The first overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection has already been made. And the draft doesn’t even start for another 15 hours.

Bucking conventional norms, the Barrie Colts announced Friday that blueliner Aaron Ekblad will be their selection at the event, well before the 9 AM (ET) Saturday start time of the draft.

Ekblad, a 15-year-old defenseman, was granted exceptional status making him the only 1996-born player in the Priority Selection, a draft reserved for players born in 1995. Ekblad is just the second player to be granted early entry into the OHL. Former NHL Entry Draft first overall selection John Tavares of the New York Islanders is the other.

“He’s the complete package, a big defenceman who skates real well for a big guy,” Barrie Colts head scout and director of player personnel Darrell Woodley said in an OHL release. “He’s got great offensive skills and he’s really committed to his own end, he’s just an all-around type of defenceman, similar to a Chris Pronger type.”

The six-foot-three, 200-pound defenseman scored 34 points in 30 regular season games and added 21 points in 18 playoff games for the Sun County Panthers Minor Midget club.

He is eligible for the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Aaron Vickers is the managing editor of Future Considerations and can be found on Twitter. For all the latest Future Considerations news and posts, follow FC’s Official Twitter Feed, on YouTube and on Facebook!