The Guelph Storm went with some tried, tested and true hockey bloodlines in Saturday's Ontario Hockey League Priority Draft.
With their first pick, second overall, the Storm selected centre Tag Bertuzzi, son of former Guelph Storm and National Hockey League star Todd Bertuzzi and cousin of former Storm star Tyler Bertuzzi.
With the first pick of the second round they chose centre Mason Primeau, son of longtime NHLer Wayne Primeau.
Todd Bertuzzi and Wayne Primeau combined to play 2,110 games in the NHL.
"I hear nothing but good things about Guelph and it's just exciting to be able to play for them," said Tag Bertuzzi, who described himself as a power forward that likes to move the puck.
"It's unbelievable. It's kind of crazy to think this day is already here. It seems like a day ago I was 12 years old playing outside.
"I focus on one thing and hockey is my one thing. I'll do anything I can to make me the best player I can be."
Todd Bertuzzi agreed that despite all his hockey accomplishments there's a special kind of pride in seeing his son achieve goals like he did on Saturday.
"Without a doubt this is my greatest memory in life and in hockey. Anything I've done in the past didn't feel like anything compared to how I felt when I heard my son's name get called today," Bertuzzi said.
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As for Todd, who lives in Michigan, he said coaching isn't in his plans.
"All I want to do is just sit in the stands, have a beer and watch my kid play," he said.
Bertuzzi, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, had 50 points in 49 games for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies last season.
Primeau, 6-foot-4, 170 pounds, had 29 points in 33 games with the Toronto Nationals.
"I'm ecstatic," said Primeau. "I've heard so many good things about the organization and it's close to home (Etobicoke), which is great."
His dad coached him his entire hockey career up until this past season.
"I'm a big guy and I like to use my size to drive the net and protect the puck but I think the best thing about me is my hockey sense and the way I see the ice."
Guelph Storm general manager Mike Kelly said he expects Bertuzzi and Primeau to make next year's team and that defenceman Anthony Aguanno, their first of three third round picks, has a chance to make the team.
Aguanno had 58 points in 70 games with the Mississauga Rebels.
They took another defenceman, athletic but raw Mark Woolley from Elgin-Middlesex, and Mississauga winger Dennis Golovatchev with their other third round picks.
Kelly said the selection of Bertuzzi had nothing to do with the name.
"While that name on the back of the jersey is very familiar, I can assure everybody that we selected him because he was the best player available. If his name was John Smith he was still going to be our guy," Kelly said.
"Very talented and very driven. He has pro size now ... from the blueline to the net he's elite."
As for Primeau, he said he has an "incredible amount of upside."
"I scouted his dad Wayne when he was coming into the OHL and I think that Mason is farther ahead in his development at 15 than his dad was. Significant, significant amount of upside."
In total the Storm drafted 15 players in Saturday's online draft: eight forwards, five defencemen and two goalies.
They had no pick in the fourth round.
In the fifth and sixth rounds they took highly-skilled but undersized twins Dylan and Ty Jackson from the Mississauga Rebels. Both are listed around 5-foot-2, 110 pounds.
"Ty is one of the most diminutive players we've ever drafted, but one of the top point producers throughout the entire province. We feel that even if he gains three inches he could potentially be a star in the Ontario Hockey League."
All of the Guelph Storm's picks can be found here.
Saturday's draft saw three players chosen off the Guelph Jr. Gryphons Minor Midget AAA team.
Centre Matt Gordon went in the third round to the Kitchener Rangers, goaltender Matt Dunsmoor in the eighth round to the Mississauga Steelheads and defenceman Jonah Burley in the 14th round to the Storm.
On Tuesday the OHL will hold its new major midget draft.
