Greyhounds' first-round pick chooses Harvard over the Sault

It was a decision that came quickly, that much is certain.

Soo Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis said he had no indication leading into the draft that this year's first-round pick Ryder Cali was among the players talking about not reporting to the Ontario Hockey League if selected.

While it hasn’t been confirmed by the school just yet, a social media post by Cali reported that the young centre intends to play NCAA hockey at Harvard University.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨 4 ⭐️ Ryder Cali has committed to Harvard! The Soo Greyhounds' first-round pick was our 19th-ranked skater for the 2024 OHL Draft and was a consistent top forward on the GTHL's Markham Majors.

The Ontario to Harvard pipeline continues! pic.twitter.com/69Hp6LRcd3

— Puck Preps (@PuckPreps) August 3, 2024

“Definitely in meetings with the family or Ryder himself, there wasn’t any indication that this was something that he was looking at,” Raftis said. “Every time I’ve spent time with him, it’s been excellent. I still haven’t heard anything negative about the program, why it’s not a fit, or anything like that.”

Asked when he learned that the NCAA route was becoming a possibility for Cali, Raftis said it increased the past “couple of weeks.”

“It just seemed like there was more of a quietness on that side of it and then some schools were approaching them,” Raftis said.

For the Greyhounds, Cali’s commitment means the organization’s top two picks from the 2024 draft will be heading south of the border to play in the NCAA instead of in the Sault. Defenceman Callum Croskery, selected by the Sault in the second round, has committed to Boston College.

The difference?

Croskery’s intentions were widely known prior to the draft that the NCAA was the potential route.

While Croskery wasn’t in attendance, Cali attended the Greyhounds annual development camp in town in early May.

The 15-year-old said at the time that the development camp experience was a positive one.

“It was really fun. They treated us really well,” Cali said on day two of the camp.

Cali also called the camp “a great experience.”

Cali also said the experience of being drafted was one he won’t soon forget.

“I went into the draft not really knowing what was going to happen,” he said, when asked what he thought about being drafted by the Greyhounds. “As soon as they called my name, it was pretty exciting. I was with a bunch of people. It was an exciting moment. I felt really honoured that the Sault took me.”

Exactly how the Greyhounds will move forward in the situation remains up in the air.

Should the team decide to move forward and trade Cali’s OHL rights to another team, a compensation pick would factor into the move as well.

The team could trade his rights during training camp in a deal that can only see a return of draft picks. In that scenario, the Greyhounds would also receive a compensation pick in the first round of the 2025 OHL Priority Selection and the pick would be the one following where the Greyhounds selected Cali.

As Cali was the 18^th overall pick, a trade in training camp would net the Greyhounds the 19^th overall pick in next year’s draft, giving the team two first round picks.

The team could also wait to deal Cali’s rights until the trade window for first round picks reopens the week leading up to the trade deadline in January. In that case, the Greyhounds would receive a compensation pick in the second round of the draft in addition to the picks received via trade.

Cali is one of three players selected in the opening round of the 2024 draft who have not signed with their respective teams.

Caleb Malhotra, drafted eighth overall by the Kingston Frontenacs, and Adam Valentini, selected 13^th overall by the Mississauga (now Brampton) Steelheads.

Malhotra signed with the British Columbia League’s Chilliwack Chiefs in April and announced his commitment to Boston University on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Valentini signed a tender agreement with the United States League’s Chicago Steel in late-April and has verbally committed to the University of Michigan.