It was a trio of forwards that were on the Soo Greyhounds wish list on Friday as the Ontario Hockey League’s annual priority selection kicked off.
With a pair of first round picks and another in the third round, the Greyhounds selected a pair of American forwards, one with ties to the organization, along with using a top 10 pick to take a forward that can play two positions.
With their first of two picks in the opening round, the Greyhounds selected forward Noah Laus, a left winger who can also play centre, seventh overall.
Laus spent the 2024-25 season with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens where he scored 25 goals and 42 points.
A report from OHL Central Scouting noted Laus as “a big power forward that plays the game
the right way every time he is on the ice.”
“He has the skills to make plays in all three zones, sees the ice well and moves it at the right times and can also challenge defenders one on one,” the scouting report also said. “He is a shooter on the power play as they have certain plays designed to have him as the trigger. He has a high compete and hockey sense which make him valuable in every situation. Noah is the kind of player coaches will have out in the last minute of a game whether its up or down by a goal.”
The Greyhounds additional pick in the opening round, a compensation pick received after the team dealt the rights to forward Ryder Cali in the fall after the forward refused to report, saw the Greyhounds select centre Ryan Kaczynski of the Mid Fairfield Jr. Rangers.
OHL Central Scouting director Darrell Woodley called Kaczynski “the driving force of his team” this season.
“He’s got good size, he’s got good skill,” Woodley added, speaking during the OHL’s draft show. “There’s not a shot that he didn’t like
After not having a selection in the second round, the Greyhounds used their third round pick – 51st overall) to select Trevor Daley Jr.
OHL Central Scouting called the son of the former Greyhounds defenceman “one of the smoothest skaters” in the draft.
The young centre played in 47 games with Florida Alliance this season, scoring 32 goals and 87 points.
“He has a very good hockey IQ as he is always in the right place to receive a pass and he does a good job of supporting his defence in his own end,” Central Scouting also said. “He is a player that loves to have the puck on his stick, and he will very rarely just throw it away. He is a very gifted playmaker that sees things well ahead of other players. He is the driving force offensively for his team, isn’t afraid to try to create something out of nothing and has scored some highlight reel goals this season. He is dynamic on both sides of special teams and is always making things happen.
The lone player with Sault ties drafted in the opening three rounds on Friday night was winger Brock Chitaroni, who spent this season with the Barrie Jr. Colts.
Chitaroni was selected third overall by the Ottawa 67’s in the opening round of the draft.
In 31 games in Barrie, Chitaroni scored 29 goals and 59 points before getting into playoff games with the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Greater Sudbury Cubs after the OHL Cup.
OHL Central Scouting calls Chitaroni “a dynamic skater that has a top end speed that many don’t.”
“He has elite level skill and is both a solid playmaker as well as a dangerous goal scorer,” the scouting report also says. “He isn’t one to cheat in any zone as he plays a solid 200-foot game and is always on the right side of the puck. His hockey sense and how hard he competes every shift are two things that differentiate him from his peers. He makes a lot of little smart plays that go unnoticed at times during the game.”
Rounds four through 15 are scheduled for Saturday beginning at 9 a.m.