Michael Misa becomes 26th captain in Saginaw Spirit History
Saginaw, Mich. – The Saginaw Spirit announced Wednesday afternoon that Michael Misa has been named the 26th captain in the team’s history. Misa, a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, is in his third OHL season after being granted Exceptional Player Status by Hockey Canada in 2022.
“Michael is a great young man that we’ve seen grow a lot from 15 to 17,” said Spirit GM Dave Drinkill. “He’s a guy that’s had a lot of pressure on him his whole life and can handle anything thrown at him. I’m really looking forward to seeing him lead our group.”
“He did an outstanding job as an alternate captain and his on-ice play speaks for itself,” said head coach Chris Lazary. “But the way he’s handled himself on the bench, in the gym and in the dressing room, he’s been phenomenal and a natural fit.”
“It’s a huge honor and I’m really excited for this opportunity,” said Misa. “I’m grateful to the staff and all of the boys for believing in me. I’ve had some of the best captains in Josh Bloom, Mitchell Smith, Braden Haché and Ethan Hay. They’ve all meant so much to me and I’m looking forward to putting their advice into use.”
The Oakville, Ont. native Misa currently leads the team in all offensive categories with 32G-34A—66P in 34 games played. He sits second in the OHL in points, eighth in assists, and is tied for the league lead in goals. His third OHL season has brought 21 multi-point efforts, two hat tricks, a pair of 14-game point streaks, and just three games without registering a point.
Through 146 OHL games, Misa sits just shy of the 200-point plateau with 197 (83G, 114A). He has the opportunity to become the fastest player in team history to hit the milestone by nearly 30 games (Josh Shalla, 178 games, 2/9/2012). His point total (197) already places him eighth in franchise history, as does his goal total (83). His 114 assists and 25 powerplay goals both place him ninth.
Misa finished third in scoring last year (29G-46A—75P) on a team which now boasts 11 NHL drafted or signed players. He added 11 points (4G, 7A) in 17 playoff games, and five assists through five games at the 2024 Memorial Cup, the first championship in team history.
His acquisition of OHL hardware began in 2022, when he won the Jack Ferguson Award as the first overall pick at the 2022 OHL Priority Selection. A 2007 birth year, Misa was declared eligible for the 2022 draft after being given Exceptional Player Status by Hockey Canada. He became the 6th player in OHL history and 8th in CHL history to receive the honor, joining the likes of Connor McDavid, Connor Bedard, and John Tavares.
Exceptional Player Status was not the only time Misa and McDavid’s name entered the same conversation. Misa’s 56 points (22G, 34P) in 45 games during an injury-shortened rookie season in 2022-23 landed him at 1.24 Pts/Gm, overtaking McDavid for the highest scoring rate by an OHL Exceptional Status Player. His efforts that year secured the Emms Family Award as the league’s top first-year player, and a spot on both the CHL All-Rookie Team and OHL First All-Rookie Team. The year prior, Misa’s 10G-10A—20P OHL Cup performance with the champion Mississauga Senators overtook McDavid’s record of 19 points set back in 2012. He was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Away from his OHL club, Misa has continued to shine. He contributed 1G-2A—3P for Team CHL in two games at the inaugural CHL USA Prospects Challenge in the fall of 2024. Misa finished 3rd in scoring for Team Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with 2G-6A—8P, walking away with a gold medal. He represented Team Canada Red at the 2022 U17 World Hockey Challenge, finishing fourth on his team in scoring with 3G-3A—6P.
Misa and the Spirit begin a new chapter together on Thursday night in Niagara when they take on the IceDogs at 7:00pm.
