The Toronto Rock was one of the best offensive teams in the 2011/12 season and did not need much improvement upfront. Coach Troy Cordingley always builds his team from the back end out and that is exactly what he did in the 2012 entry draft last night.
First Pick (2nd Round 14th overall): Bradley Kri- Defence (Orangeville Northmen)
Bradley Kri is a 20-year old defender from Acton, ON who is arguably one of the most well rounded defenders in the 2012 draft. At 6’3 215 pounds, Kir is a big, tough, aggressive defender that has great athleticism to move the ball up the floor and push the transition game. Kri is a hard nosed defender who is willing to drop the gloves with anyone for his team. He is also a proven winner grabbing the 2012 Minto Cup with the Orangeville Northman and the 2010 Founders Cup with Halton Hills Bulldogs. Kri has a bright future with Toronto and will compete for a roster spot this season. Even at 20 years old, Kri could bring an energetic and edgy dimension to the back door for the Rock.
2012 Stats:
Orangeville GP 20 G 2 A 3 PTS PIM 15

Second Pick (2nd Round 20th Overall) Mike Lum Walker- Defence (Whitby Warriors/Brock University)
Mike Lum Walker is the poster boy for a tough stay at home d-man. The 21-year old Ajax, ON native is big, tough, smart and all around leader. Although Lum Walker is a defensive specialist, he still has enough stick skills and athleticism to move the ball out of the defensive zone. Offensive players that have faced Lum Walker in the past usually think twice about cutting through the middle if he is on the floor. The Rock drafted a intense competitor in Lum Walker and he will continue to work hard on and off the floor to improve his game and crack the 2012 Toronto Rock roster.
2012 Stats:
Whitby: GP 14 0 G 1 A 1P 33 PIM
Third Pick (3rd Round 25th Overall) Kyle Pereira- Transition (Brampton Excelsors)
An interesting pick for the Rock as they draft Kyle Pereria with their third pick of the draft. Kyle Pereira played a lot of ball this summer as he needed to catch up from the five year hiatus from lacrosse. Pereira put down his lacrosse stick to continue with his junior hockey career. Pereira played offense for the Brampton Excelsiors Jr.B team, while he played transition and defense for the Junior A and MSL Excelsiors. Pereira showed his outstanding offensive talent with his Junior B squad posting a league leading 66 goals. While playing out the back door for the A and MSL clubs, he showed great athleticism as a transition. Pereira has some major potential to be a solid transition player in the league but he still has not fully given up the hockey dream. The Brampton,ON native is currently enrolled at St.Mary’s University in Nova Scotia and playing for the Huskeys hockey team. For this reason, Pereira going this early was a surprise. If he can make the commitment to lacrosse this is a solid move by the Rock, if not, this is a major risk that may not pan out for Toronto.
2012 Stats:
Jr.B GP 20 G 66 A 47 PTS 113 PIM 6
Jr.A GP 12 G 6 A 8 PTS 14 PIM 13
MSL GP 8 G 3 A 4 PTS 7 PIM 8
Fourth Pick (3rd Round 27th Overall) Kyle Belton- Offense (Langley Thunder/Stony Brook University)
Belton is a fast, hardworking offensive player with a heavy shot. His performance at the combine Sunday boosted his stock drastically as he played well, was smart with the ball and showed off his athleticism. Belton had minimal floor time with the Thunder this summer which could hold him back from the 2012 Rock roster this winter. On the other hand, he was drafted as a 25-year old and his maturity and age could help his cause in cracking the roster. Belton may not make an immediate impact this year but his athleticism and skill set makes him a rock solid prospect for Toronto.
Fourth Pick (4th Round 34th Overall) Dustin Caravello- Offense (Orangeville Northmen)
Dustin Caravello won’t shoot the lights out, but if he is in a scoring position theres a good chance the ball is going in the back of the net. Despite his size, Caravello plays much bigger than he is and is not afraid to muck it up in the middle to free up room for his teammates. He is a long shot to make Toronto this year but if he can put on size and play a year or two in CLax, he could find himself in a Rock uniform in the future.
Fifth Pick (5th Round 43rd Overall) Rob Koger- Defense/Transition (Ajax Rock/Georgetown University)
Rob Koger is a big body who is a great stay at home defender but has the ability to move the ball up the floor and even create space in the offensive zone for his team. At 6’5 220 pounds, Koger has great athleticism for his size. His coach for the Ajax Rock Clem D’Orazio says Koger is a competitor with great work ethic. “He works hard every night he shows up†said D’Orazio. “I know he puts a lot of time and effort into his training program which ultimately helped him play at such high levels (Jr. A, Sr. A, NCAA D1).†It’s obvious with draft picks like Koger, the Rock are looking for some size on the back end. “If he plays with an edge and toughness he could earn himself a spot and learn from some great defenders on that team†said D’Orazio. Koger is willing to drop the gloves for his team and would have to continue to do the same at the NLL level. He has faced off with heavyweights already in his career like Mac Allen of Peterborough in the playoffs this summer. With experience at the MSL level and great size, Koger could step into onto the floor for the Rock and become a solid defender in the 2012 year.
2012 Stats:
Ajax: GP 13 G 1 A 5 PIM 4

Sixth Pick (6th Round 52nd Overall) Tyler Glebe – Goaltending (London Blue Knights Jr.B)
Glebe was one of the best goalies in Jr.B this summer posting a solid 6.97 GAA and playing all 20 games for the Blue Devils. Glebe is a big goalie at 6’1 215 pounds but is still agile in between the pipes. Glebe also has a outstanding stick and can create odd man opportunities from his crease. This summer Glebe posted an impressive 22 assists in 20 games. Glebe still has a year of eligibility left in junior and will probably make the jump to Junior A this summer. If Glebe can crack the practice roster this winter he can learn a lot from new goaltender coach Pat Campbell.
2012 Stats:
W 14 L 6 GAA 6.97 SVG% 0.694
