OHL reveals Preseason Top 50 Players to Watch for 2027 OHL Priority Selection
With the 2026-27 minor hockey season getting underway, attention is beginning to turn to the 2011-born class eligible for the 2027 OHL Priority Selection.
The Ontario Hockey League has compiled a preseason list of 50 Ontario players to watch, along with 10 American prospects who have generated early attention entering their OHL draft year.
The preseason list was developed with input from independent scouting services Elite Prospects, McKeen’s Hockey, PuckPreps and TheScout.ca, providing a cross-section of evaluations on the 2011-born class at an early stage of the scouting process.
The list comes before several of the season’s major U16 events bring many of Ontario’s top prospects together, including the Toronto Titans Early Bird Tournament, the Wendy Dufton Memorial Tournament in London and the International Silver Stick in Whitby later this fall.
With limited viewings of the 2011-born class at this stage, the Preseason Top 50 provides an early snapshot of players who have generated attention entering the season. The OHL will revisit the Players to Watch list following the International Silver Stick as evaluations continue throughout the 2026-27 season.
Toronto Jr. Canadiens defenceman Kade O’Rourke leads the preseason list after playing up at the U16 level throughout the 2025-26 season. O’Rourke was the lone 2011-born player invited to last season’s inaugural U16 AAA Top Prospects Showcase before recording 10 points at the 2026 OHL Cup.
He is followed by Vaughan Kings defenceman Jasper Wang and Halton Hurricanes forward Beckham Hunter, while Vaughan’s Niko Fegaras and Toronto Jr. Canadiens forward Callum Brooks round out the top five.
By the Numbers: The Class of 2027
A look at how the Preseason Top 50 breaks down entering the 2026-27 season:
Prospects by Position
- Forwards: 33
- Defencemen: 16
- Goaltenders: 1
Most Represented Programs
The Toronto Marlboros lead all programs with eight players appearing in the Preseason Top 50. The Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Halton Hurricanes each have six, while the Vaughan Kings and Upper Canada College each have five.
- Toronto Marlboros: 8
- Toronto Jr. Canadiens: 6
- Halton Hurricanes: 6
- Vaughan Kings: 5
- Upper Canada College: 5
Those five programs account for 30 of the 50 players included on the preseason list.
2027 OHL Priority Selection Preseason Top 50 Players to Watch
| Rank | Player | Pos. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kade O’Rourke | D | Toronto Jr. Canadiens |
| 2 | Jasper Wang | D | Vaughan Kings |
| 3 | Beckham Hunter | F | Halton Hurricanes |
| 4 | Niko Fegaras | F | Vaughan Kings |
| 5 | Callum Brooks | F | Toronto Jr. Canadiens |
| 6 | Thomas Luksic | F | Vaughan Kings |
| 7 | Isaya Papineau | F | Upper Canada College |
| 8 | Preston Hebert | F | Vaughan Kings |
| 9 | Tyson Orr | F | Elgin-Middlesex Canucks |
| 10 | Jayden Challenger | F | Toronto Marlboros |
| 11 | Bohdan Gorenstein | F | Upper Canada College |
| 12 | George Zettas | D | Toronto Marlboros |
| 13 | Sebastian Arduini | D | Toronto Jr. Canadiens |
| 14 | Jayden Vincent | F | Toronto Jr. Canadiens |
| 15 | Anthony Terkalas | F | Halton Hurricanes |
| 16 | Tyler Longo | F | Toronto Marlboros |
| 17 | Ryo Han | F | Halton Hurricanes |
| 18 | Shihan Wang | F | Toronto Jr. Canadiens |
| 19 | Gianni Frasca | F | North York Rangers |
| 20 | Peter Cortese | F | Markham Majors |
| 21 | Mateo Georgy | F | Mississauga Rebels |
| 22 | Reilly Cottin | F | Halton Hurricanes |
| 23 | Jake Torresan | F | York-Simcoe Express |
| 24 | Kingston Smith | F | London Jr. Knights |
| 25 | Keaton Niereisel | F | Waterloo Wolves |
| 26 | Brett Rossetto | F | Hamilton Steel |
| 27 | Reece McClellan | F | The Hill Academy |
| 28 | Adrian Bruno | F | Mississauga Rebels |
| 29 | Gabe Stone | F | Toronto Marlboros |
| 30 | Jake Mancino | F | Toronto Marlboros |
| 31 | Andrew Kourtis | D | Vaughan Kings |
| 32 | Bennett Hatch | F | North York Rangers |
| 33 | Cooper Leppard | D | Ottawa Myers Automotive |
| 34 | Isaiah Parker | D | Hamilton Steel |
| 35 | Colton Adams | F | Peterborough Jr. Petes |
| 36 | Liam Weiss | F | Waterloo Wolves |
| 37 | Elijah Schipper | D | London Jr. Knights |
| 38 | Roman Pliats | F | Mississauga Senators |
| 39 | Hunter Uppal | D | Greater Kingston Gaels |
| 40 | Austin Pettey | D | Halton Hurricanes |
| 41 | David Stewart | G | Mississauga Rebels |
| 42 | Isaac Cartier | F | Halton Hurricanes |
| 43 | Ryan Lauzon | D | Toronto Jr. Canadiens |
| 44 | Callum Ryan | D | Vaughan Kings |
| 45 | Francesco Lettieri | D | Upper Canada College |
| 46 | Dominic Daoust | D | Ottawa Valley Titans |
| 47 | Ty Bryan | F | Upper Canada College |
| 48 | Hunter Nadeau | D | Toronto Marlboros |
| 49 | Evan Monteiro | D | Toronto Marlboros |
| 50 | Greyson Mackenzie | F | Shattuck St. Mary’s |
U.S. Players to Watch
In addition to the Ontario Top 50, the OHL has identified 10 American prospects to watch entering the 2026-27 season.
Cameron Pelle of Pittsburgh Penguins Elite leads the U.S. list, followed by fellow Pittsburgh prospect D’Angelo Fluhme and Little Caesars forward Drystan Thomas.
| Rank | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cameron Pelle | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite |
| 2 | D’Angelo Fluhme | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite |
| 3 | Drystan Thomas | Little Caesars |
| 4 | Alex Denny | Bishop Kearney Selects |
| 5 | Sebastian Blanchard | Bishop Kearney Selects |
| 6 | Washiiyeh Jeannotte | Detroit HoneyBaked |
| 7 | Cameron Cline | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite |
| 8 | Owen Baxendell | Woodbridge Wolfpack |
| 9 | Dominic Burkhart | Little Caesars |
| 10 | Aiden Wamboldt | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite |
The 2027 OHL Priority Selection will be held in June, with additional details to be announced at a later date.
