Ethan Bridges, Sully Kipfer selected in OHL U16 draft

Pictured is Stratford native Ethan Bridges. Bridges was drafted in the sixth round of the OHL Priority Selection June 13 by the North Bay Battalion, while Kipfer went to the Sarnia Sting in the 15th round.

Ethan Bridges of Stratford and Sully Kipfer of Milverton were drafted in the OHL Priority Selection June 13, with Bridges being chosen in the sixth round by the North Bay Battalion and Kipfer getting selected in the 15th round by the Sarnia Sting.

Bridges, who attended the first in-person Priority Selection hosted by the OHL since 2001 in Kingston, described the experience at the draft.

“It was very cool,” said Bridges. “They hyped up every person getting picked, and everyone was clapping. It was just a great experience. It's very special. It's a goal that I've always had until now, so to accomplish that goal, it's just a weight off my shoulders, and now I can get to work for my next goal of actually playing for the team and getting in the starting lineup.”

As he waited to hear his name called, Bridges noted he felt plenty of nerves.

“Before the draft, I was nervous, just because I didn’t know where I was going to get picked or what team I was going to go to,” Bridges recounted. “So, when the guy went up there and said my name, it was just unreal. I’ve been waiting for this moment to get drafted for the last three years playing triple-A.”

Being picked by the Battalion wasn’t a big shock to the Stratford native, as he had engaged in conversations with North Bay before the event.

“I talked to North Bay before and after the draft. Before, it was a 30-minute phone call about who I was as a person and as a hockey player. And then, after I was drafted, I went down to their table and talked to the staff and shook all their hands. I feel great about getting picked there. They said they care about their players' development. They try to give everybody a chance to play with their organization. It just seems like a great place to be.”

Bridges, who scored 16 goals and 46 points in 30 games with the U16 Huron-Perth Lakers this past season, is currently slated to play with his hometown Stratford Warriors of the GOHL if he doesn’t make the Battalion out of training camp, with his goal no matter where he spends the 2026-27 campaign being to bulk up physically.

“I just want to get stronger and faster, which I think comes with playing with older guys and going into junior hockey as opposed to U16,” Bridges stated. “I think I have the skills and the hockey IQ to make that jump to the next level. I think I can be a forward who the coach relies on and can contribute to the success of the team, but getting stronger is the next big thing for me.”

Kipfer, a teammate of Bridges on the U16 Lakers, was drafted in the 15th round by the Sting, and described the relief he felt when he found out he had finally been selected, which happened while he was at work.

“It was a long day. I expected to go more towards the eighth round to 10th round range, so I started following it more intensely around the seventh round or so, and I didn't expect it to go as late as it did in the day. I actually had to go to work at 2 (p.m.). I work with my teammate Declan McCotter, who also got picked, so I left, and I was feeling a bit nervous around that point, just not really knowing what was going to happen.

“After I got to work and about 30 minutes into my shift, my head coach from last year, Jason Brooks, who is on the Sarnia Sting staff, was actually the one who called me, which was a pretty cool experience,” continued Kipfer. “It was definitely an emotional call, and a big relief to finally get picked, and special to be with Declan and get the call from my head coach.”

The call from Brooks, according to Kipfer, made the experience of getting drafted all the more sentimental.

“It started off just being a gut feeling when the phone rang,” said Kipfer. “I knew he was affiliated with Sarnia, and I knew Sarnia was on the clock for the pick, so as soon as I saw his name pop up, I had a gut feeling that it was going to be about the draft. And then he said that he was going to make me a Sarnia Sting.

“Me and Jason (Brooks) have known each other for seven years. We’ve gotten very close and had quite a special bond over the past couple of years, so just having him be the one to tell me was special. And then he told me that he started tearing up at the draft, and he knew he wanted to take me, and then I started tearing up, and it was just a really special moment between the two of us.”

Kipfer also explained his excitement to continue progressing as a player.

“It’s just nothing but excitement. The Sting’s camp is this weekend, so I'm just really excited to get up there and meet all the staff and meet all the other drafted players. I’m just absolutely excited for the opportunity and so grateful that I have this opportunity. Obviously, I was a bit nervous when you see the rounds going by, and you start thinking, ‘Maybe I'm not going to get drafted.’ But as soon as I got that call, it was just immediate excitement. I think that I'm ready to make the most of this opportunity, and I just can't wait to get up there.”

When looking ahead to this coming season, Kipfer said he wanted to become more fleet of foot on the ice.

“I'd say right now, just my speed and my skating ability are probably my biggest weak points,” admitted Kipfer. “I’ve got the defensive ability down, and I have the strength, and obviously, you always want to build on the strength and keep that up. I've always been big on developing that in the gym three times a week down in Waterloo with a training facility called Depth, and then just at home, doing agility drills, sprints, running and footwork training. I work with Luke Israel, who really helps me with my skating ability.”

Kipfer said he believes, with improvements to his skating, he could blossom into a reliable stay-at-home blueliner at the OHL level.

“I think I can definitely be a good third or fourth defenseman on the roster who shuts down guys and plays with a very specific defensive defenseman role on that team who just shuts down guys using my strength. I don't let guys get around me. I'm not on for many goals. And then, a big ability of mine is my penalty kill ability.”

Along with Bridges and Kipfer, six other U16 Lakers were chosen, including leading scorer Declan McCotter, who was picked in the fourth round, 77th overall, by the Flint Firebirds, while defenceman Wyatt Finch was selected 100th overall by the Sting in the fifth round. 

In the sixth round, forward Evan Miller was drafted 113th overall by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Defenseman Colton Van Geffen at 188th overall was selected by the Guelph Storm in round 10. Goaltender Rylan Da Costa (226th overall) went to the Sudbury Wolves in round 12 at 226th overall. Luke McLean was picked 247th overall by the Saginaw Spirit in the 13th round.

On June 8, the OHL held its Under-18 Draft on the league website. Guelph Storm selected U18 Lakers forward Maddyx Chaput with the 27th overall pick.