Columbus Blue Jackets’ Draft Pick Milano Chooses OHL

Originally, Sonny Milano had pledged his future (or four years of it, at least) to Boston College. There was talk that the 16-th overall NHL draft pick might choose instead to play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), but Milano dismissed those rumors, saying he was committed to Boston College. You can read about that here.

His word didn’t mean much, however, and the rumors continued to spread like wildfire. And as it turns out, they weren’t baseless rumors after all. It turns out that Milano has in fact chosen to continue his career with the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL.

“We also have the same kind of respect for Plymouth and their ability to develop players, which is why we didn’t get involved in his decision.We left it up to the player and his family from the get-go.”

There are rumors flying now that the Blue Jackets organization had a hand in Milano’s decision to go to the OHL, but club GM

Jarmo Kekalainen

refutes that, telling the Columbus Dispatch, “we have a lot of respect for Boston College, their program, and their ability to develop players. We also have the same kind of respect for Plymouth and their ability to develop players, which is why we didn’t get involved in his decision.We left it up to the player and his family from the get-go”.

Milano has said for a very long time that he wanted to play for Boston College, but now it seems his mind has been changed. It does seem suspicious, and I can’t say I blame Boston College and the media for pointing fingers at the Jackets organization. A player who has wanted to play for Boston for years suddenly gets drafted and decides to skip college and go to the OHL? Who wouldn’t think the organization had something to do with his change of heart?

But, if Kekalainen is to be believed, they had no part in it. It’s likely Milano and his agent and family simply think he’ll get better development as a player in the OHL. Or perhaps college just wasn’t for him. As a college student myself, I know how many things college students have to juggle these days. Maybe he wanted to focus solely on hockey, and decided he could do that better in the OHL.

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Regardless of the reason behind Milano’s change of heart, the reality is he is going to be playing at the Jackets training camp soon, and will be playing in the OHL this season. Depending on his play, he might even earn himself an entry-level NHL contract and join the Springfield Falcons in the course of the coming year. He has a good chance; the Blue Jackets signed all three 2013 draftees throughout the 2013-14 season, so if Milano progresses to the satisfaction of Jarmo and his crew, it might not be very long before we see him in the Union Blue.

“We have a lot of respect for Boston College, their program and their ability to develop players,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. “We also have the same kind of respect for Plymouth and their ability to develop players … which is why we didn’t get involved (in Sonny Milano’s) decision. We left it up to the player and his family from the get-go.”