Ty Nelson
2021-22 Team: North Bay Battalion (OHL)
Date of Birth: Mar. 30, 2004
Place of Birth: Toronto, ON
Ht: 5-foot-10 Wt: 196 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Defense
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2022 first-year eligible
Rankings
NHL Central Scouting: 32 (amongst NA skaters)
FC Hockey: 35
TSN/Craig Button: 23
Dobber Prospects: 20
Smaht Scouting: 20
The Hockey Writers (Forbes): 28
The Hockey Writers (Zator): 25
The Hockey Writers (Baracchini): 41
Ty Nelson was the first player to hear his name called for the 2020 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection, and while he won’t be going first overall at the 2022 NHL Draft, he’s made enough of an impact in his first year of junior hockey to bet he’ll be off the board by the end of the first round. A right-handed, offensively-minded defenseman from Toronto, Nelson was one of many OHL prospects who had to wait a year before making their debuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related: 2022 NHL Draft Guide
An alternate captain for the U16 AAA Toronto Jr Canadiens, Nelson finished the 2019-20 season with 65 points in 61 games, which earned him first overall honours to the North Bay Battalion. While there was obviously no OHL hockey to analyze in 2020-21, Nelson immediately jumped in and made an impact for the Battalion when he finally got his shot in 2021-22. He finished his rookie season with 51 points in 66 games and helped the Battalion clinch a playoff berth, only one season removed from finishing with a league-worst 38 points in 2019-20.
Ty Nelson, North Bay Battalion (Terry Wilson / OHL Images)
Watching Nelson play, his skating ability is clearly his strong suit. He possesses some pretty explosive speed jumping into the rush, and his skating style reminds me a bit of Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenseman Morgan Rielly. Both players bend their knees quite a bit in transition from backward to forward skating, and both have a very smooth stride. He’s also usually pretty quick to get back if the play turns the other way in a pinch.
Nelson…
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