Sam O’Reilly Wins 2026 Red Tilson Trophy as Ontario Hockey League’s Most Outstanding Player
Tampa Bay Lightning prospect wins League’s most prestigious individual award
KITCHENER (Tuesday, May 5, 2026) – The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) today announced that forward Sam O’Reilly of the Kitchener Rangers is this year’s recipient of the Red Tilson Trophy, awarded to the League’s Most Outstanding Player as voted by OHL accredited writers and broadcasters.
O’Reilly becomes the first Rangers player to claim the prestigious honour since Justin Azevedo in 2008. Other previous winners from the franchise include John Tucker (1983-84) and Walt Tkaczuk (1967-68).
The announcement will be formally made at a press conference on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
“I am incredibly honoured to receive the Red Tilson Trophy,” said O’Reilly. “I wouldn’t be accepting this award today without the support of my family, billets and teammates throughout my years in the league, I’d like to thank my coaches and support staff in London and now Kitchener.”
Perhaps the biggest splash of the OHL trade deadline, the Kitchener Rangers’ acquisition of O’Reilly from the rival London Knights has paid big dividends for the Blueshirts. O’Reilly’s arrival sparked the Rangers to a strong second half that saw them finish atop the Western Conference standings for the first time since 2008.
After posting 28 points (12-16–28) in as many games with London, O’Reilly stepped up his production in Kitchener with 43 points (17-26–43) and a plus-31 rating over 28 contests, bringing his season totals to 29 goals, 42 assists, and 71 points in 56 games. He also finished the season with an impressive 58% success rate in the faceoff circle.
“We are very proud and excited for Sam to receive the Red Tilson Award,” said Rangers General Manager Mike McKenzie. “Even though he has only spent half a season in Kitchener his impact on our team has been immeasurable. He is a complete player, winner and couldn’t be more deserving of this award. Congratulations to Sam and his family on this tremendous honour.”
A member of Canada’s National Junior Team, the Tampa Bay Lightning prospect factored prominently into the 2025-26 OHL Coaches Poll, being voted the Western Conference’s smartest player, best on faceoffs, and best defensive forward.
A 20-year-old from Toronto, O’Reilly entered the OHL as London’s second round (37th overall) pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection. His accomplished OHL career has included two OHL championships and a Memorial Cup title, while accumulating 77 goals, 121 assists and 198 points over 191 regular season games. The Edmonton Oilers selected O’Reilly in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. He was later dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 8, 2025 in a deal that saw the Oilers acquire prospect Isaac Howard.
In the media voting process to determine the winner, O’Reilly emerged from a group of five finalists, capturing 35% of the vote. Other finalists included Cole Beaudoin of the Barrie Colts (19%), Jake O’Brien of the Brantford Bulldogs (17%), Nathan Aspinall of the Flint Firebirds (13%), and Nikita Klepov of the Saginaw Spirit (7%).
The Red Tilson Trophy is the most prestigious individual award presented by the Ontario Hockey League. First presented in 1945, the trophy is named in honour of Albert “Red” Tilson, who was killed in action in Europe during World War II. Tilson was the OHA scoring champion for the 1942-43 season after scoring 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 22 games with the Oshawa Generals. A few prominent past winners of the award include Wyatt Johnston of the Windsor Spitfires (2022), Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters (2015) and John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals (2006).
O’Reilly will be formally recognized with the Red Tilson Trophy at the 2026 OHL Awards Ceremony to be held at The Hockey Hall of Fame in June.
For a complete history of OHL award winners, click here.
About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has long been regarded as the number one development league in the world, continuing to serve as a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League. The OHL consists of 20 teams, with 17 located in Ontario, two in the state of Michigan and one in the state of Pennsylvania. A proud member of the Canadian Hockey League, the OHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships, with over 329 graduates receiving OHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice in 2024-25, resulting in a collective investment of over $42 million by OHL member teams over the past 15 years.
For media inquiries, contact:
Luca Lombardi
Manager, Communications and Community Relations
Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
(416) 885-4510
