Erie Otters Win OHL Draft Lottery, Set to Select First Overall

For the third time in franchise history the Erie Otters will have the first overall pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection Draft.

"Their have been a lot of great people selected first and, obviously, they have gone on to have elustrious careers in the Ontario Hockey League and after the Ontario Hockey League in professional hockey, the NHL," said Erie Otters general manager Dave Brown. "We're just excited to be part of the process and its an honor to be selecting first

The previous two times the team selected first overall, the Otters selected Ryan O'Reilly in 2007 and Connor McDavid in 2012. O'Reilly played two seasons in Erie before he was selected in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche. In 129 games in Erie, O'Reilly notched 35 goals and and 118 points.

McDavid joined the Otters in 2012 after he was became just the third player ever granted exceptional status by the Ontario Hockey Federation. In just 166 games in Erie, McDavid scored 188 goals and 285 points. McDavid went first overall to the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Selecting Connor [McDavid], after Connor we went on to have a very good run, winning 50 games four years in a row. He was part of two of those teams. He definitely helped establish the groundwork in what was ahead, culminating in our 2017 championship," said Brown.

This marks the fifth-straight season the Erie Otters will select in the top ten of the OHL Priority Selection Draft. The Otters picked Malcolm Spence second overall. This was the third year the OHL held a draft lottery to determine the first overall selection. 

The 2023 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection Draft will begin on Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m. The league will hold the first three rounds of the draft on the opening night.

"We're looking to add somebody who can fit in with our already exciting young group that we already have," said Brown. "Somebody who can skate, has dynamic skills; somebody who is a good person first and foremost and can add to, like I said, our real close-knit that we have. We think there our some exciting times ahead in Erie and this person will definitely be adding to that unique group."

Rounds 4-15 will take place on Saturday, April 22 beginning at 9:00 a.m. The Otters currently have 14 picks in this years draft. They have the first overall selection and a second-round pick on opening night.