areas of the ice. Ryan has been a very good complementary player on a very good team this season and his production has continued to increase as the year has progressed."
Sarnia Sting General Manager Dylan Seca commented on the selection.
"Ryan is an electric skater who plays with a ton of pace," said Seca. "He shows skill in tight and can score. We also love his competitiveness and love for the game. We are thrilled to add Ryan and the Brown Family to the Sarnia Sting family.
The Sting selected defenceman James Barr from the Burlington Eagles U16 AAA squad in the second round, 39th overall.
James Barr (OHL Images)
Barr collected seven goals and 31 assists in 34 games in 2022-23. He also dished out an assist in one game with the GOJHL's Thorold Blackhawks.
According to Ethan Atticus Page of TheScout.ca, Barr was "a player that progressively got better as the year went on."
"He really rounded out his two-way ability, making him a force on both ends of the ice for the Eagles," said Page in a player profile. "Barr uses his body effectively in battles and puck protection, making it hard for opponents to play against him. He is versatile, being used by his coaches in all situations. What makes Barr a special player is his combination of size and skill. Not many defenders in this year's draft can be physical on one shift, then quarterback a powerplay the next."
The Sting rounded out day one by picking centre Lane Sim 53rd overall in the third round. He's the son of Jonathan Sim, the franchise's all-time leader in points and goals scored.
The New Glasgow, NS native played for the Weeks Majors U18 AAA team this past season. He scored 16 goals and had 29 assists for 45 points in 33 games. His brother, Landon, plays for the London Knights.
Lane Sim (OHL Images)
Scout Steven Graves said Lane Sim is "an excellent skater who moves well in all four directions.
"He is a shifty player that consistently has his feet moving - he isn’t afraid to be physical and shows flashes of a high end skill set," said Graves in a player profile. "At the same age, Lane is probably better than his brother."
Lambton Jr. Sting forward Jack Nesbitt was chosen by the Windsor Spitfires with the 20th overall pick.
The Spitfires took fellow Jr. Sting Luke Laevens in the 15th round. Owen Knight went to Sudbury in the ninth round, while London chose Isaac Truman in round 14.
Below is a full list of the Sarnia Sting's draft picks:
RD OV Team Player Name Pos Height Weight DOB Last Team Source 1 17 Sarnia Brown, Ryan LW 5.09.5 151 10/27/2007 York-Simcoe Express U16 AAA OMHA - ETA 2 39 Sarnia Barr, James RD 6.00 152 06/01/2007 Burlington Eagles U16 AAA OMHA - SCTA 3 53 Sarnia Sim, Lane C 5.05.5 142 05/09/2007 Weeks Majors U18 AAA Other (CDN) 4 69 Sarnia Hurt, Hughston LD 6.00 160 07/10/2007 Detroit Little Caesars 15'S Youth (USA) 5 97 Sarnia Bridgewater, Casey LD 5.10 168 02/07/2007 Halton Hurricanes U16 AAA OMHA - SCTA 8 148 Sarnia Kosiba, Nicholas RW 5.09 135 01/17/2007 Detroit Little Caesars 15'S Youth (USA) 8 151 Sarnia Beamish, Liam C 5.09.75 158 01/04/2007 Niagara North Stars U16 AAA OMHA - SCTA 8 157 Sarnia Quinlan, Patrick G 5.09.75 150 04/19/2007 Bishop Kearney Selects 15'S Youth (USA) 9 177 Sarnia Andersen, Matthew LD 5.11.25 166 11/27/2007 Barrie Jr. Colts U16 AAA OMHA - ETA 10 197 Sarnia Timmins, Carter RD 5.10.75 154 03/05/2007 Southern Tier Admirals U16 AAA OMHA - SCTA 11 217 Sarnia McNally, Kieran RD 6.04.5 178 07/03/2007 Sun County Panthers U16 AAA MHAO 12 237 Sarnia Luecke, Dylan RW 5.11.5 162 02/22/2007 St. Louis Blues AAA 15'S Youth (USA) 13 257 Sarnia Filippone, Matthew D 5.09.75 147 09/28/2007 Mississauga Rebels U16 AAA GTHL 14 277 Sarnia Jette, Chase RW 5.08 155 04/09/2007 Bishop Kearney Selects 15'S Youth (USA) 15 297 Sarnia Beardsley, Jack RD 6.00 155 01/02/2007 Novi HS Wildcats HS-Prep (USA)