Atlantic Youth Hockey League

AYHL Has Fifteen Selected in 2015 OHL Priority Selection

Release Date : 04/14/2015

TORONTO, ONTARIO – Fifteen Atlantic Youth Hockey League players (eight active players and seven alumni) were selected in the 2015 Ontario Hockey League’s Priority Selection, presented by State Farm.

Evan Barratt (Bristol, Pa.), Hunter Canestra (Gilbertsville, Pa.), Matthew Cassidy (Medford, N.J.), Adrian Danchenko (Palm City, Fla.), Anthony DeMeo (Port Washington, N.Y.), Colin Felix (Audobon, N.J.), Christopher Garbe (Miller Place, N.Y.), Mitchell Gibson (Valley Forge, Pa.), Tyler Gratton (Pottstown, Pa.), Kelton Hatcher (Haddonfield, N.J.) Tyler Inamoto (Lake Barrington, Ill./Wisconsin), Kyle MacLean (Basking Ridge, N.J./Northeastern), Josh Maniscalo (Perkiomenville, Pa.), Cayden Primeau (Voorhees, N.J./Northeastern) and David Tomeo (West Caldwell, N.J.) were among the 302 players selected by the 22 OHL franchises.

While ’96, ’97 and ’98 birth year players were eligible for selection, the primary focus for teams was the ’99 birth year player and of the AYHL-connected players were ’99 birth years.

Barratt, Cassidy, DeMeo, Gratton, Inamoto, MacLean, Maniscalo and Primeau also received invitations to the United States National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp held in March.

The Sault St. Marie Greyhounds selected DeMeo with the final pick of the 3^rd round (61^st overall). DeMeo was a longtime member of the Long Island Gulls organization before moving on to play for the Portledge School. DeMeo helped Portledge to a Mid-Atlantic Hockey League championship this season.

The Sarnia Sting made Hatcher, a defenseman who has spent his entire AYHL career with Team Comcast, their 4^th round selection (69^th overall) after Hatcher put up three goals and three assists in 18 AYHL games for Team Comcast, helping Comcast reach the USA Hockey National Championships

New Jersey Colonials alumnus Kyle MacLean (Basking Ridge, N.J./Northeastern) was next off the board, going to the Oshawa Generals in the 4^th round (78^th overall). MacLean was a teammate of DeMeo’s in the New Jersey Rockets program.

Barratt, Hatcher’s Comcast teammate, would then hear his name called by the Flint Firebirds, the new OHL franchise, which relocated from Plymouth under new ownership. Barratt was selected in the 5^th round (84^th overall) after a 45-point performance in the AYHL regular season. Barratt, who has played his entire AYHL with Comcast, added a pair of assists in three AYHL playoff games and added two goals and an assist in 4 games in the national tournament.

Team Comcast alumnus Primeau also went in the 5^th round, when the Mississauga Steelheads selected him with the 89^th overall selection. Primeau spent his entire AYHL career with Comcast before moving into the Philadelphia Revolution program for the 2014-15 season. In his final season in the AYHL, Primeau sparkled with a 2.18 GAA in 15 games.

Inamoto was next off the board, going to the Kitchener Rangers in the 6^th round (111^th overall). A University of Wisconsin commit, Inamoto was a five-year member of the Colonials organization, helping the Colonials to a 2012 National Silver Medal. Inamoto moved on to Shattuck-St. Mary’s, where he helped Shattuck win a National Gold Medal at Midget 16U.

The North Bay Battalion then selected Maniscalo, a Philadelphia Junior Flyers alumnus, with their 7^th round selection (137^th overall). Maniscalo spent five seasons with the Flyers, scoring at least twenty goals in four of his five AYHL seasons. Maniscalo then joined Inamoto at Shattuck, playing for their prep program. Maniscalo has committed to the US NTDP for the 2015-16 season.

Continuing the run on Comcast players, the Erie Otters selected Gibson, the team’s starting goaltender, with their 9^th round selection (179^th overall). Gibson spent four seasons with the Valley Forge Minutemen before joining Comcast for the ’14-’15 season. Gibson had a 2.08 GAA and a .915 save percentage in 16 games for Comcast.

The Steelheads again called on the AYHL in the 10^th round when they selected Gulls forward Christopher Garbe (185^th overall). Garbe was the leading scorer for the Gulls, scoring 23 goals in 29 regular season contests. Garbe also added 20 assists and scored a goal and an assist in three playoff contests.

Back to back Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Junior Knights went off the board as Erie selected Gratton with their 10^th round (199^th overall) pick and the Niagara IceDogs selected Canestra with their 11^th round (212^th overall) selection.

Gratton was the team’s leading scorer, scoring 41 points (18G 23A) in 27 league games, adding a pair of goals in the AYHL playoffs, while Canestra added 17 goals and 12 assists.

The Sting returned to Comcast in the 12^th round when they selected Cassidy with the 229^th overall selection. Cassidy was the second-leading scorer for Comcast, registering 62 points (27G 35A) in 28 AYHL regular season games.

The Rangers would then select Felix, a Comcast and Philadelphia Little Flyers alumnus, with their 13^th round selection (251^st overall). Felix spent seven seasons in the AYHL before joining St. George’s School (Middletown, R.I.).

Colonials alumnus Tomeo would then be selected by the Guelph Storm with their 13^th round selection, 254^th overall. Tomeo was a teammate of Inamoto’s in the Colonial organization, and then again this past season with Shattuck. Tomeo would win a National Silver Medal with the Colonials and a National Gold Medal, the first for Shattuck at the 16U level. Tomeo had a shutout in over Honeybaked in the gold medal game.

With the fifth selection in the 15^th round (286^th overall), the Peterborough Petes selected Danchenko from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton organization. Danchenko was the final player selected with ties to the AYHL.

Danchenko played in 29 regular season games, scoring 13 goals, adding 7 assists. Danchenko added two goals and two assists in four AYHL playoff games.

“I am extremely proud of all of our OHL Priority Selections,” commented AMHL President Gene Palecco. “We fully believe that the AYHL is the top youth league on the East Coast and to see eight of our current players, and seven alumni, attest to that. We congratulate each of these players, and their families, and we expect to hear great things out of these players as they continue their hockey careers.”