McNally’s representative made it clear ahead of the 2026 OHL Priority Selection that they were concerned about the opportunity in Guelph with the number of returning veteran defensemen the team has assembled for the season. McNally’s representative informed the team of their decision late Monday.

“It is our responsibility to take the best available player at the 7^th overall pick on draft day,” said General Manager George Burnett, “Declan is a talented young hockey player who is ready and capable of playing in the Ontario Hockey League. We will work through the process as outlined by the Ontario Hockey League to determine the next steps.”

The club’s focus remains on the players attending training camp and the pre-season games ahead.

“We are pleased to welcome Ashley to our staff as we expand in this most important area of player support and development,” said General Manager George Burnett. “Ashley will be working directly with our players and billet families while also working closely with our medical team and strength and conditioning.”

Dr. Taylor is a former NCAA student-athlete in track and field at Northern Arizona University, where she graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science. After receiving her undergrad, Dr. Taylor went on to receive her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine (N.D.) from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and her Massage Therapy Diploma from the Canadian College of Massage Therapy.

Dr. Taylor is currently working locally as a Naturopathic Doctor and Registered Massage Therapist with Back in Shape and Pursuit Athletic Centre - the Storm’s official training centre.

“I’m looking forward to joining the Guelph Storm and working directly with our players and billet families to build science-based nutrition and lifestyle habits both on and off the ice,” said Dr. Ashley Taylor. “My focus will be on fueling performance and recovery, along with supporting sleep and everyday habits that help these athletes feel and perform their best. Nutrition is one of the most controllable factors in an athlete’s development, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to give our team the support it needs to perform at a high level this season.”

“I am excited to welcome Dan Girardi to our coaching staff as a Skills Coach,” said Head Coach Cory Stillam, “Dan brings an incredible playing career, a wealth of experience, and a strong desire to help develop the next generation of defensemen. His experience and knowledge of the game will be a tremendous asset to our players. Working alongside Corey Locke, Dan will focus on helping our players develop their individual skills while also teaching them how to apply those skills effectively in game situations.”

Girardi played five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, skating with three different teams – the Barrie Colts, the Guelph Storm, and the London Knights. Girardi won the J. Ross Robertson Cup back-to-back, with the Guelph Storm in 2004 and the London Knights in 2005. During his five seasons in the OHL, Girardi amassed 117 points in 231 regular-season games.

Undrafted, Dan ultimately played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning. He retired from his playing career in September 2019, where he ended up 30^th in playoff game appearances by a defenseman, and as the all-time leader in shots blocked.

Following his retirement, Girardi served as a Development Coach for the Buffalo Sabres from 2020 to 2024.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be back with the Storm,” said Girardi. “I’m excited to meet all the players and to start working with their great staff. I have so many memories here as a player and can’t wait to make more as part of the staff.”

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The 2026-2027 Season is proudly presented by Mark Wilson’s Better Used Cars

Amendments to Fighting Penalties 

The Board of Governors approved amendments to the OHL Discipline Policy governing fighting penalties, effective for the 2026-27 season.

Under the amended policy:

• Previous parameters enforced a team-wide threshold of a maximum of 50 fights in a single season and a maximum sanction of $2,000 per fight for exceeding that threshold. The new parameters will see the team-wide threshold reduced to 35 per team, with a fine of $5,000 assessed for each fight beyond the team-wide threshold.

• A player may be assessed a maximum of three fighting majors between the start of the regular season and Dec. 31. That total resets on Jan. 1, with a maximum of three additional fighting majors permitted through the remainder of the regular season.

• A separate threshold of three fighting majors continues to apply throughout the OHL Playoffs.

• Any fighting major beyond the applicable limit results in supplemental discipline in accordance with the OHL Discipline Policy — a minimum two-game suspension for the player exceeding the threshold, unchanged from the standard currently in place.

• The League will also be strengthening its application of discipline with regards to instances of premeditated fights before the drop of the puck as well as players involved in the second fight within the same stoppage.

The framework these amendments operate within

The thresholds above sit within the OHL's existing rules governing fighting conduct, which remain unchanged, and which distinguish between controlled participation and predatory behaviour.

Penalties for instigating, aggressor conduct, premeditated fights, bullying and a second fight in the same stoppage continue to apply, and are enforced independently of the thresholds set out above — as does the long-standing provision that a player who has been instigated upon does not have that fighting major counted toward his own total or his club's. Each OHL member team also remains subject to an in-game threshold of three major penalties for fighting, with a sanction of $500 per fight beyond the threshold. Fighting in the OHL is not consequence-free: it is regulated, penalized, and subject to progressive discipline.

The League will continue to sanction dangerous play more severely than spontaneous fighting and will continue to monitor for premeditated fights and predatory conduct through officiating and supervisory reporting. That monitoring is also enhanced by Spiideo, the comprehensive in-venue video review system introduced across the League in 2025-26, which gives OHL Hockey Operations the footage required to assess fighting scenarios and apply consistent judgment.

Review

Throughout the 2026-27 season, the OHL will conduct a review of fighting occurrences, including numbers and distribution across players and teams. The findings will inform policy for future seasons.

2026-27 OHL Season – Key Hockey Operations Dates 

August 24 – Earliest date teams can open training camp (Erie granted exemption to start August 22) August 27 – Trade window for defected players (until September 15) September 17 – OHL regular season commences November 13 – Reduce overage protected players list players to a maximum of four December 1 – CHL/USA Top Prospects Game (Chicoutimi, QC) December 2 – CHL/USA Top Prospects Game (Quebec City, QC) December 4 – Restricted trading period for World Junior players (to January 5) December 20 – Restricted trading period begins (to December 26) January 7 – Reduce overage protected players list to a maximum of three January 7 – Final overage trade deadline (12:00pm) January 8 – Final trading deadline (12:00pm) January 15 – Final date to sign an overage player January 20 – Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game (Owen Sound) February 10 – Final date to sign a player March 21 – OHL regular season concludes March 25 – OHL Playoffs commence May 21 – 2027 Memorial Cup (Guelph, ON)