On Monday, June 8, the OHL held its annual U-18 draft. Many of the top U-18 prospects from the province were selected, including Ottawa Jr Senators prospect Presley Kelly-Wright. The Kingston Frontenacs demonstrated a significant interest in Kelly-Wright by using the tenth-overall pick to select the skilled right-shot defenseman.
Kelly-Wright’s selection in the top-10 shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who watched the HEO U-18 AAA league last season. The 2009-born defender led the championship-winning Myers Automotive team in points with 14 goals and 38 points in 29 games. In the playoffs, he continued his torrid pace, scoring nine points in nine games to outscore all other Myers defenders combined. While he is offensively gifted, he is a right-shot defender — something most elite hockey teams have in short supply — making Kelly-Wright an ideal prospect for a Kingston Frontenacs group with an established young core.
The Ottawa Jr Senators were similarly enamoured with Kelly-Wright’s abilities two years ago when the team used its third-round pick in the 2025 CCHL draft to make him a part of their organization. While he did not make last year’s team, he was one of the last defenders remaining — and one of only three 16-year-olds — to see the final days of camp. The Ottawa Junior Senators want to congratulate Presley on his selection in the OHL U-18 draft!
