September 11, 2014

Victor Mete, Logan Brown, and Why They Aren't Cheating the System

Victor Mete (Brian Watts / OHL Images)

Victor Mete has been getting a lot of negative comments sent his way in the last few weeks. Some of them have been direct - which in itself is ridiculous - and a lot of them have been indirect remarks.

It was well circulated prior to the 2014 OHL Priority Selection that Mete and his representatives had made it clear that anything other than a premier league destination would result in defection. And so it was a little surprising on the morning of April 5 that Mete was chosen eighth overall by the Owen Sound Attack.

Owen Sound has been a stable small-market community in the Ontario Hockey League for a long time. They have sent numerous players to the National Hockey League over the years, and they have had very recent on-ice success, making it to the Memorial Cup in 2011.

But compared to the Kitcheners, Londons, and Windsors of the OHL - all teams that just so happen to be in the Attack's division - Owen Sound just isn't able to measure up.

Playing out of an older, smaller arena in the Harry Lumley Bayshore and being a city of around 22,000 people just isn't an attractive option for many young players looking for the quickest route to the NHL.

Mete is one of those players. And his choice to not report to Owen Sound is completely understandable.

If a 16-year-old teenager doesn't want to move to a small community in northern Southwestern Ontario just to play hockey, they shouldn't have to.

The trade to the London Knights was made official on September 9. Mete wanted an opportunity with an organization known for sending elite players to the NHL. The drawback to Mete's decision is that now people are justifiably questioning his character and maturity. But while comments may have fair roots to them, it's important to understand that Mete is a 16-year-old who simply wants to increase his odds.

Throughout the majority of his minor midget season with the Toronto Junior Canadians, Mete was seen as the second-best available defenseman in the April draft. Had it not been for the early season addition of Jakob Chychrun to the minor midget loop - and Mete's team - Mete would have been the top defensive prospect.

Mete has long been on scouts' radar, and has been in the public eye going back to the 2013 Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp. Known for his high-speed, offensive game, scouts project Mete as a point-producing offensive catalyst at the next level.

 

Throughout this whole affair, Mete has made only one true public mistake: retweeting the Attack's official Twitter announcement of Mete's choice to not report to Owen Sound.

By retweeting that statement, Mete comes across as a player who believes in himself a little too much. One could easily interpret that retweet into saying Mete believes he's too big for a small market such as Owen Sound. But again, Mete just turned 16-years-old. Teens his age make absurd comments online every day. A little PR mentoring will ensure something like this doesn't happen again anytime soon.

For a player such as Mete, if he truly is going to have a shot at making the National Hockey League, he isn't going to play more than three seasons in the OHL. Mete will play two to prove his NHL worth, and then he'll play a third to refine his game and narrow down his defensive capabilities. Then he'll pack his bags and take a run at a pro career.

With Logan Brown, the story is a little different. But it's also much simpler to comprehend.

Unlike Mete, Brown wasn't even seen as a surefire OHL player at any point in the next two seasons. It had nothing to do with talent, as he would likely have been a top-four selection had he publicly committed to the league. But coming north from Indiana, it was hard for those on the outside looking in to tell if Brown was indeed serious about playing in Ontario.

When the Niagara IceDogs scooped up Brown with the sixth overall pick in April, it became clear that Brown must have expressed interest in the OHL. In fact, up until a few weeks ago, Brown was actually expected to play in St. Catharines.

But really, when Logan's father, Jeff, was hired as the head coach of the Ottawa 67's, the younger Brown never really should have been on track to play for the IceDogs.

It was unfair to expect that Brown would join a team in the same conference as his father. By moving to the Windsor Spitfires in the Western Conference, Brown removes any potential problems with being a star player for a close opponent of his father.

Defecting was the smartest choice Brown could have made.

In past years, players such as Lucas Lessio, Adam Bateman, and Max Domi have made the choice to defect and request moves to a specific kind of team. Those were different situations than what Mete and Brown have done.

Mete's choice is comparable to Lessio's in that he could realistically have become a very good NCAA prospect, but it's different in that it was uber-obvious he was a player who desperately wanted to take the path that would get him to the pro ranks as soon as possible.

While both Brown and Mete have started their OHL careers with an asterisk next to their name, it will be important that they begin the season with one goal in mind: playing the game on the ice.

For the duration of their time in the OHL, Brown and Mete will be compared and contrasted. Being on opposite ends of the London-Windsor rivalry will not limit the comparisons.

Their off-ice strategy is now relatively done for the season. But on the ice, if Brown takes a gamble at a one-on-one zone entry at Mete - which he probably will pretty soon - it'll be uniquely interesting to watch.

When something highlight-worthy comes about, despite any negative feelings toward the two, anyone who is a true supporter of the game will watch the replay. Twice.