For the first time since 2000, the OHL Priority Selection is returning to an in-person format, and Kingston is set to welcome hockey families from across the province on June 12 and 13.
For former NHL defenceman and OHL coach Todd Gill, draft day represents a milestone that countless young players have worked toward for years. Selected 18th overall by the Windsor Spitfires in the 1982 OHL Priority Selection, Todd went on to be drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft before enjoying a 19-year NHL career.
Todd later returned to the OHL as head coach of the Kingston Frontenacs from 2011 to 2014 and the Owen Sound Attack from 2017 to 2019. Today, he and his wife Krista call Kingston home.
The high school sweethearts married in 1989, raised four children together, and are now proud grandparents to five grandchildren. While Todd spent nearly two decades in professional hockey, Krista turned her lifelong passion for baking into a successful business. What started as game-day cookies for Todd has grown into 23 & Co., the beloved Brock Street bakery known for its handcrafted cookies and community connections.
Visit Kingston sat down with Todd and Krista to talk about draft day memories, the impact of the OHL, and what makes Kingston such a special place to call home.
Todd Gill
The OHL Priority Selection is returning to an in-person format this year, with Kingston hosting the draft weekend. As someone who once sat in those young players' skates, what do you think makes that experience so special?
“You work your entire young hockey life to get prepared for the opportunity to move on. This day proves that all the hard work is justified. It's both exciting and scary. The excitement is in the potential for a new opportunity. The scary is the unknown.”
You were selected 18th overall by the Windsor Spitfires in the 1982 OHL Priority Selection. More than four decades later, what do you remember most about that day?
“I remember waking up for the day and not knowing what to expect. Where would I be living and playing for the next few years? I also remember how excited I was to be there.”
From your playing days to coaching both the Kingston Frontenacs and the Owen Sound Attack, you've seen the OHL from every angle. What is it about the league that continues to have such an impact on young players and their families?
“From the time I played in the OHL to my years of coaching, lots has changed. Players are now offered scholarships to play in the league; a league in my opinion that prepares a player best for professional hockey. A young man leaves home at a very young age to pursue the hockey dream. It is very impactful on families. OHL teams ensure that the player is housed with a great billet family and enrolled in high school with high expectations for academic success as well. A young man learns how to grow up and become accountable for his own actions.”
Krista Gill
The OHL Priority Selection will bring hockey families from across Ontario to Kingston on June 12 and 13. As someone who spent years raising a family around the game, and now running your own business here, what do you want visitors to know about the city?
“Kingston has so much to offer; arts and culture, shopping, restaurants, and sightseeing. It has a small-town feeling and I love that. We have lived in many larger cities, but Todd and I are both from small towns and we prefer the intimate feeling of a smaller city. Folks are so friendly and supportive.”
What has been the most rewarding part of turning your passion for baking on game days into 23 & Co. in Kingston?
“I love building relationships with people. Customer service is very important to me. Customers have become friends. I love this. Through developing relationships with customers we have been able to grow our little cookie shop. It's been a very organic process. This would not have been the case in a larger city.”
As Kingston welcomes the next generation of hockey talent for the OHL Priority Selection, Todd and Krista's story serves as a reminder that the journey extends far beyond draft day. Whether you're visiting for the weekend's hockey festivities, exploring the city's vibrant downtown, or stopping in for a sweet treat at 23 & Co., you'll discover the same sense of community that has made Kingston home for the Gill family.
