Misa named recipient of E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence
The Saginaw Spirit’s Michael Misa has been named the recipient of the 2025 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence.
First awarded in 2015, the award is presented annually by the League to a candidate who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism.
Misa had a sensational 2024-25 season as he led all CHL skaters with 134 points while he scored 62 goals in just 65 games. The 18-year-old is just the seventh first-year draft-eligible player to win the CHL Top Scorer award over the last 20 years.
His 134 points are tied with Oshawa Generals graduate John Tavares (2006-07) for the most by an OHL U18 skater since 2000 while he places eighth for the most points in a single season over the last two decades. The Oakville, ON., native’s 62 goals are the third-most by a first-year draft-eligible in the CHL since 2000.
“Michael Misa is the candidate most deserving of the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence as he demonstrated the athleticism, compete and character that defines this award in his pursuit to be the best player he could be,” said Dan Marr, Director of NHL Central Scouting. “Receiving exceptional status to play as a 15-year-old in the OHL is a distinctive honor that comes with high expectations and Michael excelled in navigating his way forward with an impressive level of humility, consistency, and record-breaking play as one of the top prospects in this year’s draft class.”
Misa was presented with an engraved NHL crystal on the set of Sportsnet’s pregame show alongside Sportsnet host Ron MacLean and fellow top prospect Matthew Schaefer at Amerant Bank Arena before Game 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
Misa is the sixth CHL player to win the award after Travis Konecny (2015), Nico Hischier (2017), Brett Leason (2019), Zayde Wisdom (2020) and Connor Bedard (2023).
Ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft, Misa was listed as the no. 2 North American skater in NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings.
The New York Islanders own the no. 1 selection for the 2025 NHL Draft while the San Jose Sharks will pick at no. 2. The 2025 NHL Draft will take place June 27-28 in Los Angeles at the Peacock Theater.
E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence History
After many years of coaching and scouting at various levels of hockey, McGuire joined the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau in 2002 and assumed day-to-day responsibility for the department in 2005. McGuire spearheaded an operation that provided scouting and evaluation of draft-eligible players to NHL Member Clubs. He led a team of eight full-time and 15 part-time scouts throughout North America. Just as he brought innovation to the coaching profession throughout his career, McGuire was responsible for several advancements in the area of scouting during his nine years at the League, including the development of a new scouting technology system that brought the “art” of scouting to a whole new level. He was instrumental in raising both the effectiveness and profile of the League’s annual scouting combine. McGuire lost his short, but courageous battle with cancer in April 2011.
#NHLDraft prospect Michael Misa of @SpiritHockey was presented with the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence by @Ron_MacLean during coverage of Game 3 of the #StanleyCup Final in Florida 🎥 pic.twitter.com/GV9isa63r1
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) June 10, 2025
