Ottawa 67's Add Goaltending Depth with Smolcic Selection
Ottawa's beloved 67's made their presence felt deep into the OHL Priority Selection Draft, tabbing goaltender Marcus Smolcic with the 159th overall pick. While late-round picks don't always make headlines, goaltenders are notoriously slow developers — and savvy OHL clubs know that stocking up on netminding talent early can pay dividends down the road.
Smolcic joins a 67's prospect pool that the organization has been carefully cultivating, with the club always keeping one eye on the future even as they compete in the present. For a franchise with the history and ambition of Ottawa's junior hockey institution, every draft pick is a building block.
What to Expect from a Late-Round Goaltending Pick
Selecting a goaltender in the back half of any draft is as much about projection as it is about current ability. At pick 159, the 67's scouts are betting on potential — the raw tools, size, athleticism, and compete level that suggest Smolcic could develop into a reliable OHL netminder with the right coaching and experience.
Goaltenders in the OHL typically take one to two seasons to fully adjust to the pace and demands of junior hockey, so patience is key. The 67's have a track record of developing players who weren't household names on draft day into contributors at the major junior level.
Building for the Future at TD Place
For Ottawa hockey fans who pack TD Place on game nights, draft day is always a moment of excitement and speculation. Who will be the next player to wear the iconic red and black and make the Civic Centre faithful roar? Smolcic may be a long shot to crack the roster immediately, but the 67's are clearly thinking ahead.
The organization has made the OHL playoffs a consistent expectation, and depth at every position — including backup and developmental goaltending — is what separates contenders from pretenders over a long season.
Ottawa's Junior Hockey Tradition
The 67's are one of the OHL's most storied franchises, having produced NHL talent for decades and brought championship glory to the nation's capital multiple times. Drafting and developing local and regional talent remains central to their identity, and each draft class adds new names to a lineage that Ottawa fans follow closely from prospects to pros.
Whether Smolcic becomes a mainstay between the pipes at TD Place or develops quietly before making his mark, his selection is a reminder that the 67's are always working — not just for next season, but for the seasons beyond.
Ottawa fans will be watching his development with interest as training camp approaches.
Source: Canadian Hockey League / Ottawa 67's via Google News Ottawa
