"They told me the reason I hadn't been drafted was mainly because it was a numbers thing, and that they hadn't seen me play much, but they wanted to give me a look," Oke said to the T-J. "That felt good."
Oke, ranked 44th by NHL Central Scouting, was not selected on Saturday as the final rounds of the 2011 National Hockey League Entry Draft took place. Fortunately for Oke, he will get a chance show off his talents to an NHL team thanks to this invite.
Drafted in the third round of the 2009 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, Oke recorded five goals and five assists in 54 regular season games with Saint John last year. In 18 playoff games he added a goal and a five assists.
Forwards Aidan Kelly and Jason Cameron were also ranked by Central Scouting but were not selected.
In other NHL camp invitation news, the Brandon Sun is reporting that former Sea Dogs goaltender Jacob DeSerres has earned an invite to Phoenix Coyotes prospects development camp next month.
DeSerres was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the third round of the 2008 NHL Draft but never signed with the club, making him a free agent. After helping the Brandon Wheat Kings reach the 2010 Memorial Cup final, the Calgary native signed with the Sea Dogs and moved east for the 2010-11 campaign.
In his final year of junior hockey eligibility, DeSerres had a record of 27-3 in the regular season to go along with a 0.916 save percentage and a 2.22 goals against average. In the playoffs he helped Saint John win their first President’s Cup by going 12-3 and producing a 2.00 GAA and a 0.916 save percentage. He was excellent in the Memorial Cup and redeemed himself (he allowed nine goals in the 2010 final) with a brilliant performance in the final against Mississauga.
The Coyotes, of course, feature a former member of the Sea Dogs staff in Norm Gosselin who is currently a scout for the Arizona franchise.
It’s going to be a busy summer with so many members of last year’s squad attending development camps.
Photo Credit: Marc Henwood/Station Nation
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