With a significant portion of their roster returning, it gave them a chance to approach things with a mindset of not reaching.
The Soo Greyhounds are set to graduate a small portion of their roster from the 2024-25 season and the team took to the 2025 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection with the traditional best player available outlook.
That said, the team wrapped up the 15-round draft on Saturday having added players in spots they were comfortable with. Not reaching on players, so to speak.
“We got a great mix of guys that have a great chance of being good OHL players,” Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis said. “It was that mix of where we were picking and what we were trying to place. We had that luxury that we were returning a lot of young guys. We have some ‘08’s coming in. You could take that extra pace with (the 2025 picks). It’s a good spot to take guys where we wanted them. You didn’t have to step up to take guys.”
The Greyhounds opened the draft on Friday night with three picks in the opening three round, including a pair of picks in the first round.
In the opening round, the Greyhounds took winger Noah Laus and centre Ryan Kaczynski.
In Laus, Raftis said the Greyhounds are getting “a guy that has elite skill.”
“He plays a game that is full 200 feet, but can score from anywhere on the ice,” Raftis added. “He’s just somebody that’s continually gotten better every year. He’s been a captain everywhere he’s gone. Everyone you talk to just raves about him. He’s a character person.”
Kaczynski, an American forward who played the 2024-25 season with the Mid Fairfield Jr. Rangers 15’s, was a player that the Greyhounds looked at taking near the end of the opening round not knowing whether he would be available deeper in the draft.
“He’s an elite-level skater,” Raftis said. “He can shoot. For us, finding another centre that’s 6’3”, can skate and compete really hard, we were looking at a few different options in that spot, but as you try to build down the middle, it became more appealing.”
Raftis also said Kaczynski is expected to be at development camp in early May.
The third round saw the Greyhounds select Trevor Daley Jr. out of Florida.
Daley Jr. has a commitment to the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U17 team for next season.
Raftis said Daley Jr., even as a dual citizen, was one of the top available American players in the draft.
“He’s a dynamic player, super creative,” Raftis said of the son of former Greyhounds blueliner Trevor Daley. “He’s an explosive skater, similar to his dad.”
Raftis added that the Greyhounds were comfortable taking Daley Jr. at that point in the draft considering his USNTDP commitment and what the Greyhounds have returning.
Among the Greyhounds selections on day two of the proceedings on Saturday, the Greyhounds used their second pick in round 12 to draft Elijah Hayes, the brother of current Sault forward Travis.
After the Ottawa 67’s selected local product Brock Chitaroni with the third overall pick on Friday night, the Owen Sound Attack selected Sault product Adam Pszeniczny on Saturday.
The Attack drafted Pszeniczny with their eighth round pick (148th overall).
Pszeniczny skated with the Soo Jr. Greyhounds U16 team this season where he scored 29 goals and had 64 points in 30 games.
The full list of Greyhounds selections includes:
- 1st Round (7th overall): Noah Laus (LW) – Toronto Jr. Canadiens
- 1st Round (19th overall): Ryan Kaczynski (C) – Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers 15’s
- 3rd Round (51st overall): Trevor Daley Jr. (C) – Florida Alliance 15’s North
- 4th Round (70th overall): Karsten Barbeau (C) – Ottawa Myers Automotive U16 AAA
- 5th Round (96th overall): Evan Pahanich (RD) – York-Simcoe Express U16 AAA
- 6th Round (110th overall): Nick Soliman (G) – Niagara North Stars U16 AAA
- 6th Round (123rd overall): Christopher Weiss (LD) – Detroit HoneyBaked 15’s
- 7th Round (130th overall): Tyler Bruce (LW) – Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA
- 8th Round (150th overall): Maclean Chisholm (C) – Quinte Red Devils U16 AAA
- 9th Round (166th overall): Vincent Arnone (RW) – Detroit Little Caesars 15’s
- 9th Round (170th overall): Cam Anderson (RW) – Chicago Reapers 15’s
- 11th Round (210th overall): Gavin Hicks (RD) – North York Rangers U16 AAA
- 12th Round (230th overall): Trent Enns (LD) – Niagara North Stars U16 AAA
- 12th Round (241st overall): Elijah Hayes (LW) Detroit Victory Honda 15’s
- 13th Round (250th overall): Keaton Fitzpatrick (LD) – Ajax-Pickering Raiders U16 AAA
- 14th Round (270th overall): Cullen Kerslake (RD) – Huron-Perth Lakers U16 AAA
- 15th Round (290th overall): Kaiden Khayat (LD) – Markham Majors U16 AAA