The Truro Bearcats came away from the 2025 draft in Grand Falls with 10 new prospects added to the organization after a busy day at the E & P Senechal Center.
The Bearcats got their draft week underway early in the week with a pair of territorial selections in Valley’s Austin Hoyt and Shortt’s Lake’s Tyler Sullivan both of the Weeks U18 Majors. Hoyt, a high IQ, 200 foot forward had an outstanding rookie season with the Weeks, finishing fourth in league scoring with 56 points (23 goals, 33 assists) and just last weekend was selected in the 4th round of the QMJHL draft by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Sullivan, a defenseman also had a solid rookie season in Pictou tallying 11 points (1 goal, 10 assists) while playing more of a shutdown role for the Majors. Tyler was also selected by the Huskies in the 6th round of last weekend’s QMJHL draft.
Going into today, the Bearcats did not have a pick until 55th overall where they selected a name that will be quite familiar to Bearcat fans. Forward, River Welsh of the Halifax McDonalds and cousin of current Bearcat Liam Welsh and former Bearcat Zach Welsh was the first selection of the Bearcats. The Halifax product finished the season with 16 points (9 goals, 7 assists) on a veteran laden Macs team that won the Nova Scotia U18 league this year. Welsh has represented Nova Scotia on multiple occasions in high performance programs.
After not having a pick the following round, Truro dipped back into the local pool at 79th overall taking Salmon River’s Griffin MacEachern from the Weeks U18 Majors. The defenseman had 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) in a depth role with the Majors in his rookie season. An alumni of Truro minor hockey, Griffin has also represented Nova Scotia in many high performance programs over the past couple years.
With their first of 3 picks in the 8th round, Truro selected Dartmouth’s Drew Keiver. Keiver, a highly skilled 2007 born forward who grew up in the Dartmouth minor hockey system has spent the past 2 seasons with Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts, most recently putting up 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 27 games this season. Drew is also a 2023 draft pick of the Moncton Wildcats.
Next at 91st overall, Truro would take their lone goalie of the draft selecting Cabot Highlanders U16 standout, Leo Forance. The 2009 born Inverness native was a horse for the Highlanders this season, taking home First Team All-Star honors and leading Cabot to a provincial championship and a Maritime championship finals appearance. Leo trains with well known goalie coach Blade Mann-Dixon and skates with a number of high end goalies from the Antigonish/Cape Breton area including Bearcat standout Jack Milner.
With the final pick of the 8th round, the Bearcats dipped back into the local market selecting Truro’s Nick Burcham from the Weeks U18 Majors, their fourth and final local selection of the draft. The defenseman played in 34 games with the Majors this past season, tallying 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) and also added 6 assists in the playoffs en route to the NS U18 finals against Halifax.
At 103rd overall, the Bearcats would add a bit more size to their blue line selecting 6’1 200lb defenseman, Noah Hawco from the Cole Harbour Hunters U18. The East Hants product is a physical, hard nosed blueliner who is tough to play against. Hawco had 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) along with 55 penalty minutes this season in Cole Harbour and like all the defensemen selected by Truro this draft has suited up with Nova Scotia in the high performance program over multiple years.
With their final 2 picks, the Bearcats elected to go south of the border selecting a pair of forwards from South Kent School in Connecticut in Carson Ferdinand and Cameron Haye. Ferdinand, from New Maryland, NB was a top 5 league scorer in the New Brunswick U15 circuit before heading to South Kent. This season with the Selects Academy he notched 44 points (16 goals, 28 assists) in 52 games. He also led Team New Brunswick with 7 points at this year’s Q Cup in Dieppe. Another cool story as Carson has family ties to the area with his grandfather settling down in Truro and his father growing up here.
Truro’s final selection of the day was electric forward prospect, Cameron Haye from Conception Bay South, NL. Haye is a highly regarded offensive talent who torched South Kent with 81 points (38 goals, 43 assists) in 55 games while also putting up 5 points in 12 games while playing up with the U16 team. Cameron was selected in the 3rd round of last weekend’s QMJHL draft by the Sherbrooke Phoenix.
Head Coach Jon Greenwood had this to say on the draft “We’re very happy with our draft. We were able to land some of our main targets and get a nice balance of players by position with forwards, defense and a goalie for the future of the team.”
The Truro Bearcats would like to welcome these new new players and their families to the organization.
The Bearcats will be busy during the summer months adding to their roster of eligible returnees as they look to compete for the Metalfab MHL Cup this coming season.