OHL mock draft: Matthew Schaefer expected to go first overall, with an assist from big brother

Tales of older siblings unwittingly moulding their little brothers into hockey players by pounding the daylights out of them are as old as the game itself.

But when the older brother is a teenager playing in one of the top junior leagues in the world and the younger is in primary school, the dynamic can produce some interesting results.

That's exactly what transpired with 15-year-old Matthew Schaefer, a defenceman with the Halton Hurricanes under-16 team. If you haven't heard of him, you probably will. Because all of those give-no-quarter battles for possession in the family driveway in Hamilton helped transform Schaefer from a self-described little wimp" into one of the most coveted U-16 players in Canada and the front-runner to go first overall in the Ontario Hockey League draft Friday night.

There are almost 9 years between Schaefer and his older brother Johnny, who played four years in the OHL with the Niagara IceDogs and just finished his final season playing at Brock University.

When we were younger and (Johnny) was in the O,' we'd put on rollerblades and he'd dump it into the garage and he'd nail me," Schaefer said. He really toughened me up."

Since he doesn't turn 16 until September, Schaefer is nowhere near a finished product. Construction will almost certainly continue for the next couple of seasons in Erie when the Otters make him the first pick of the 2023 draft.

But the early returns are encouraging.

Schaefer has developed into a talented two-way defender who led all rearguards in scoring in the South Central AAA under-16 league this season with 18 goals and 46 points in 30 games. But the pinnacle of his season came when he captained Team Ontario to the gold medal in the Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island in February, jumping into the rush to score the game-winning goal in double overtime to lead Ontario to a 3-2 win over Saskatchewan.

Darryl Giancola, Schaefer's coach with the Hurricanes, was watching the game with his son Cristian, who is also up for the draft this weekend. As soon as the play began to develop, both knew exactly what was going to happen. We were like, Here comes a goal. It's over,' " Giancola said. We just saw it because we've seen Matthew do that so many times. The puck was in Ontario's zone and we saw at the bottom of the screen him rushing up and we knew right away."

People close to Schaefer rave about his hockey ability, but they gush just as much about the young man as a person.

Brantford Bulldogs GM Matt Turek has known Schaefer and his family for years through minor hockey circles and recently saw the young man's character in action. Turek's son was about to take to the ice for a minor hockey tournament, but his skates were nowhere to be found at the Hamilton arena where Turek dropped them off to be sharpened. With his sons in tow, Turek began to panic a little when he saw Schaefer come into the arena for a training session.

I'm searching all over and I've got a six- and seven-year-old following me around," Turek said. And instantaneously Matthew sees the look of panic on my face and he says, Matty, I've got the kids. No worries. He distracted the kids while I found the skates. What 15-year-old kid would do that? He's a different kid in a special way."

There are some years when the first overall pick in the draft is not actually the most sought-after player, but the one who will agree to report to which team is picking first. There are times when players will move down in the draft because they have a preferred destination, but Schaefer made it clear from the beginning that he'd be willing to play with whatever organization wants him.

Honestly, how I think of it, at the end of the day it would be an honour to play in the league and in the end, there are no really bad teams," Schaefer said. You'd have to give me a couple of really good reasons why I shouldn't go to that team. You're going to have to convince me why I shouldn't go to that team."

With two picks among the first five, the Niagara IceDogs will have an opportunity to rebuild a team that finished last in the OHL standings this season. And they'll likely start that rebuild down the middle, with two 16-year-old centres who have the potential to create a lot of offence. Here's how things could shake down in the first round of the OHL draft, which begins Friday night with Rounds 1 through 3:

1. Erie - Matthew Schaefer, D, Halton Hurricanes U16: A dominant two-way defender who will play big minutes and in all situations. An elite skater who can move the puck out of trouble.

2. Niagara - Ryan Roobroeck, C-LW, London Jr. Knights U16: Stock has dropped a little and he had a disappointing OHL Cup, but projects as a big scorer. Has the best shot in the draft.

3. Soo - Brady Martin, C, Waterloo Wolves U16: Stock really rose in the second half of the season and might have been the best forward in the OHL Cup.

4. Kingston - Tyler Hopkins, C, Halton Hurricanes U16: Might not have the star quality of the top three selections, but there are no discernible shortcomings in his 200-foot game.

5. Niagara - Ethan Czata, C, Mississauga Rebels U16: Improved his prospects with a strong OHL Cup. Uses his speed to find open spaces and create scoring chances. Has a great release.

6. Oshawa - Owen Griffin, C, York-Simcoe Express U16: Has drawn comparisons to Mitch Marner in that he's an undersized player who avoids being hit and plays a cerebral game.

7. Mississauga - Cameron Reid, D, Bishop Kearney Selects: Ottawa-area native playing at the Rochester private school. Not a flashy player, but plays a solid game at both ends of the ice.

8. Brantford - Jake O'Brien, C, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16: The nephew of Bulldogs GM Matt Turek, O'Brien comes by his lofty status honestly. Has a very high hockey IQ.

9. Sudbury - Caden Taylor, LW, Mississauga Senators U16: Another player who had a strong OHL Cup, Taylor is a power forward with an NHL shot. Scored 58 goals in 60 games this season.

10. Kitchener - Henry Brzustewicz, D, North Jersey Avalanche U16: American defender poised to join his older brother, Hunter, on the Rangers blue line. Moves the puck well.

11. Kitchener - Luca Romano, C, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16: Scored five goals for the OHL Cup champions, including a hat trick to send the Canadiens to the semifinal. Quick feet, quick mind.

12. Owen Sound - Tanner Lam, RW, Halton Hurricanes U16: He's undersized, but some feel he could be the best scorer in the draft. Led the South Central AAA League in goals and points.

13. Peterborough - Jeremy Martin, C, Toronto Marlboros U16: Has a good combination of size and foot speed, which allows him to create open ice and drive offensive play.

14. Guelph - Quinn Beauchesne, D, Nepean Raiders U18: A little on the small side for a defenceman, but he moves the puck very well. Shoots right, which is always an asset.

15. Flint - Aidan Lane, C, Toronto Marlboros U16: Not afraid to go into traffic, Lane scores a lot of his goals on tips and rebounds. Hard to handle down low.

16. Saginaw - Lev Katzin, C, Toronto Marlboros U16: An energetic two-way centre, Katzin has committed to Green Bay of the USHL, but could possibly be convinced to play in the OHL.

17. Sarnia - Luke Dragusica, D, Toronto Marlboros U16: At six-foot-two and 170 pounds, Dragusica has time to fill out. When he does, he'll be an offensive and physical impact player.

18. London - William Moore, C, Toronto Marlboros U16: Knights could take a chance on a guy who would have been a top-three pick if he hadn't committed to the U.S. national development program.

19. Barrie - Shamar Moses, RW, Don Mills Flyers U16: At six-foot-three and 210 pounds, he's a big, physical power forward who hits hard and has an above-average skill level.

20. Windsor - Jack Ivankovic, G, Mississauga Senators U16: First-round goaltenders are like lunar eclipses, but Ivankovic, whose father was a goalie in the OHL, is a future star in net.

21. North Bay - Nicolas Addy, C, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16: A big-bodied player (six-foot-four, 205 pounds) who has all the tools to be an offensive producer at the junior level.

22. Ottawa - Parker Snelgrove, C, London Jr. Knights U16: A late birthday means he'll play three junior seasons prior to the NHL draft. A good 200-foot player with strong leadership qualities.