Kade O’Rourke must await his OHL debut.
Hockey Canada denied distinctive standing to the potential No. 1 decide within the upcoming draft, Sportsnet can verify.
O’Rourke, a 15-year-old from Texas, would have turn out to be the primary pure-born American participant to obtain distinctive standing within the OHL. Sean Day was a twin citizen of Canada and america when he obtained his distinctive standing in 2013.
“A variety of folks I spoke to this week stated there is no such thing as a query he is prepared,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman stated of O’Rourke earlier in April.
Now, he must maintain for the 2027 draft to enter into the junior hockey league.
O’Rourke moved to Toronto to play within the Larger Toronto Hockey League 4 years in the past on the age of 11.
This season, he led the Toronto Jr. Canadiens to the OHL Cup ultimate, however they fell within the ultimate to the Detroit HoneyBaked.
O’Rourke scored 10 factors within the event, together with a sensational objective within the semifinals. He was additionally named a event all-star.
The Oshawa Generals maintain the highest decide within the OHL draft, set for June 12.
Together with Day, John Tavares (2005), Aaron Ekblad (2011), Connor McDavid (2012), Shane Wright (2019) and Michael Misa (2022) are the opposite gamers who had been granted distinctive standing within the OHL.
