Generals draft Tucker to boost offence

With the Oshawa Generals looking for some offensive punch in their lineup for the next few seasons, they may have found their man in A.J. Tucker.
Tucker, a scoring sensation with the local B•Macs ‘AA’ Bantam rep team last season, was chosen in the seventh round (134th overall) in the Ontario Hockey League’s draft Saturday in Mississauga.
He had led the B•Macs in scoring with 109 goals and 111 assists in just 60 games.
“I thought I might get drafted,” said Tucker, 16, who was captain of the B•Macs last season. “I had talked to about half the teams [before the draft].”
Tucker had a solid outing at a prospects camp in Toronto about a month ago, which likely helped raise his stock among OHL teams. And if offence is what the Generals want, that’s what they’ll get in the talented centre.
“I think I’m mostly offensive, I carry the puck and make plays,” he said.
B•Macs’ head coach Brad Fairnington got a first-hand look at Tucker’s offensive talents last season. And he liked what he saw.
“Anything with the puck he can do,” said Fairnington, who feels Tucker eventually can make the transition to the OHL. “He’s offensive [and] he has hands I haven’t seen in a long time. He can come out from three or four guys and score.”
Oshawa Generals coach/GM George Burnett, who spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Anaheim Mighty Ducks, said they lost seven of their top eight scorers from last season and definitely are looking forward to an offensive player of Tucker’s calibre.
“We’re hoping he comes to camp,” he said yesterday. “He has the skill to put the puck in the net but most of our evaluation will come when he comes to camp.
“Absolutely, we’re looking for a player with his skill level. We’re looking to improve our skating and our skill level–he’s been deserving of the recognition he’s gotten,” he added.
Tucker, 16, said he’ll attend Oshawa’s main camp this fall but noted he won’t be able to play for the team this coming season. Under league rules, just the first two picks who are under 17 years of age can make OHL rosters.
That means Tucker most likely will spend next season with a team in the Ontario Junior ‘A’ league. And he’ll be taking his scoring touch with him.
“We’ll be looking at an affiliate team or a team that’s acceptable to both parties,” Burnett explained.
Tucker, who said he tips the scales at 5’10” and 175 pounds (he’s listed on the Oshawa Generals web site at 5’9” and 160), admits he’ll be working on his conditioning and hitting the weights during the summer.
Burnett said that will be a good idea if the talented youngster wants to make an impression at camp.
“We’re going to be sending him out a package soon and we’re sure he’s going to be coming to camp in great shape,” he said.