Overagers Jelsma, Misaljevic, Alfano & LeBlanc use inaugural Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game to bolster NHL ambitions

To some at the Brantford Civic Centre on Wednesday night, it may have been an odd sight.

A total of four 20-year-old players took to the ice in the inaugural Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game presented by Enbridge Gas that saw the Eastern Conference prevail 5-4 in overtime over the Western Conference. 

This kind of event is typically limited to only draft-eligible skaters looking to have their names called at the upcoming NHL Draft, and Wednesday likely marked the first time that a prospects event ever featured players ineligible for future NHL Drafts due to their age.

However, for the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and its newest event, the inclusion of two 20-year-old overage players on both their Eastern Conference and Western Conference teams brought a welcomed change to the traditional format that fans are used to seeing.

Not to mention, it presented Kitchener Rangers forward Adrian Misaljevic, Erie Otters forward Sam Alfano, North Bay Battalion defenceman Jacob LeBlanc, and Barrie Colts forward Beau Jelsma with a unique opportunity.

Given a chance to play in front of nearly 200 NHL scouts at the Brantford Civic Centre during what is their final season in the OHL, the moment and opportunity placed before these four 20-year-old players was certainly not lost on any of them.

“I’ll be honest – I never thought I’d be playing in a prospects game as a 20-year-old, but it is an amazing opportunity for me,” declared Beau Jelsma, who has 33 points through 31 games in what is his second season as the captain of the Barrie Colts. Wednesday was a homecoming for the 20-year-old from Brownsville, Ont., who played for the Brantford 99ers prior to his time in the OHL. “I want to sign an NHL deal. I know I am in my overage year. Hopefully, something like that comes my way. I’ve been working my whole life to do that and I just need someone to take a chance on me, and I’ll deliver.”

“The ‘04 age group has had a tough go in their OHL careers with COVID-19 and getting our first year canceled. So, to be able to have this opportunity later in your career, it’s pretty special,” added Sam Alfano, who leads the Erie Otters in goals (24) and points (46) this season. Alfano grew up just southeast of Brantford in Cayuga, Ont. “It’s something that I’ve been really hoping for – that one last push – to really just showcase myself before NHL teams make a decision.”

Although Misaljevic, Alfano, LeBlanc, and Jelsma are now too old to be drafted to the next level, their dream of reaching the NHL remains very much alive.

During the current 2024-25 NHL season, 14% of the league is comprised of players who made the show by signing as undrafted free agents – making it a path to the NHL that is more frequented than some might think.

The latter is part of the reason why NHL Central Scouting made the recommendation to the OHL that it include overage players in its newest event. 

In their minds, it would (1) allow the OHL to be unique with its new event in providing NHL scouts with a rare opportunity to evaluate these 20-year-old players in a best-on-best format as NHL scouts tend to primarily place their focus on draft-eligible players; (2) it would provide these overage players with a chance to showcase their talent to both NHL personnel and university scouts as they look to reach the NHL or, if needed, extend their development window as they strive to achieve their pro ambitions; and (3) it would add maturity and leadership to both teams to have a pair of overagers included in each lineup.

Ultimately, the rosters for both teams, including the identification of the four overage players were selected by a committee that included representatives from NHL Central Scouting with input from NHL General Managers along with OHL General Managers Matt Turek (Brantford Bulldogs/Eastern Conference) and Dave Drinkill (Saginaw Spirit/Western Conference).

“For me, obviously, the end goal is to still make the NHL,” said Jacob LeBlanc, who announced this past December his commitment to play NCAA Division I hockey with his twin brother Andrew at Princeton University in 2025-26. “To have an opportunity like this is just amazing. I’m really grateful that I get the chance to play in a game like this and be able to showcase myself to the scouts and show people what I’m capable of doing.”

“I never expected as a 20-year-old to be at the [OHL] Top Prospects Game, but it definitely means a lot for sure,” shared Adrian Misaljevic, who leads the No.5-ranked Kitchener Rangers with 18 goals and 41 points during the 2024-25 campaign. Roughly two weeks ago, Misaljevic announced his commitment to play at Clarkson University in 2025-26, where he’ll be joining current Kitchener teammate and fellow overager Jackson Parsons next season. “It’s not something that I’m going to experience again because I’m 20 years old, but it was definitely a great experience.”

The experience at the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game is one that each of these players merited based on their body of work over the years, let alone what each one is accomplishing so far in their current overage season in 2024-25.

Specifically, Misaljevic, Alfano, and LeBlanc are all on pace for career years.

Misaljevic (18G-23A in 41 GP) of the Kitchener Rangers is averaging a point-per-game for the first time in his OHL career. The 20-year-old from Woodbridge, Ont., appears poised to break his previous single-season highs of 23 goals and 58 points – both of which he set during the 2023-24 campaign.

Similarly, Battalion defenceman LeBlanc (6G-33A in 39 GP) is also averaging a point-per-game as he is on pace to reach 68 points in 2024-25, which would be a 21-point improvement on his 2023-24 season.

At the same time, with 24 goals in 37 games, Alfano (24G-22A in 37 GP) is set to be a 30-goal scorer in the OHL for the first time in his career. Only Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa (35G-37A in 37 GP) came into the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game having tallied more goals and points than Alfano on the Western Conference roster.

Finally, Jelsma (14G-19A in 31 GP) is certainly not one to omit. Forced to start his 2024-25 campaign in late October due to a shoulder injury he suffered while with the Pittsburgh Penguins at their training camp, the Colts’ captain has amassed 14 goals and 33 points in 31 contests this season. He’s won 56.1% of his faceoffs in 2024-25, which ranks sixth in the OHL among those who’ve taken at least 300 faceoff attempts.

The latter is something Jelsma worked on improving over the summer following the four games he got to play in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as part of an amateur tryout last April. During his brief time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Jelsma didn’t look too out of place, as he registered a goal and two assists for the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“I drove there, hopped in a game, and I’ll tell you I was nervous. I was fortunate to score my first [AHL] goal, which was crazy,” recounted Jelsma about his AHL experience, which included scoring his first career AHL goal in his debut. “The guys treated me so well. I learned so much. It gave me a different perspective on hockey. It’s not just scoring goals. It’s not just getting points. It’s pretty much everything and I think that’s my game. I am a 200-foot player. I’m not flashy. I just do the hard things, get in the corners, and do what I can to win.”

If you’re not convinced that these players merited their spots in the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game based on their OHL experiences or their stats – look no further than the very words of their teammates who were competing alongside them in Brantford. Many of them advocated for each one, stating the impact that their 20-year-old teammates have had on them both on and off the ice.

“Obviously, it’s great for [Alfano] to get recognition. I feel like sometimes what he does goes under the radar. He’s such a good player in Erie,” explained Otters forward Malcolm Spence about Alfano. “He’s a six-foot-four right winger that can skate. It goes without saying that there are not a lot of those guys in hockey that are a right shot, that are as big as he is, and that can score.”

“There are only two [overagers] on each team. So, for [Misaljevic] to be a part of it, it’s pretty cool because he kind of helped me in my first year, and now to get to do stuff like this, and to play this game with him – it’s pretty cool to see his hard work pay off,” said Rangers defenceman Cameron Reid when talking about his teammate. “Coming into the league last year, it was a little nerve-racking and intimidating, but he always stood up for me. He always helped me, gave me advice, and just stuff like that made me feel really comfortable at the end of the day.”

“I never thought I would be playing with one of my [overagers] at a prospect game, but it’s honestly super exciting, and to share this moment with [Jelsma] is super cool,” stated Barrie Colts defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson on Jelsma. “He is the driving force of our team. He is a big energy in our room. He’s our leader, so we look to him to kind of lead the way and teach us the ropes.”

On Wednesday night, both Misaljevic and Jelsma were among those players who stood out in Brantford at the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game. Misaljevic scored the Western Conference’s fourth goal in the second period on a perfectly placed wrist shot after his Rangers teammate Reid sent the puck up the ice to him to create an odd-man rush and scoring opportunity. 

“I knew the other team was physical and always pinching. So, I kind of knew where [Misaljevic] was going to be if I just chipped the puck since he is a fast guy,” recounted Reid, who tallied three assists and was named the Western Conference’s MVP on Wednesday night. “I know if I put a puck somewhere, and it’s a race, I know it’s most likely that [Misaljevic] is going to get to it. And that’s why I did it. I got him the puck and I don’t question him on his chances – he just sniped it.”

Then, in overtime, it was Jelsma’s turn to shine. After winning an offensive zone faceoff in overtime, Jelsma’s forecheck and pressure on Windsor Spitfires forward Jack Nesbitt led to the turnover that ultimately resulted in Brampton Steelheads forward Porter Martone’s game-winning goal in the extra frame which gave Team East a 5-4 victory.

“I just went out there for the draw, won the draw back, and let [Jake O’Brien and Porter Martone] do their thing,” stated Jelsma after the victory for the OHL’s Eastern Conference. “I just played my game and hopefully somebody liked who I was out there.

“It’s really fun to be a part of something like this, especially the first one. It’s going to be really cool looking back, years later, to say I played in the first one of those.”