With the 6th round pick (156th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Los Angeles Kings selected center Michael Pelech from Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Originally drafted in the 1st round by the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, Pelech was traded to Mississauga in 2006. This 6’2″, 212 pound center scored 19 goals and 46 assists for 65 points in 68 games for the Majors this season. He also managed to accumulate 121 penalty minutes.
Born on October 6, 1989, Pelech is able to play in Manchester this season where his toughness and playmaking abilities should help the young Monarchs squad. He’s also excellent in the faceoff circle. In 11 playoff games with the Majors, Pelech scored 4 goals and 9 assists for 13 points.
Similarly to 5th round draft choice David Kolomatis, this pick is for Manchester. Plain and simple. While there’s always surprises out there, Michael Pelech will bolster the toughness in Manchester and will be steady on the third or fourth line. Last year, Monarchs GM Ron Hextall had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to fill his roster. Now that Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi’s draft choices are reaching AHL eligibility, we’ll soon see the Monarchs roster mature. Picking up Michael Pelech will help Manchester now.
What do you think of the pick? Is there anyone out there with a good knowledge of potential 2009 picks that think we should have drafted in the 6th round?
You can read about the Los Angeles Kings previous draft picks right here on KingsCast. So far, we’ve profiled forward Kyle Clifford, defenseman Nicolas Deslauriers, goaltender Jean-Francois Berube, forward Linden Vey, and defenseman David Kolomatis.
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