Meet Team CHL: Dima Zhilkin brings skill with an edge
Saginaw’s captain pairs offensive production with a competitive streak as he prepares for the 2026 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Primaris.
Scoring goals is one way Dima Zhilkin makes himself difficult to play against in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Getting under an opponent’s skin is another.
The Saginaw Spirit captain brings both qualities to a draft season that has already delivered Cogeco OHL Player of the Week honours and a place among the first four players selected to Team CHL. Ranked fifth on TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button’s September list for the 2027 NHL Draft, the 17-year-old has given scouts plenty to consider.
For Button, the combination invites a comparison to one of the NHL’s most effective agitators.
“He’s Brad Marchand all day long,” Button said in TSN’s September draft rankings feature. “He is a really good player. In a league now where that element is less common, he has it in abundance.”
Zhilkin joins Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) centre Brock England, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) centre Alexis Joseph and Québec Remparts (QMJHL) centre Carter Meyer for the 2026 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Primaris, where leading prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft from across the CHL will face the U.S. National Under-18 Team on December 1–2.
Made sure the @NHL scouts were watching. 👀@SpiritHockey captain Dima Zhilkin came out flying with five points, earning @cogeco #OHLPOTW honours!
DETAILS 🗞️: https://t.co/J2ybyA50nm pic.twitter.com/any4t5vqoG
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) September 21, 2026
His opening weekend offered a timely introduction. Zhilkin scored twice in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Soo Greyhounds, then added a goal and two assists in a 5–4 defeat against Flint. His five points and 13 shots on goal each tied for the league lead through opening-week play, earning him Cogeco OHL Player of the Week honours.
For NHL Central Scouting, that offensive impact fits the expectation. In the CHL’s September 23 announcement, Karl Stewart, Vice President and Director of NHL Central Scouting, described Zhilkin as “poised to be a top scorer in the OHL.”
Zhilkin pairs that scoring touch with a willingness to get under opponents’ skin, a side of his game reflected in his 100 penalty minutes last season. In a September 10 interview with TSN’s Mark Masters, quoted in the same TSN feature, he explained how that approach fits his game.
“It just shows my competitiveness,” Zhilkin told Masters. “I’m not afraid to go into battle against those big guys and show that side of my game. It’s part of the game. It’s fun and I love doing it. I love getting under people’s skin, and if that helps me in my game and maybe sets them back it’s almost like an advantage.”
For opponents, that means dealing with a player who can disrupt their game while creating offence of his own — a combination FloHockey’s Chris Peters highlighted ahead of the season.
“As a competitive, aggressive forward with skill, Zhilkin can beat teams in a variety of ways,” Peters wrote in his September OHL preview for FloHockey.
"It's best-on-best so it's awesome to be a part of that."
Hear from @SpiritHockey captain Dima Zhilkin after he was one of the first four players named to the Team CHL roster for the 2026 #CHLUSAProspectsChallenge in December!
📹 https://t.co/rGhfm9R9jJ pic.twitter.com/c4lziXpSYp
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) September 24, 2026
Saginaw has watched those qualities develop since selecting him 19th overall in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA program. Zhilkin grew up in Oakville, Ont., and his parents moved to Windsor to be closer to him when he began playing for the Spirit.
An injury delayed his OHL debut until November 2, but Zhilkin finished his rookie season with 16 goals and 43 points in 54 games, earning a place on the OHL’s First All-Rookie Team.
His second season brought a substantial jump. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound winger scored 36 goals and added 39 assists for 75 points in 59 games, improving on his rookie totals by 20 goals and 32 points in just five additional appearances.
That season included 12 power-play goals and two shorthanded goals. He also recorded his first OHL hat trick in Windsor, added a four-goal game at North Bay and scored three times in four playoff appearances.
As his production grew, so did his responsibility. In January, midway through his second OHL season, Saginaw named the 17-year-old its 27th captain.
“His resilience, pro habits, and the way he carries himself all make him a natural leader,” Spirit general manager Dave Drinkill said in the club’s announcement.
.@SpiritHockey captain Dima Zhilkin joined the show to discuss his path to the 2027 NHL Draft, where many analysts project him to be selected within the top 10.@CHLHockey @OHLHockey
w/@LaughlinSXM + @GordStellick pic.twitter.com/Q8AIlHQlmh
— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) September 24, 2026
Dima was officially named captain on the same day his older brother Danny, a former Guelph Storm and Kitchener Rangers forward, made his NHL debut with the Winnipeg Jets — giving the Zhilkin family two milestones to celebrate together.
With two OHL seasons behind him, Dima enters his draft year as an established leader in Saginaw and a proven offensive contributor for Canada.
After helping his country capture bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he led Canada in both goals and points at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, earning recognition as one of the team’s top three players.
He carried that form into the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor, where he was Canada’s youngest player this past July. Playing close to home, Zhilkin scored twice and set up another goal against Finland, adding another strong performance to his growing international résumé.
In December, Zhilkin will continue a Saginaw tradition. He follows Michael Misa in 2024 and Nikita Klepov in 2025, making the Spirit the only club currently represented among the selections for all three editions of the CHL USA Prospects Challenge.
He is set to become Saginaw’s 16th representative across the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and CHL USA Prospects Challenge, joining a list that includes Brandon Saad, Vincent Trocheck, Cole Perfetti and Zayne Parekh.
For Zhilkin, the next opportunity is to bring the game he has built in Saginaw to a team drawn from across the CHL. Button’s assessment captures what fans in Chicoutimi and Québec City can expect from the Spirit captain.
“He’s not interested in going out and participating,” Button added in his most recent draft rankings feature for TSN. “He’s in there to make a difference.”
The 2026 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Primaris opens December 1 at the Georges-Vézina Centre in Chicoutimi before moving to the Vidéotron Centre in Québec City on December 2. Tickets are available at CHL.ca/ProspectsChallenge.
