OHL This Week: February 19 to 22, 2026

Eight playoff spots claimed, eight up for grabs! Here’s what’s happening across the OHL this week.

IceDogs visit 67’s in Friday Night Faceoff on FloHockey
Friday Night Faceoff heads to The Arena at TD Place as the Ottawa 67’s host the Niagara IceDogs in an Eastern Conference matchup with playoff positioning on the line. Live coverage begins at 7:00 pm on FloHockey’s social platforms. Watch for free on FloHockey’s YouTube and social media channels. Read more

Colts stay on top, Rangers climb in latest OHL Power Rankings
The Barrie Colts remain in the #1 spot for another week, while the Kitchener Rangers have bumped up to #2 following a successful road trip and a big win over London. Read more

Bulldogs, Colts, Rangers, and 67’s appear in CHL Top 10
The Brantford Bulldogs (5) hold steady in the top five, followed closely by the surging Barrie Colts (6), Kitchener Rangers (8), and Ottawa 67’s (10) in the Week 21 edition of the CHL Top 10 Rankings. Read more

Spirit’s Egor Barabanov named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week
Saginaw Spirit forward Egor Barabanov is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week after a standout stretch of offensive production to help the Spirit secure key victories. Read more

Rangers’ Christian Kirsch named Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week
San Jose Sharks prospect Christian Kirsch of the Kitchener Rangers is the Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week, providing a steady presence in the crease as the Blueshirts climbed to the top of the Western Conference. Read more

Spirit’s Nikita Klepov named OHL Rookie of the Week
2026 NHL Draft prospect Nikita Klepov of the Saginaw Spirit is the OHL Rookie of the Week, continuing to lead all OHL rookies in scoring. Read more

Bulldogs prospect David Buchman named GOHL Prospect of the Week
Brantford Bulldogs 2025 first-round pick David Buchman is the GOHL Prospect of the Week for the second time this season, racking up a goal and six assists over two games for the Brantford Titans. Read more

Watch the OHL Plays of the Week presented by Milk
Check out the top plays from across the OHL and vote for your favourite! This week’s entries include Peterborough’s Brennan Faulkner, Barrie’s Brad Gardiner, Kitchener’s Christian Humphreys and Flint’s Jimmy Lombardi. Watch & Vote

Revisit the OHL’s Top Saves
Hit rewind on the top saves across the OHL this week including entries from Ottawa’s Ryder Fetterolf, Guelph’s Zachary Jovanovski, Owen Sound’s Matthew Koprowski, Peterborough’s Easton Rye and Erie’s Charlie Burns. Watch

OHL Draft Prospect Profile – Finley Merrill
Finley Merrill from the Hill Academy talks about his game and the 2026 OHL Priority Selection. Watch

Road to the 2026 OHL Cup
Follow along as playoffs unfold across the GTHL, OMHA, ALLIANCE and HEO circuits, with teams on the path to securing spots at the annual showcase in Toronto that begins March 30th. Read more

League News

Aitcheson two points back of Colts franchise record: Kashawn Aitcheson sits two points back of LA Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke’s Barrie Colts franchise record for most career points by a defenceman. Clarke totalled 158 points (40-118–158) in 143 career OHL contests, while Aitcheson enters action at home to Owen Sound on Thursday with 156 points (59-97–156) through 194 career games. Aitcheson was a first round pick by the New York Islanders in last summer’s NHL Draft.

He with goals in nine straight games: Winnipeg Jets prospect Kevin He rides a nine-game goal-scoring streak into the weekend as his Flint Firebirds take on the Sudbury Wolves at home on Saturday. He has proven to be a great addition to the Firebirds, producing 19 goals, 13 assists and 32 points in 20 games with Flint.

Rye, Vaccari both join 30-win club: Peterborough’s Easton Rye and Flint’s Mason Vaccari became the first two OHL goaltenders to reach 30 wins on the season last week. Both veterans have been steady for their respective clubs, who have been finding ways to win games of late.

Served by the Storm raises $2,500 for Adopt-a-School program: On February 17th, the Guelph Storm held the annual Served by the Storm dinner at Montana’s BBG & Bar in Guelph. The benefit dinner raised $2,500 for the Adopt-a-School program. The program provides rewards and incentives to elementary school students throughout Wellington County for exemplary achievement in the classroom, extra-curricular activities, and volunteer work. In many cases, the Adopt-a-School program proudly gives local kids the chance to attend their first hockey game. Read more

Knights clinch playoff spot for 25th straight year: The London Knights are playoff-bound, joining the Kitchener Rangers, Flint Firebirds, Windsor Spitfires and Soo Greyhounds as the fifth Western Conference team to punch their ticket. The Knights have the longest active streak of consecutive playoff berths, one that dates back to 2000-01. The longest streak in OHL history is held by the Peterborough Petes, who qualified for 27 consecutive years from 1976-77 through 2002-03.

 

At the Rinks

Talk Today Night in Barrie, Brampton, Owen Sound, Peterborough: Talk Today Month in the OHL continues, with four teams partnering with the Canadian Mental Health Association this week to raise mental health awareness. Read more

Three-game week at home for Spirit: The Saginaw Spirit enjoy some home cooking this week with the Sudbury Wolves in town for Billet Recognition Night on Thursday, the Sarnia Sting visiting for Ice Blast & Credit Union Night on Saturday and the Guelph Storm at the Dow Event Center for Faith Night on Sunday. Sunday’s game will feature a post-game skate for fans.

Petes host Indigenous Heritage Night on Thursday: The Peterborough Petes will host their annual Indigenous Heritage Night on Thursday at home to the North Bay Battalion. The Petes will once again be using a logo designed by Kory Parkin, an Indigenous Painter & Digital Creator from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Ontario, Canada. The logo highlights the traditional name of Peterborough, Nogojiwanong, meaning “place at the foot of the rapids.” Read more

Knights host Don Brankley Hall of Fame Game: The London Knights will induct Jim Sandlak, Brandon Prust and Norman “Rocky” Farr into the Don Brankley London Knights Hall of Fame prior to puckdrop on Friday when the Barrie Colts visit Canada Life Place. The evening will feature a special on ice ceremony before the Knights face the Colts at 7:00pm. Read more

Hounds Fight Cancer on Friday: The Sarnia Sting visit GFL Memorial Gardens on Friday for Hockey Fights Cancer Night with the Soo Greyhounds. This special game night is dedicated to highlighting the importance of keeping high-quality cancer care close to home. The event will raise funds in support of the Sault Area Hospital Foundation – Algoma District Cancer Program. The Greyhounds will wear custom-designed Hockey Fights Cancer jerseys. These jerseys will be auctioned off following the game, with all proceeds supporting local cancer care through Sault Area Hospital. Read more

Next Gen Night in Kitchener on Friday: The Kitchener Rangers host their Next Generation Game on Friday at home to the Windsor Spitfires. The Rangers will be wearing their winning design from the CHL Jersey Contest presented by Real Canadian Superstore. In this family–friendly game, kids help out the Rangers staff at various levels of the game operations and experience the thrill of being a part of a Rangers game.

Firebirds host S.T.E.A.M. Night on Saturday: The Flint Firebirds will host a game night focused around the S.T.E.A.M. initiative (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) on Saturday when they play host to the Sudbury Wolves. S.T.E.A.M. activities will located around the arena concourse for children to participate in. If they visit all activity booths they will receive a special prize located at the Guest Services table on the concourse. All students who have received an A in Art, Math, or Science are eligible to receive a FREE ticket at the box office window with a paid adult ticket. (Student must present their most recent report card at the box office window showing proof that they received an A in Art, Math, or Science class. Offer only valid at the Dort Financial Center box office window)

Spits host Pirates and Princesses Night: The Windsor Spitfires encourage fans to dress up on Saturday as their favourite swashbuckler or storybook ruler for a magical night of fantasy, fun and treasure-filled surprises. Be there for the scavenger hunt and great prizes!

Frontenacs Fight Cancer on Saturday: The Kingston Frontenacs host their annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Saturday when they play host to the Niagara IceDogs. The Fronts celebrate the resilience and courage of those who have fought and continue to fight cancer.

Alumni News

From the O to the Pros – OHL Alumni Weekly Round-Up: Highlighting developments at the Winter Olympics including the strong play of Sudbury Wolves alumnus Dalibor Dvorsky, Connor McDavid turning heads and Mitch Marner’s heroics for Canada. Avery Hayes continues to make a difference in the AHL, joining Kasper Halttunen and Brendan Gaunce as high achievers at that level. Read more

OHL Post-Secondary Weekly Round-Up: Tracking success stories across the U SPORTS and NCAA ranks including big performances from Kai Edmonds and Nolan Hutcheson, Donovan McCoy and Michael Simpson. Read more

OHL mourns the loss of Dave Draper: The OHL is saddened by news of the passing of long-time coach and general manager Dave Draper at the age of 85. Dave Draper’s lifelong commitment to the sport, from his Memorial Cup-winning days as a player through his many years of shaping talent in the OHL and at the NHL level, leaves a remarkable legacy in the hockey community. Read more

OHL mourns the loss of Bill Purcell: The OHL is saddened by news of the passing of former Oshawa Generals assistant coach and long-time builder of the game, Bill Purcell. He was 91-years-old. A native of Charlottetown, PEI, Purcell spent five decades behind the bench, leaving a lasting impact on players at the university, major junior, senior, and minor hockey levels. He served as an assistant coach with the Oshawa Generals from 1993-97, bringing a wealth of experience and mentorship to the club during his tenure. Read more

Mark Fraser speaks on his experiences in hockey: Kitchener Rangers graduate and former NHL blueliner Mark Fraser discusses his path through the OHL and his ongoing experiences in the sport. Fraser played in Kitchener from 2004-06 and went on to play 219 games in the NHL. Read more

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday February 19th
Owen Sound at Barrie, 7:00pm
North Bay at Peterborough, 7:05pm
Sudbury at Saginaw, 7:05pm

Friday, February 20th
Peterborough at Brampton, 7:00pm
Oshawa at Erie, 7:00pm
Windsor at Kitchener, 7:00pm
Barrie at London, 7:00pm
Niagara at Ottawa, 7:00pm (Friday Night Faceoff on FloHockey)
North Bay at Kingston, 7:05pm
Sarnia at Sault Ste. Marie, 7:07pm

Saturday, February 21st
Niagara at Kingston, 4:05pm
Kitchener at Erie, 7:00pm
Sudbury at Flint, 7:00pm
Brampton at Owen Sound, 7:00pm
Sarnia at Saginaw, 7:05pm
Guelph at Sault Ste. Marie, 7:07pm
Brantford at Barrie, 7:30pm

Sunday, February 22nd
Sudbury at London, 2:00pm
Brantford at Peterborough, 2:05pm
North Bay at Ottawa, 3:00pm
Flint at Windsor, 4:05pm
Guelph at Saginaw, 5:30pm
Kingston at Oshawa, 6:05pm