Adam McMaster - Troops first pick

(Photo of Adam McMaster of the Niagara North Stars. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images) 

The North Bay Battalion took Adam McMaster with their first pick in this year’s OHL Priority Selection.


That’s Battalion Owner Scott Abbott who made the selection with the 13th overall pick in the 2016 draft.

McMaster had 53 points in 36 games this past season scoring 27 goals and adding 27 assists for the North Stars.

Hailing from Beamsville, Ontario, McMaster  joins Brady Lyle, Zach Poirier and Brett McKenzie as the first round choices of the North Bay Battalion.

Battalion Scouting Director Errol Hook says they really like McMaster’s skills and he was a great first round selection.

Rhys Forhan of the York-Simcoe Express. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

The Battalion went on to pick Rhys Forhan, a Centre from Bradford, Ontario in the second round (33rd overall).

(Photo Copyright 2015, Aaron Bell/OHL Images)

Forhan scored 48 points with York Simcoe Express this past season notching 18 goals and 30 assists.

He is labeled as a two-way forward, with scoring upside.

Some scouts are picking him to step in and contribute right away in 2016/17.

Forhan also scored the game winning overtime goal for the Express in the OHL Cup finals.

Hear Forhan taken by the Battalion.

Hook discusses the Forhan selection.

Mason Snell of the Clarington Toros. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

With their third pick in the draft the North Bay Battalion selected Mason Snell out of the Clarington Toros.

He is a Left Defenceman listed at 6′ 182 lbs.

Snell is from is Courtice, Ontario, and is the son of NHL scout Chris Snell a former Ottawa 67.

He had 24 points in 28 games this past season, including five goals and 19 assists.

Snell added 92 penalty minutes to his resume in the 2015-16 season.

He is said to be a smooth skating defenceman who can move up and down the ice and can chip in offensively.

Hear the Battalion select Snell with their third pick in the draft.

Doyle, Cherry and Woodley talked about the first defenceman taken in the draft by the North Bay Battalion.

The Battalion did not have a fourth round selection this year, but in the fifth round they went back to the blue line and selected Travis Mailhot.

He is a 6’5″ Right Defenceman from Caledon East, Ontario and played this past season with the Toronto Red Wings minor midget club.

He put up 13 points in 50 games, as well as three assists in five games at the OHL Cup.

The 198 lbs 16 year old was taken 94th overall.

Hook talks about the two defencemen they took back to back.

Over the next 10 rounds North Bay made 11 selections with two goaltenders, seven forwards, and two defencemen.

Between the pipes North Bay selected Andrei Berezinskiy in the 7th round and Christian Purboo in the 11th round.

Berezinskiy was teammates with Forhan on the York Simcoe Express and he’s listed at 5’6″ 134lbs.

The Vaughn, Ontario product was 15-1-1 during the regular season with a 1.41 Goals Against Average in 34 games.

He also won five games at the OHL Cup, en route to the championship, and allowed just seven goals during the tournament.

Purboo is from Mississauga, Ontario and played for his hometown Rebels this past season.

He appeared in 38 games posting a 1.47 GAA – as well as sporting a 2-1-0 record at the OHL cup.

Purboo is a bigger netminder standing at 6′ and weighing in at 182lbs.

The defencemen North Bay chose came in rounds nine and 13, both were Left shot Defenders.

Respectively by round chosen they are Jordan Spadafore who played with the Subury Minor Midget Wolves and local product Ty Lindeman who played with the North Bay Trappers.

Rounding out the draft the North Bay Battalion went heavy up front picking nine forwards in total.

The Centres included Patrick Brown out of the North Central Predators, taken in the seventh round.

Ethan Kirbis taken in the 10th round and the only American player chosen by North Bay, he comes out of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres 16U system.

As well as Ryan Nichol, chosen in the 15th round from the Toronto Titans Minor Midget program.

On the Left Wing North Bay found Rhys Brown in the eighth round from the Barrie Jr. Colts.

In the 14th round another left winger Connor Gillanders was taken, having previously played for Markham Waxers.

On the right side the Troops went with Alex Robert in the 10th round, from the Cumberland Grads system.

And from the Toronto Nationals Minor Midget program, Brandon Lucchesi was taken in the 12th round.