Pickford, O’Reilly and Massé named finalists for the CHL’s 2025-26 David Branch Player of the Year
Bryce Pickford of the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), Sam O’Reilly of the Kitchener Rangers (OHL), and Maxim Massé of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL) have been named finalists for the CHL David Branch Player of the Year Award.
Formerly known as the CHL Player of the Year Award, the trophy was renamed in 2019-20 in honour of David Branch, who served as OHL Commissioner from 1979-2024 and CHL President from 1996-2019. The award is presented annually to the CHL player judged to have had the most outstanding regular season across the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
The three finalists earned their place after being named MVP in their respective leagues. Pickford captured the WHL’s Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, O’Reilly won the OHL’s Red Tilson Trophy, and Massé received the QMJHL’s Michel-Brière Trophy.
The 2026 recipient will be announced and presented with the trophy at the CHL Awards ceremony on Monday, June 15, in downtown Toronto.
Past winners of the David Branch Player of the Year Award include Dale Hawerchuk (Cornwall Royals / QMJHL), Mario Lemieux (Laval Voisins / QMJHL), Joe Sakic (Swift Current Broncos / WHL), Eric Lindros (Oshawa Generals / OHL), Sidney Crosby (Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL), Connor McDavid (Erie Otters / OHL), Mitch Marner (London Knights / OHL), Connor Bedard (Regina Pats / WHL), Jagger Firkus (Moose Jaw Warriors / WHL), and most recently Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL).
WHL Nominee – Bryce Pickford (Medicine Hat Tigers)
45G-38A, 83 PTS, +55 in 55 GP during the 2025-26 season
Bryce Pickford authored one of the most productive seasons by a defenceman in modern CHL history, becoming the WHL Player of the Year after a remarkable campaign with the Medicine Hat Tigers.
If selected as the CHL David Branch Player of the Year, Pickford would become the second Tigers player in as many seasons to win the award, following Gavin McKenna’s 2024-25 victory. It would also mark the first time in CHL history that two different players from the same franchise have captured the award in back-to-back seasons.
The 20-year-old captain from Chauvin, Alta., finished the regular season with 83 points, including 45 goals and 38 assists, in 55 games. His 45 goals were the most by a WHL defenceman in a single season since Greg Hawgood scored 48 in 1987-88 and the highest total by any CHL blueliner in the 21st century. He finished just five goals shy of the WHL and CHL single-season record for goals by a defenceman, set by Saskatoon’s Lawrence Sacharuk in 1971-72.
Pickford would also become just the fifth defenceman to win the CHL’s top individual honour, and the first since Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires in 2010-11. A Montreal Canadiens prospect, he was the only defenceman to rank among the CHL’s top 10 goal scorers in 2025-26. His 45 goals were tied for second among all WHL skaters, while his 19 power-play goals led the league and his 11 game-winning goals finished tied for first.
Pickford’s season featured three hat tricks, a 15-game point streak, and two separate eight-game goal-scoring streaks, further underlining the consistency of his offensive impact from the blue line. His production helped Medicine Hat claim a second consecutive Central Division title, while he also earned WHL Defenceman of the Year honours and was named to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team.
By winning both the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy and the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy in the same season, Pickford became just the fifth player in WHL history to be named both WHL Player of the Year and WHL Defenceman of the Year in the same campaign.
A two-time WHL Champion, Pickford previously helped Seattle win the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2023 before playing a key role in Medicine Hat’s championship run in 2025.
OHL Nominee – Sam O’Reilly (Kitchener Rangers)
29G-42A, 71 PTS, +20 in 56 GP during the 2025-26 season
Sam O’Reilly was named the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player after making an immediate impact with the Kitchener Rangers following a mid-season move from the London Knights.
If selected as the CHL David Branch Player of the Year, O’Reilly would become the second Kitchener Rangers player to win the award, joining Justin Azevedo, who earned the honour in 2007-08.
The 20-year-old from Toronto recorded 71 points, including 29 goals and 42 assists, in 56 regular season games. After producing 28 points in 28 games with London, O’Reilly elevated his game in Kitchener, posting 43 points and a plus-31 rating over 28 contests to help the Rangers finish atop the Western Conference standings for the first time since 2008.
One of the biggest acquisitions of the OHL trade deadline, O’Reilly brought veteran experience, leadership, and championship pedigree to Kitchener’s lineup, quickly becoming a driving force for the Rangers in the second half.
A Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, O’Reilly also won 58 percent of his faceoffs and was recognized in the OHL Coaches Poll as the Western Conference’s smartest player, best faceoff man, and best defensive forward. His ability to drive offence while handling difficult defensive assignments made him one of the OHL’s most complete players in 2025-26.
O’Reilly became the first Rangers player to win the Red Tilson Trophy since Justin Azevedo in 2008, joining a franchise list that also includes John Tucker and Walt Tkaczuk. Over his OHL career, he has built a résumé that includes three OHL championships, two Memorial Cup titles, and 198 points in 191 regular-season games.
His standout season continued deep into the spring, as O’Reilly went on to earn OHL Playoff MVP and Memorial Cup MVP honours. With that sweep, he became just the fourth player in CHL history to win regular-season, playoff, and Memorial Cup MVP honours in the same season, joining Brad Richards, Corey Perry, and Mitch Marner. He also helped Kitchener capture the Memorial Cup after winning the tournament with London one year earlier, making him part of a rare group of players to win back-to-back Memorial Cup titles with different teams.
QMJHL Nominee – Maxim Massé (Chicoutimi Saguenéens)
51G-51A, 102 PTS, +62 in 63 GP during the 2025-26 season
Maxim Massé was named the QMJHL’s Most Valuable Player after leading the league in scoring and helping the Chicoutimi Saguenéens finish second overall in the standings.
If selected as the CHL David Branch Player of the Year, Massé would become the second Chicoutimi Saguenéens player to win the award, joining Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who earned the honour in 2001-02. He would also become the first QMJHL player to capture the award since Alexis Lafrenière of the Rimouski Océanic won it in back-to-back seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Massé, the CHL Rookie of the Year in 2022-23, would also become just the sixth player to win both CHL Rookie of the Year and CHL David Branch Player of the Year, joining Sidney Crosby (Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL), John Tavares (Oshawa Generals / OHL), Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters / OHL), Lafrenière, and Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL).
The Anaheim Ducks prospect recorded 102 points, including 51 goals and 51 assists, in 63 games to capture the first scoring title of his QMJHL career, finishing six points ahead of Val-d’Or Foreurs forward Philippe Veilleux. His 51 goals also tied for the CHL lead and made him one of only two players across the CHL to surpass both the 50-goal and 100-point marks in 2025-26.
Massé surpassed the 100-point plateau for the first time in his junior career and recorded 30 multi-point performances, providing steady offence for one of the QMJHL’s top teams.
Massé’s all-around impact was reflected across several major categories. His plus-62 rating ranked second in the QMJHL, as did his eight game-winning goals. Among players who appeared in more than 60 games, Massé also posted the CHL’s highest points-per-game rate, averaging 1.62 points per contest.
In his fourth QMJHL season, Massé delivered the most productive campaign of his career while serving as the offensive catalyst for one of the league’s top teams. The third-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2024 NHL Draft became the first Chicoutimi player to win the Michel-Brière Trophy since Francis Paré in 2007-08, adding another milestone to one of the top individual seasons in the CHL.
