The South Muskoka Shield Jr. A hockey club is hoping to get a head start on building its defence after drafting six players that could be signed to work the blue-line.

Shield general manager Gord Carey and equipment manager Rick Larocque participated in the Greater Metro Jr. A Hockey League (GMHL) draft June 6-8 at the World Hockey School in Shelburne, but Carey was disappointed in the poor turnout of players.

“There weren’t enough kids there,” he said, noting only 42 came out compared to 80 in the league’s inaugural draft. “If we all had to make picks we would have been done in three rounds.”

The draft weekend consisted of an owner’s meeting Friday night and two days of exhibition games in Innisfil and Bradford before the draft was held Sunday afternoon.

Carey said existing players from the league had to be used just to fill the lineup and make solid teams for team owners and coaching staff to observe and scout players.

With seventh pick in the first round, Carey drafted Kirk Kelly, an 18-year-old defenceman from Springhill Blues Jr. B in Newfoundland. At six-foot-one and 185 pounds, Carey said he thought Kelly was the best defenceman on the ice.

“He’s mild mannered but because of his size, he’s a tough kid,” he said.

In the second round South Muskoka had 21st pick, drafting 17-year-old forward Jed Ironmonger from Wiarton, who played last year for Grey Bruce Highlanders midget AAA.

Three of Carey’s other draft picks went to the Douro Dukes in exchange for trades he made with the team last year including Ricardo Avila, Derek Rodgers and Will Rinaldi. The team relocated to Beaverton this year to become the Brock Bucks.

He also drafted 17-year-old defenceman Rylan Henley from the Temiscaming Royals, a team Carey said is rumoured to be leaving the GMHL for the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL).

“I’m not sure if it’s confirmed that Temiscaming is going into the northern league,” Carey explained. “All their players became eligible to be drafted if they want to return to the league.”

Carey also picked up four players from the Starz of Minnesota, the same team Travis Saltz used to play for. Saltz was Carey’s first round draft pick last year.

Mike McDonald, Matt Blomquist, Brent Puntey and Jake Brown all play defence, he said.

“We’re concentrating on our ‘D’,” Carey explained. “Last year we were scoring goals, but we weren’t stopping play. We were weak on defence.”

The Shield is also happy to announce its new head coach, Rick Irons of Bracebridge, who is eager for the 2008-09 season and the league’s adoption of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s rule book.

The league has been expanded again this year to include the Minden Riverkings and the Oro-Medonte 77s. Fourteen teams make up the GMHL, which will be split into two divisions for a one-year trial.

The South Muskoka Shield will play in the northern division against the Elliot Lake Bobcats, Espanola Kings, Nipissing Alouettes, Brock Bucks, Oro-Medonte 77s and Minden Riverkings. The remaining seven teams make up the southern division.

The Shield’s open tryout camps will be held July 17-18 and July 24-25 at Gravenhurst Centennial Centre. A second, invitation-only camp will be held in August for those who make it through the first camp.