Misa, Cristall, and Fauchon named finalists for the 2024-25 CHL Top Scorer Award
Michael Misa of the Saginaw Spirit (OHL), Andrew Cristall of the Spokane Chiefs (WHL), and Jonathan Fauchon of the Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL) have been named the three finalists for the CHL Top Scorer Award, presented annually to the highest-scoring player in the Canadian Hockey League. Only two players have won the award more than once: Sidney Crosby and Conor Garland.
The winner of the CHL Top Scorer Award will be announced and presented with the trophy during the CHL Awards ceremony on Friday, June 13, in downtown Toronto.
Past recipients of the award include a number of elite players now making their mark in the NHL, such as Connor Bedard, Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson, Patrick Kane, and Sidney Crosby.
OHL Nominee — Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit)
62G-72A, 134 PTS, +45 in 65 GP during the 2024-25 season
Michael Misa delivered a historic 2024–25 campaign, cementing his status as one of the top prospects heading into the 2025 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old from Oakville, Ontario, became the first player in both the OHL and the CHL to reach the 100-point mark this season. He finished the year with a staggering 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) in 65 games, the highest total in the CHL. His 62 goals tied Patrick Kane (2006–07) for the third-most ever by a draft-eligible player in OHL history.
Misa’s season was loaded with accolades and milestones. He won the Eddie Powers Trophy as the OHL’s leading scorer, the Red Tilson Trophy as the league’s most outstanding player, and the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year. His 134 points set a new Saginaw Spirit single-season record and tied John Tavares (2006–07) for the most by an under-18 OHL player since 2000. Misa also logged 46 multi-point games and a remarkable 28-game point streak from December to March.
As captain of the Saginaw Spirit, Misa built on last year’s Memorial Cup championship with an even stronger season. Already the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 265 points in 177 games, Misa now enters the 2025 NHL Draft ranked second among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
WHL Nominee — Andrew Cristall (Spokane Chiefs)
48G-84A, 132 PTS, +31 in 57 GP during the 2024-25 season
Andrew Cristall put together a sensational WHL season in 2024–25, finishing as the league’s leading scorer with 132 points (48 goals, 84 assists) in just 57 games. The 20-year-old winger from Burnaby, B.C., split the season between the Kelowna Rockets and Spokane Chiefs, tallying 60 points in 28 games with Kelowna before adding 72 points in 29 games with Spokane. His efforts earned him the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL’s top scorer and a nomination for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as WHL Player of the Year. He was also named to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team.
Cristall’s 132-point campaign ranks as the second-highest single-season total in the WHL over the past decade, behind only Connor Bedard’s 143-point effort in 2022–23. He led the league in points per game (2.32), finished second in both goals (48) and assists (84), and posted a +59 rating, second-best in the league. He also registered 40 points during a 15-game point streak from October 19 to November 30.
A second-round pick of the Washington Capitals in the 2023 NHL Draft, Cristall now has a WHL career total of 412 points (157 goals, 255 assists) in 248 games—making him the first WHL player in the 21st century to surpass the 400-point mark and one of the most prolific scorers in league history. The Washington Capitals selected Andrew Cristall 40th overall in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft and signed him to a three-year entry-level contract on July 27, 2023.
QMJHL Nominee — Jonathan Fauchon (Rimouski Océanic)
46G-57A, 103 PTS, +47 in 64 GP during the 2024-25 season
Jonathan Fauchon had an outstanding 2024–25 season in the QMJHL, finishing as the league’s top scorer with 103 points. The 21-year-old forward from Ste-Claire-de-Bellechasse, Quebec, began the season with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, where he tallied 50 points before being traded to the Rimouski Océanic at the deadline. He added another 53 points with Rimouski, becoming the 18th player in QMJHL history to record 50 points with two different teams in a single season.
Fauchon not only led the league in total points—14 ahead of the next closest player, former teammate Justin Carbonneau—but also ranked second in goals with 46, just four behind league leader Sam Oliver. His strong two-way play was reflected in his impressive +47 plus-minus rating, placing him fifth in the QMJHL in that category.
Earlier in the season, Fauchon made history with the Armada by becoming the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, amassing 220 career points and surpassing the previous record of 214 held by Luke Henman. As an overager, Fauchon’s leadership, scoring touch, and consistency made him one of the league’s most impactful players this season.
