Teen Defender Makes Hockey News Canada Headlines
In men's hockey news, Canada teem phenom Aaron Ekblad has passed Hockey Canada's battery of tests to earn an exceptional player status and be eligible for the OHL draft to be held on May 7. This makes him the first player since John Tavares in 2005 to be granted this status, and the Sun County product is considered by many to be the best player available in this year's draft.
The Barrie Colts get the top draft pick this spring. Now Ekblad must face the pressure of playing in the OHL next season as an underager. He said at first he had decided against pursuing the exemption, but was encouraged by his family to go for it. In addition to Ekblad's undeniable hockey skills, the factors that swayed the evaluation committee in his favor were his academic capabilities and his maturity, as well as the fact that he had a strong family support system around him.