Local player sets his sights on the OHL

Sports Advocate

By Amanda Tayles

Sixteen-year-old Lindsay native and St. Thomas Aquinas student Nolan Buttar was recently selected by the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Kingston Frontenacs in the second round of the 2024 priority selection — 26th overall pick of a total 302 players selected. This is an incredible accomplishment for a local player. Buttar previously played for the Central Ontario Wolves before joining Peterborough AAA after the COVID shutdown. To appreciate just how significant this achievement is, one must consider the numbers. There are approximately 549,000 registered hockey players in Canada, with Ontario accounting for just under 40 per cent of the national statistic. In a country of 34 million, that’s nearly two per cent of the population. Although it may seem like a small number, it doesn’t reflect the passion the country has for the sport; a recent survey found that close to 74 per cent of Canadians consider it important to the Canadian identity. It is this passion that is evident in rinks day in and day out, as players strive to reach the highest level possible.

Just making it to the AAA level of hockey at age 15 is noteworthy. But at this young age, high-calibre players like Buttar are faced with a choice between the OHL and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). There was a time when student-athletes typically chose the NCAA route for post-secondary scholarships. However, the OHL has provided graduating players with a scholarship fund for the past decade. Current NCAA rules prohibit players in the Canadian Hockey League (the oversight body of the OHL, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and Western Hockey League (WHL)) from admission, deeming them ‘professionals’ due to some having been signed to professional teams. A player therefore loses their NCAA eligibility the moment they dress for a single game.

As an aside, it’s worth noting that rumours of a rule change to allow OHL players to join the NCAA began circulating broadly in early 2024. Coupled with a recent NCAA settlement, allowing schools to directly pay college athletes for the first time in its 100-year history, it’s unknown how this will shake out for players in the future.

Each player has to weigh their options, goals, and aspirations. For Buttar, his choice to pursue his options in the OHL was due to its focus on player development. “Although I was aware of other options including NCAA, I remained focused on the OHL, as I feel it’s the number one league for developing junior players,” he said. The OHL has a long-established role in cultivating talent, representing 20 per cent of all NHL draft selections over its history. In a league with players aged 16-20 years old, with the average age just more than 18.5 years old, 16-year-olds like Buttar are rare — teams are only allowed to register a maximum of four. Kingston GM Kory Cooper recently reflected on the uncertainty in the draft: “The reality is, with any of these drafts, we’re talking about 15- and 16-year-old hockey players who have a ton of room to grow. Until it’s two or three years down the road, you probably really won’t know how it panned out until they get fully developed through some of their junior years and even as far as growing and getting bigger. There certainly is an element of the unknown involved in all of these drafts and these young players.”

So how does Buttar set himself apart? He sees this summer as different from the past, focusing on building his strength and conditioning. His off-ice trainer for the past two years, Jay Corcoran of Corcoran’s Boxing Club in Peterborough, can attest to his commitment, saying, “You have to live, eat, and breathe it and Nolan’s that guy. He’s got that drive and focus to do the small things that people won’t do, like limiting social media and prioritizing sleep.”

For Buttar, he was invited to the Frontenacs’ development camp in early May and subsequently signed to an OHL Scholarship and Development agreement. Corcoran will help him through his transition and focus on main camp with the Frontenacs at the end of the summer, putting him in a competitive position with players four years his senior. Cooper’s comments on Buttar are positive, saying, “We believe Nolan Buttar is another guy that is a big body and can continue to get better and has a high character, high winning aura around him and a jack-of-all-trades type of player who can help your lineup. Certainly, he’ll get an opportunity to play. (He) possesses all the qualities that we look for in a player joining our organization.”

Is it talent? Genetics? Work ethic to accumulate the ‘10,000 hours?’ All of it sprinkled with a bit of luck? The magic of athletes defying expectations is what makes it all so inspiring and intriguing to follow. And it’s all the more reason to support the aspirations of a local player who has already defied incredible odds. Buttar continues to encourage young players to be equally aspirational and to keep pushing, saying, “It’s never too late, there are always stories of kids in their teens improving and making teams.”