The 2020 OHL Priority Selection does not officially take place until Saturday morning, however, the North Bay Battalion have already announced to the public who they will take first overall. Nelson has been hailed as the draft’s top defensemen for quite some time and was considered to be a top-three pick for the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. But after Adam Fantilli committed to playing in the U.S., leaving his future in the OHL uncertain, Nelson became the easy choice for the first overall selection.
Nelson is a highly skilled two-way defenceman who excels at both ends of the ice. One of his top assets is his skating which he uses to generate offence and get the puck out of his own zone. While Nelson is not afraid of taking risks, everything he does is calculated. He possesses a high hockey IQ and a strong vision that allows him to see things that other players can’t. His hockey IQ and vision are some of the skills that make him such an effective and reliable player at both ends of the ice.
Nelson spent the 2019-2020 season playing for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens Minor Midget AAA team in the GTMMHL. Nelson finished the season third in team scoring with 32 points in 33 games and was the highest-scoring defender on his team. Not only was Nelson the highest-scoring blue-liner on his team, but he was also the league’s leader in scoring amongst defensemen by a considerable margin.
Nelson should be able to slot into North Bay’s roster right away next season. North Bay has a solid group of young players that Nelson should be able to fit in with seamlessly. Although the blue-line is quite crowded, Nelson will be competing for a top-four role straight away and will be given every opportunity by the Battalion’s coaching staff to make an impact.
After being selected first overall, Ty Nelson joins elite company that consists of NHL stars such as Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid.