Top NHL draft prospects Connor McDavid, Dylan Strome become foes for one night only
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — Toiling away in Erie, Dylan Strome has been the Pippen to you-know-who's Jordan, the Messina to his Loggins and the Oates to Connor McDavid's Hall.
With no true, intellectually honest debate left over who will be the first two players chosen in the 2015 NHL draft — barring separate calamaties befalling both McDavid and Boston University's Jack Eichel — the top billing for Thursday's CHL Top Prospects Game might as well be the Otter-on-Otter matchup. Strome and Mitchell Marner, the top two point-getters in the OHL, will lead Team Cherry against McDavid's Team Orr.
They will be the only skaters from the same major junior team going head-to-head at the Meridian Centre.
"It's tough stopping Connor, you can't really do it in practice ever," says Strome, who is NHL Central Scouting's fifth-ranked domestic skater behind McDavid, Eichel, Boston College defenceman Noah Hanifin and Kingston Frontenacs left wing Lawson Crouse. "I was trying to get some tips from our defencemen back in Erie and I don't think they can do it in practice, either. He is a special player.
"It's definitely going to be fun," adds Strome, who has 80 points over 43 games, 10 back of the London Knights' Marner. "He's probably the best friend I've got in Erie. We share lots of laughs but there's definitely going to be no friends on the ice.
"It's not going to make or break you, but there's a lot of people watching. Of course, there's a lot of people watching in the OHL every night."
Two years ago, Halifax Mooseheads stars Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon were Top Prospects teammates before going on to win the Memorial Cup and be the first and third overall selections in the draft. In 2012, the Sarnia Sting's Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk were also chosen first and third, but both missed the CHL's midseason showcase due to injury. Having teammates who are both likely to go early going head-to-head in this event is rare.
"I find him hilarious off the ice," McDavid, who is the OHL's most proficient scorer with 60 points in 23 games, says of Strome, "I can hardly take him seriously. It will be fun."
"It just adds another element that's part of the draft," the Newmarket, Ont., native adds. "I heard something like there's more than 250 scouts who are going to be here. It's the best on best [from the CHL]. It will be a good measuring stick."
The Otters had lost only once in regulation loss before Nov. 11, when McDavid broke a bone in his right hand after punching the boards during a fight. During his 20-game absence that was extended by the world junior, Strome posted 14 goals and 29 points and helped Erie go 11-7-1-1. Considering the step up in quality of competition, a slight drop-off in his scoring rate was understandable, but at the same time, it's rare that a 17-year-old can lead a team.
"It helped me in ways, but it hurt me in ways," says Strome, who typically anchors his own lilne. "It's definitely helped to have him back in the lineup, he's one of the best players in the world for a reason."
Coincidentally, the young star's brother, New York Islanders centre Ryan Strome, was also split up from an OHL teammate in 2011. The elder Strome, then a member of the Niagara IceDogs, was part of a Team Cherry that lost 7-2 to Team Orr, which included future Boston Bruins blueliner Dougie Hamilton.
The main distinction between the Stromes is that Dylan, at 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds, plays with more an edge than his NHLer brother, who's also more of a speedster.
"We talk almost every day," Dylan Strome says. "He loves where he is in New York and I love where I am. He talks about some things he went through during his draft year. We continue being brothers."
Meantime, McDavid acknowledges that he had to play through some post-world juniors malaise after rejoining Erie on Jan. 8, three days after helping Canada capture gold in Toronto.
"You say you want to move on and you got to, but it's hard to do," he says. "I miss it so much, that feeling and that energy and that buzz, but life goes on.
"It's common to have a letdown and I did the first week, but I came back with a great weekend," he adds.
Either way, one will be the first Otter to savour a win at the Meridian Centre. Erie's first two regulation losses of the season came against the IceDogs in their new building, albeit not until November.
"Hopefully I can win a game in this new rink," Strome says.
Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.
