Kyle Dubas was the first big hire, coming from Sault St. Marie, followed by Mark Hunter from the London Knights. Since then, the organization has also added D.J Smith from the Oshawa Generals and Jim Paliafito from the Saginaw Spirit, while Hunter brought Lindsay Hofford along with him from the Knights.
So it should come as no surprise that, of the 27 players the Leafs have drafted over the last three years, nine (or one-third) have been taken out of the OHL. This year was no different, as Toronto selected three of seven players from the OHL and another player from the Ontario high school circuit (they would be just as familiar with him as many Leafs management personnel are connected to the minor hockey scene in Toronto).