GM Egert Talks 2025-26 Season, What It Means To Be A 67’s Player Ahead of OHL Draft
On the back of his first season as general manager of the Ottawa 67’s, Jan Egert sat down to talk about the 2025-26 season, the upcoming OHL draft, and the team’s ever-evolving process.
While the Barber Poles may have come up short with a second-round elimination, their 100-point regular season is a massive jump from the OHL’s pre-season rankings, which had the team outside the playoffs for the second year in a row.
“Often I hear the 67’s exceeded expectations. My question is whose expectations?” said team general manager Jan Egert, who was finishing his first season since being promoted to the role. “The 2025-26 team invested a lot of work into the success they had in our 100-point season, and it’s not fair to them to say they exceeded expectations. They earned their reward.”
Egert noted that the same standard will carry into next season as the organization looks to build on its success.
“We’re excited about the players we have drafted over the past years that are developing in Jr. A, Jr. B, U18, and prep school, and they will be provided the opportunity to make the 67’s next year,” he said. “We take pride in building from within, because when you get drafted and make a commitment to a team, it should mean something in both ways – it’s not just one signature on a piece of paper: it’s a player, their parent, and the hockey club.”
This week, a handful of players will have the opportunity to join the 67’s family through the entry and U18 drafts, with the OHL Draft being held in person for the first time since 2000.
“I think it’ll be an exciting event – an opportunity for the league to showcase all 20 teams, its brand, and the standards the OHL operates at,” he said. “I am excited to represent the 67’s in that format and draft the future of our hockey club.”
“It will also be an outstanding opportunity for the young players who will be selected in Kingston,” he said. “There’s been a lot of work.”
While the NCAA’s allowing CHL players into Division-I college hockey has allowed for a deeper player pool, Egert fundamentally doesn’t believe it has changed much about the draft process.
“We’re still watching the same players, in the same arenas, playing the same game,” he said. “The main difference is that previously, when you’d meet with those players or talk to their representatives, they might say the player had the ambition to play college hockey, and that could alter your draft strategy.”
“From a scouting standpoint, we’re still in the business of connecting with players we feel are the best fit for the Ottawa 67’s and educating them about our program, our hockey club, and how we do things,” he said. “Good players, good people, are always going to have options; I like to believe that the 67’s are a very good option for player development, success on ice, off-ice, and in the community.”
In the NHL draft, there’s a big focus on whether teams should draft for the best player available or for positional need. Egert doesn’t think that same logic lines up in junior hockey, at least within the 67’s organization.
“There’s a lot of change that happens to teenagers at that time away from the rink, so I don’t believe that you should put your organization in a position where you have to draft for that one position,” he said. “I believe it’s more important to focus on who is the best fit for the Ottawa 67’s, and I think that goes a lot deeper than just positions.”
“It’s just as important to identify players with the right mentality, passion, and loyalty to their craft, and a willingness to develop loyalty to our club,” he says. “When the on-ice and off-ice DNA come together, that gives us the best opportunity to mutually thrive and work hand-in-hand on that player’s development.”
As for Jan’s first year at the helm, it was, by most accounts, a success, but Egert is already looking ahead to how to improve on it.
“Challenge is a good thing,” he said. “I always challenge myself that what we did in 2025-26 isn’t good enough for 2026-27.”
“I don’t mean that we had 100 points; next year we’ll aim for 101. It’s more about how we went about the process,” he said. “We want to develop with the ways that sports science is evolving, and to continue to communicate more effectively between our players and staff, so we can meet everyone’s needs to the best of the Club’s ability.”
Still, he’s found moments during the season to sit back, take in, and feed off the passion and excitement surrounding the club.
“The easiest thing for me this season has been the opportunity to represent the Ottawa 67’s,” he said. “When I walk into TD Place and see the people, staff, coaches, players, and the energy around our club, that’s been the easiest thing,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to spend time with people pursuing a common goal of reaching the next level.”
