June 27, 2023, North York, Ont. – 2022-23 OJHL Rookie of the Year and CJHL Top Rookie Riley Patterson has committed to the Barrie Colts, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) club announced Thursday.
The 16-year-old Burlington, Ont. native was acquired by the Colts via trade on Wednesday. Barrie sent six draft picks to the Flint Firebirds to acquire Patterson’s rights, which were owned by Flint after they selected him in the third round, 57th overall in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection.
He put up 30 goals and 43 assists for 73 points in 52 games in what will be his lone season as a Ranger. Those totals were all good enough to lead the Rangers in all three categories. He hit the 30-goal plateau in the Rangers final game of the season, a 3-2 OT win over the Mississauga Chargers. The 2024 NHL Draft prospect was the youngest player on a youthful Rangers roster, and finished 11th in OJHL scoring in 2022-23. Each player ahead of him in league scoring was born in 2003 or earlier.
While Patterson believes the NCAA and OHL are both “ fantastic paths for players to help them achieve their goals,” he couldn’t pass up the opportunity afforded to him in Barrie.
“The Colts provided a great opportunity that I feel could help accelerate my development,” he said. It means a lot to me, having put in a lot of hard work and seeing it pay off (is) a great feeling.”
Patterson, who is NHL Draft-eligible in 2024, also thanked the Rangers organization for the part they played in his development last season and looked ahead to his rookie season in major junior hockey.
“I’m grateful (for) all the support the North York Rangers provided me over the past year,” he said. “I had great coaches and teammates that supported me,” he said. “I’m super excited to get started in this next part of my journey in the OHL. I’m looking forward to working hard for a great organization with great players to learn from.
We want to wish Riley the best of luck in Barrie, and thank him for his time, efforts and dedication to the Rangers last season.
