Center Dylan Strome and defensemen Jesse Saban and Cole Mayo – the Erie Otters’ top three picks in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection – will play in the U16 OHL Gold Cup May 9-12 at Sportsworld Arena in Kitchener, Ontario.
The annual event features Ontario’s top Under-16 players, and serves as an evaluation and selection process for Team Ontario. Strome and Saban will play for Team GTHL Red, while Mayo will play for Team Alliance.

Erie native Ryan Zapolski has signed a professional tryout agreement with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, The Post and Courier of Charleston (S.C.) reported Monday.
Zapolski, 26, a Cathedral Prep and Mercyhurst University alumnus, earned the opportunity with the Nashville Predators’ AHL affiliate after completing a record-setting season with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays last week.
Zapolski was the second player in league history to capture top rookie, top goaltender and most valuable player honors in the same season, as well as the third goaltender to ever claim the MVP award. He also set the league record with a 1.64 goals-against average, tied the mark for shutouts (8) and tied for the second-best save percentage (.942). He led the league in all three categories this season and finished tied for second with 27 wins.
Zapolski had a week-long stint with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ affiliate, this past December. But he didn’t play in any games. He joins an Admirals club that includes former Erie Otters winger Michael Liambas. They are tied for ninth with the Chicago Wolves in the Western Conference, two points behind the Rockford IceHogs for the final playoff spot with four games left in the regular season. The Admirals play Chicago tonight.
In other Lakers’ news, fifth-year senior goaltender Max Strang signed an amateur tryout contract with the ECHL’s Reading Royals last Friday. Strang, who completed his Mercyhurst career last month, said he has replaced an injured goaltender on the Royals’ roster.

Sherry Bassin said Saturday that he hasn’t spoken with Michael Andlauer, owner of the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, about purchasing the Erie Otters.
“I haven’t even talked to him about it,” said Bassin, Otters managing partner and general manager, in response to a recent article published by the Hamilton Spectator in Hamilton, Ontario, which reported that Andlauer has spoken with Bassin about the Otters.
“Never any discussion,” Bassin said. “Nothing about that.”
Reports began to surface a season ago linking the Otters with a potential move to Hamilton. Then in March 2012, Bassin signed a two-year lease with the Erie County Convention Center Authority, which operates Erie Insurance Arena. The lease expires after the 2013-14 season.

- Victor Fernandes

First-round picks in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection:
No. Club Pos. Name (Ht., Wt.) 2012-13 club 2012-13 statistics
1. Ottawa C Travis Konecny (5-9, 162) Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs 53 goals, 114 points (54 games)
2. Erie C Dylan Strome (6-2, 170) Toronto Marlboros 65 goals, 143 points (60 games)
3. Peterborough D Matthew Spencer (6-1, 192) Oakville Rangers 17 goals, 56 points (71 games)
4. Mississauga D Sean Day (6-1, 180) Compuware 11 goals, 35 points (63 games)
5. Kingston LW Lawson Crouse (6-2, 189) Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs 22 goals, 50 points (27 games)
6. Niagara C Hayden McCool (6-2, 190) Whitby Wildcats 21 goals, 34 points (33 games)
7. Sudbury D Kyle Capobianco (6-0, 155) Oakville Rangers 14 goals, 56 points (71 games)
8. Saginaw C Mitchell Stephens (5-9, 166) Toronto Marlboros 44 goals, 84 points (58 games)
9. Sarnia RW Nikita Korostelev (6-0, 187) Toronto Jr. Canadiens 12 goals, 26 points (13 games)
10. North Bay* C Brett McKenzie (5-9, 175) Oakville Rangers 38 goals, 102 points (63 games)
11. Sault Ste. Marie C Blake Speers (5-9, 157) Sault Ste. Marie Thunder 43 goals, 113 points (67 games)
12. Guelph D Garrett McFadden (5-9, 195) Grey-Bruce Highlanders 14 goals, 30 points (37 games)
13. Kitchener LW Mike Davies (6-0, 198) Southern Tier Admirals 47 goals, 73 points (61 games)
14. Oshawa D Mitchell Vande Sompel (5-9, 171) London Knights Gold 9 goals, 32 points (23 games)
15. Barrie C Matthew Kreis (5-10, 155) Halton Hurricanes 22 goals, 46 points (35 games)
16. Plymouth LW Jordan Greenaway (6-5, 205) Shattuck-St. Mary U16 (Minn.) N/A
17. Owen Sound C Ethan Szypula (5-9, 154) London Knights Gold 22 goals, 50 points (30 games)
18. Belleville D Justin Lemcke (6-1, 192) Whitby Wildcats 6 goals, 23 points (26 games)
19. London C Mitchell Marner (5-7, 130) Don Mills Flyers 41 goals, 86 points (56 games)

The Erie Otters’ picks in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection:
Round (No.) Pos. Name (Ht., Wt.) 2012-13 club 2012-13 statistics
1. (2) C Dylan Strome (6-2, 170) Toronto Marlboros 65 goals, 143 points (60 games)
2. (21) D Jesse Saban (6-3, 205) Toronto Red Wings 4 goals, 16 points (34 games)
3. (42) D Cole Mayo (5-11, 193) Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs 5 goals, 34 points (30 games)
5. (80) C Trent Fox* (6-0, 163) London Knights Gold 15 goals, 28 points (27 games)
6. (106) LW Sean Kohler (5-8, 170) Oakville Rangers 35 goals, 77 points (69 games)
7. (123) LW Patrick Fellows (6-1, 150) Mississauga Rebels 10 goals, 26 points (22 games)
8. (141) D T.J. Fergus (5-9, 153) Toronto Jr. Canadiens 3 goals, 14 points (29 games)
9. (161) D Nathan Kwiecinski (6-1, 186) Detroit Little Caesars 5 goals, 15 points (31 games)
10. (197) G Cosimo Lazzarino (6-1, 175) Mississauga Senators 8-5-3 record, 1.83 GAA, .894 save pct. (19 games)
11. (201) C Matthew Baker (5-7, 136) Barrie Colts 18 goals, 44 points (58 games)
12. (221) C Frank Pucci (5-5, 124) Sault Ste. Marie Thunder N/A
13. (241) RW Jack Scanlan (5-9, 161) North Central Predators 7 goals, 22 points (33 games)
14. (261) D Owen Headrick (5-9. 188) Sault Ste. Marie Thunder 9 goals, 39 points (61 games)
15. (281) C Trayvon Henry (6-1, 160) North Central Predators 8 goals, 18 points (33 games)
* Younger brother of Otters forward Dane Fox

Join me at 5:30 p.m. Saturday for a live 90-minute draft day chat about the Erie Otters … talk to you then

Sherry Bassin, Erie Otters managing partner and general manager, said recently that “there seems to be a fair amount of people that have shown an interest” in purchasing the OHL franchise. Bassin didn’t reveal specifics about potential buyers, although he added that he has received verbal offers.
Yet the Hamilton Spectator in Hamilton, Ontario, has reported that Michael Andlauer, owner of the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, has spoken with Bassin about the Otters and with David Branch, OHL commissioner and CHL president, about his interest in purchasing an OHL franchise. According to the Spectator, Andlauer wouldn’t disclose if he and Bassin have discussed a purchase price.
“There’s no doubt the league knows I’m desirous of having a team,” Andlauer told the Spectator. “It’s definitely on my radar. It’s all a matter of timing.”
Bassin, 73, has said he hasn’t received interest locally about buying the franchise. “I’m coming to a point where I am going to sell the team,” he said.
Reports began to surface a season ago linking the Otters with a potential move to Hamilton, Ontario. Then in March 2012, Bassin signed a two-year lease with the Erie County Convention Center Authority, which operates Erie Insurance Arena. The lease expires after the 2013-14 season.

- Victor Fernandes

Have something to say about Sherry Bassin’s draft class or about the Erie Otters?
Share your thoughts with Victor Fernandes by visiting the Shootout hockey blog at GoErie.com/blogs/shootout. The live 90-minute chat begins Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Also head to the Shootout hockey blog and Twitter at www.twitter.com/goeriehockey updates throughout draft day.

- Victor Fernandes

Mark Guy, of Newport Sports Management Inc. in Mississauga, Ontario, said Erie Otters owner/GM Sherry Bassin and his scouting staff are very high on both of his high-profile clients – top-end OHL draft prospects Travis Konecny and Dylan Strome.
“The impression I get is that they would be happy with either of them,” Guy said Wednesday of the Otters. “Throughout the (scouting) process, I think they have been really, really high on Dylan. If that ends up happening and he’s there when they’re picking, I would be surprised if they go in a different direction. But the draft is the draft, so you never know.”
Guy declined to confirm or deny that Konecny and Strome would be the top two picks in Saturday’s draft because, he said, “things can change on Friday night. It’s happened in the past.”
“The easiest thing to say,” Guy said, “is that it’s likely that’s the way the draft goes at this stage. But it’s not for certain.”

- Victor Fernandes

The OHL will unveil the winner of the Emms Family Award for OHL rookie of the year Thursday at 11 a.m. Erie Otters center Connor McDavid (25 goals, 41 assists, 66 points) headlines a list of finalists that also includes forwards Sam Bennett (18-22-40 with Brampton), Blake Clarkee (19-32-51) with Brampton, Michael Dal Colle (15-33-48 with Oshawa), Nikolay Goldobin (30-38-68 with Sarnia) and Sergey Tolchinsky (26-25-51 with Sault Ste. Marie).