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This is a bit rich even by Kingston Frontenacs GM-for-life Larry Mavety's standards, so-called.

Each year, plenty of 16-year-olds and their parents tell Ontario Hockey League teams that drafted them, "Thanks anyways, but he's going to play college hockey in the States." It happens to the Frontenacs almost every year. However, the case of centre Ethan Werek, whom the Frontenacs spent their first-round draft pick on Saturday, is exceptional.

Get this: Werek has already committed to a top NCAA program, Boston University, two years in advance. According to reports his father even co-owns a Provincial Junior A team which he can play for in the meantime -- and on Saturday, draft day, he was reportedly attending said team's rookie camp. His mother is a professor, which might speak to the value the Wereks put on education. Seems like someone in the Frontenacs hierarchy might have wanted to, you know, confirm that he wouldn't be coming, and draft another highly touted player.

Here's what the boy's father, Zeev Werek, told one publication:

"His dad, Zeev Werek, said the family told teams before the draft of its intentions. 'We had a lot of calls,” he said. "Ottawa, Owen Sound, Oshawa and others. We told them all the same thing; that Ethan was going to the NCAA. We’re 100-per-cent committed to Boston University.'

"The Frontenacs did not respond to messages immediately." -- yorkregion.com

Now here's the version from Planet Mavety. A paper we hold in great regard simply wrote what he said to make him look like what he is:

" 'Friday night we made sure everybody was on the same page,' said Mavety. 'Nobody changed. We probably talked four or five times with Werek and his father. They seemed happy to be coming here.' " -- Kingston Whig-Standard

The truth is in between those two statements, granted. However, from the Wereks' point of view, why wouldn't they want their son to play in his hometown, finish his last two years of high school with his friends and go to the States on a scholarship? There's no reason to doubt their sincerity. (With Mavety, I can think of at least one good reason to believe he's not the most sincere guy around.)

Now why couldn't the Frontenacs find that out, respect it and select another player, or wait to see if Werek would drop to the second round? It's really mind-boggling that did not happen when you consider that the team's director of player development and co-ordinator of the scouting staff, Dick Cherry, used to be a school principal. In his playing career, Cherry actually put hockey on hold a couple times to study toward a teaching career, which was unheard of among the hockey players of the 1960s. If this was an oversight, it doesn't square with the Mr. Cherry I know and still respect.

A shinny saviour who could lead Kingston to the promised land -- i.e., Round 2 of the playoffs -- probably wasn't going to be found with the ninth overall pick on Saturday. Still, there's a big difference between drafting a player who doesn't want to play major junior hockey and a player of comparable skill who actually does.

(UPDATE: Now Jordan Mayer, a Kingston native whom the Frontenacs passed over to draft Werek, is having second thoughts about travelling far from home to play for the Soo Greyhounds, the team who selected him. In other words, the Frontenacs helped mess up another team's draft, although it's strange it happens to the more outlying OHL teams.)

Fans have a reason to be fed up, and so do we, since we had to break a vow never to post on the Frontenacs after May 1 unless they were in the OHL final or the Memorial Cup. At the time, it seemed like a promise we'd never have to deliver on, like promising to buy your parents a house if you ever won the lottery.

Related:
First-round OHL draft pick won't report to Kingston (yorkregion.com, May 5)
Front pass on Mayer; Kingston makes Werek top pick (Kingston Whig-Standard)

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.