Three Stoney Creek classmates get the OHL call on the same day

For teenagers, this is a first big step toward the NHL. It’s a sign that people who know the game think you’ve got something and it’s a door opening to a possible future in the sport.

It guarantees nothing but offers lots.

So by 9 a.m. sharp when the proceedings began, Marcus Sulug had found a spot in the family room with his parents, Owen Papp had settled into his living room with his parents and his grandmothers to keep an eye on things, and Brady McConnell had a screen nearby as he worked on refurbishing fire extinguishers at his grandfather’s shop.

They turned their eyes to the proceedings and waited for their big moment.

Then crickets.

Half an hour passed. Then an hour. Then 90 minutes.

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• Dec 31, 1969
• Comments

• Dec 31, 1969
• Comments

The three 16-year-olds are in Grade 10 together at St. John Henry Newman Catholic Secondary. They’ve known each other for years (Sulug and McConnell have played together since novice, some of that time coached by Hockey Hall of Famer Geraldine Heaney) and are close.

Getting a chance to be chosen on the same day would be so cool. What would be the odds of that? But as name after name popped up on the screen — none of them theirs — they found themselves texting each other to keep their spirits up.

“As much as you want to say it doesn’t bother you,” Sulug says, “it does.”

Before long it was two hours into the selection process. At which point a hint of doubt emerged. Then two and a half. Which admittedly was getting tough. Time was running out.

Then Sulug’s phone rang.

What came next is a bit blurry. He remembers hearing, “Congratulations.” And he caught, “Peterborough Petes.”

The defenceman was rather confused since he hadn’t seen his name on the computer screen. But within seconds, it popped up. Round 10, pick 185.

“The adrenalin started picking up a bit,” he says.

Immediately, his phone went crazy.

His buddies were among those sending congratulatory notes. They were thrilled for him. Yet when another hour went by, they started to wonder if they’d get their chance as well.

Lots of guys have closed their laptops at the end of their draft having never seen their name. It happens every year. Not being called surely feels like the end of the world at the time even though, as a 16-year-old, you’d likely never admit that.

McConnell starting thinking that maybe being a five-foot-seven defenceman was scaring teams away. Papp was trying to convince himself that nothing is guaranteed. A bunch of goalies had been taken. Maybe there wasn’t a spot left for him.

You can hope, he told himself, but you can’t expect.

It was right about this moment that they were brought back to life when McConnell’s name flashed on the screen. Niagara IceDogs. Round No. 14. Pick 266 overall.

“My mom screamed,” he laughs. “I had to tell everyone to be quiet since I need to answer the phone.”

Seeing his buddy’s name, Papp began thumbing a congratulatory text message. It might not be his day but he could still be a good friend.

But before he could get more than a few words typed out, his own phone started blowing up. He looked up at the computer screen and saw nothing to explain it. This is weird, he thought.

Turns out, his internet feed was running slow and what he was seeing was behind real time. So he didn’t yet know he’d been taken two picks after McConnell by the Erie Otters.

When his name appeared, his living room suddenly erupted.

“My mom was screaming,” he says. “Everyone was screaming.”

They weren’t alone. By this point, there was celebrating going on all around this area.

Hamilton’s Ryder Carey was taken in the first round (No. 16 overall) by the North Bay Battalion. Cayuga’s Ethan Kindree (round 3, pick 51) was taken by Owen Sound, Waterdown’s Hudson Wozney (round 7, pick 132) went to Erie, Ancaster’s Jacob Ceranic (round 10, pick 198) was selected by North Bay, and Hamilton’s Jonathan Herrington (round 10, pick 199) was taken by Oshawa.

Burlington’s Nolan Carriere (round 12, pick 229) was grabbed by Kitchener, Burlington’s Colton Woods (round 12, pick 231) was chosen by Mississauga, Puslinch’s Kalyn McQueen (round 12, pick 240) was claimed by Sault Ste. Marie, Hamilton’s Seth Vreugdenhil (round 13, pick 254) was chosen by Sudbury, and Puslinch’s Ethan Madden (round 15, pick 291) went to Guelph.

As for the three St. John Henry Newman classmates, things get busy pretty fast.

Sulug and McConnell have rookie camp in two weeks. Papp’s is the first week of June. If they do well there, they’ll get a chance to make the team at full camp in the fall with the veterans.

In the meantime, this brief break gives them a few days to catch their breath. Because Saturday was a moment. All three players went to bed after a long day with their heads spinning a bit.

But happy. Just ask Papp.

“I fell asleep with a smile on my face.”