OHL Power Rankings: 2026-27 Preseason Edition
A panel of 32 accredited OHL media members has weighed in on the 2026-27 season. Each voter submitted a 1-20 ballot, with a first-place vote worth 20 points and descending from there. The average score appears in brackets beside each team.
The 2027 Memorial Cup host Guelph Storm open the season atop the rankings, edging the London Knights. OHL Power Rankings presented by The United Car Dealers Association (UCDA) will be published weekly on Mondays.
1. Guelph Storm (19.47)
The Storm carry the heaviest expectations in the league, and they’ve earned them. Guelph added Ryan Roobroeck — 99 career goals and counting — and Ethan Czata from Niagara, brought in Owen Griffin from Oshawa over the summer, and kept the group intact around Tyler Hopkins and 20-goal sophomore Carter Stevens. The crease is settled, too: overager Ben Hrebik enters the fold alongside Carolina Hurricanes prospect Zach Jovanovski, giving Cory Stillman two very capable options. With the 2027 Memorial Cup coming to Guelph, the pressure is real. So is the roster.
2. London Knights (17.94)
Nobody reloads like London. Ottawa first-rounder Jaxon Cover turned heads at Senators rookie camp over the weekend and is in line for a bigger role up front, joined now by Carson Harmer, the 200-foot centreman acquired from Saginaw in the deal that sent Braidy Wassilyn the other way. Dallas pick Ryan Brown is coming off a big step forward, the Knights are hopeful Henry Brzustewicz will be back to anchor the back end, and import additions Marcus Nordmark and Luca Santala are both players to watch. Aleksei Medvedev looks to bounce back with a big season in the crease. The Knights have dealt with high expectations before, and have a track record of handling them pretty well.
3. Saginaw Spirit (14.84)
Dima Zhilkin’s 75-point, 100-penalty-minute sophomore season made him a first-round NHL Draft conversation, and he’ll captain a Saginaw group that just added Braidy Wassilyn from London — more offence for a club with a long history of producing it at a high rate. Levi Harper’s 57 points as a rookie set a club record for a rookie blueliner, and 6-foot-8 Drew Roscoe gives the Spirit size beside him. Stepan Shurygin and San Jose pick Brady Knowling form one of the better goaltending pictures in the West. Brendan Taylor takes on his first head coaching job with plenty at his disposal. The question hanging over Saginaw is a good one: when, or whether, reigning rookie of the year and scoring champion Nikita Klepov returns from Anaheim.
4. Ottawa 67’s (14.63)
The surprise of 2025-26 doesn’t feel like a surprise anymore. Dave Cameron’s Coach of the Year season produced 100 points on the strength of a defence that never needed to outscore anyone, and Kohyn Eshkawkogan, David Bedkowski, Kaleb Dietsch and plus-48 Connor Bewick are all back. Filip Ekberg (24 goals) and Nic Whitehead (25) return up front, with Brock Chitaroni in line for a bigger role. Replacing OHL Goaltender of the Year Ryder Fetterolf is the assignment, and Jaeden Nelson’s 2.33 goals-against average and .915 save percentage suggest Ottawa already has the answer in-house.
5. Peterborough Petes (13.72)
Peterborough can score. Vancouver first-rounder Adam Novotny and Detroit prospect Adam Levac headline a forward group that adds 34-goal man Cooper Dennis and welcomes back overager Lucas Karmiris, who missed all of last season following knee surgery. Forward Leon Kolarik’s 41-point rookie year and Matthew Perreault’s 30 points as a 16-year-old defenceman add to the depth in front of captain Carson Cameron, and the recent addition of defenceman Jacob Xu from London should provide steady shutdown minutes. The crease is the one unsettled piece, with Owen Nelson and Peterborough native Masen Johnston splitting the early work.
6. Kingston Frontenacs (13.03)
Captain Vann Williamson choosing another OHL season over Clarkson set the tone for Kingston’s summer. Matthew Minchak was among the league’s steadier netminders a year ago and opens the season in the crease, with Gavin Betts starting the year injured. Los Angeles Kings prospect Adam Goljer joins the blue line and links up with Slovak countrymen Alex Misiak and Tomas Pobezal in the lineup. Troy Mann has made no secret of wanting a J. Ross Robertson Cup in Kingston. How the Frontenacs stack up against the East’s top three might be the biggest question in the conference.
7. Flint Firebirds (12.03)
Scratching out offence is the challenge in Flint. Nathan Aspinall, Kevin He, Alex Kostov and Jacob Battaglia are all gone, and replacing that production falls to Los Angeles Kings prospect Jimmy Lombardi and a supporting cast of Charlie Murata, Simon Belohorsky and New York Rangers prospect Darian Anderson. What the Firebirds do have is a crease advantage — Mason Courville’s .921 save percentage returns alongside 6-foot-8 New Jersey pick Trenten Bennett — and GM Dave McParlan added St. Louis Blues prospect Nick Bogas to the blue line in a big preseason move. Paul Flache was a Coach of the Year finalist a year ago, and the media voters clearly see something they like here.
8. Sudbury Wolves (11.88)
The Wolves haven’t finished better than third in the Central Division since the pandemic, and this looks like the group to change that. The big swing came in a trade with Brampton for Tanner Adams, considered by many the top 2010-born player available, who joins fifth-overall pick Kash Kwajah up front. Artem Gonchar is a legitimate weapon on the power play and returns as an overage import alongside Jan Chovan and Ottawa pick Adam Nemec. Sudbury also plays with some snarl — Finn Kearns and Blake Clayton bring it every night. Settling the crease early, after using six goaltenders last season, would go a long way.
9. North Bay Battalion (11.56)
If depth decides the Central, North Bay has a case. Cam Warren is coming off a gold medal with Canada at the under-18s and Parker Vaughan can shoot it, but the real X-factor is Shamar Moses. The Florida prospect needs a bounce-back season up front, and if he finds it, look out. Overage forward Rene Van Bommel was a notable summer addition, giving the Troops some physical muscle. On the back end, Ryan Oulahen trusts Aaron Enright, Kent Greer and plus-18 Adrian Manzo, and don’t forget 7-foot-1 San Jose prospect Alexander Karmanov. Overage goaltender Mike McIvor can swing a division race either way.
10. Owen Sound Attack (11.34)
New era, familiar names. Captain Pierce Mbuyi is back, and Cole Zurawski was electric in exhibition play, leading the league with 15 points (4-11–15) in six games. Harry Nansi, Wesley Royston and newcomer Lucian Bernat round out five NHL-drafted forwards. The biggest offseason addition was Ryerson Leenders, the winningest active goaltender in the league, acquired from Brantford. Twenty-eight-year-old head coach Keenan Reynolds and president of hockey operations Tyler Nother, also 28, are running one of the youngest front offices in the CHL, and eighth-overall pick Max Fransen headlines a retooled blue line. Centre depth is the file to watch, with sophomore Max Delisle looking to take a step.
11. Kitchener Rangers (10.38)
A banner goes up on opening night, and then Kitchener gets on with it. Jussi Ahokas is off to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, replaced internally by Jeff Kyrzakos, with alumni Nick Spaling and Jake Paterson joining the staff. Alexander Bilecki and Andrew MacNiel give the Rangers two NHL-drafted defencemen to build around, with Tanner Lam, Luca Romano and Cameron Arquette up front. Jason Schaubel steps out of the backup role and into the crease full-time. The veteran losses are significant, but the media voters clearly still believe in the Rangers, placing them 11th.
12. Soo Greyhounds (10.13)
Drew Bannister is back behind an OHL bench, and the Hounds have given him something to work with. Jeremy Martin’s 26 goals, Jordan Charron, Travis Hayes, Colin Fitzgerald, Quinn McKenzie and Buffalo prospect Doman Szongoth form a forward group that can carry a night. New recruit Trevor Daley Jr. missed most of last season with an injury but showed well in exhibition play. There are some question marks on the blue line, where Harris Pangretitsch and Callum Croskery work together to try and fill the void left by Chase Reid. The crease is crowded with Landon Miller, William Camputaro and import David Vermirovsky battling for responsibility. Sort out the back end and the Soo sitting atop the West in March isn’t far-fetched.
13. Brantford Bulldogs (9.78)
No team in the league looks less like it did in April. Jake O’Brien turned pro with Seattle, Caleb Malhotra is at Boston University, and both of last year’s goaltenders were traded on the same day in June. Michael Babcock takes over behind the bench, with Brian Burke and Gary Roberts added as senior advisors. The headline arrival is Kaden McGregor, the former first overall OHL Priority Selection pick acquired from Peterborough, who gets a fresh start and a featured role. Summer additions Cullen McCrate and Abe Barnett bolster the defence, and Vilmer Salen Forsberg and Chase Petrova appear set to share the crease after Maksim Corovic was dealt to Owen Sound. It’s a blank canvas — and a fair question whether it becomes a disruptive one in the East sooner than expected.
14. Sarnia Sting (7.56)
Sarnia has been out of the playoff conversation long enough that a return feels overdue. Captain Alessandro Di Iorio is back alongside Easton Walos, whose 25-goal rookie season ranked among the league’s best. Brenner Lammens, who just celebrated his 17th birthday, always seems to find a way to get involved, whether that be on the scoresheet or under an opponent’s skin. Former first-round pick Logan Hawery had a strong preseason and looks to add substantially to last season’s four-goal output. On the back end, fourth-overall pick Adrian Sgro showed signs he’s ready to make an impact right away. Utah prospect Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko profiles as a frontline starter, and head coach Mathieu Turcotte has a full season in front of him after inheriting a struggling team last November.
15. Windsor Spitfires (7.06)
The graduation bill came due in Windsor. Jack Nesbitt, Ethan Belchetz and AJ Spellacy are gone, and so is goaltender Joey Costanzo. Filling that crease is the assignment, and Michael Newlove — a former first overall OHL U18 Draft pick — was very strong in exhibition play. What’s left up front still has some punch: Detroit prospect Michal Svrcek arrives from Sweden’s top professional league, Edmonton pick Caden Harvey returns, and newcomers Ty Bergeron and Bogdan Yakushevsky are worth watching early. Greg Walters has gotten more out of less before, and continuity behind the bench matters in a year like this one.
16. Barrie Colts (6.81)
Back-to-back division titles, and now the reload. Cole Beaudoin and Kashawn Aitcheson are NHL property and the list of departures runs deep behind them. Arvin Jaswal, 18-3-3 as a rookie, starts the year injured, leaving Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Matvei Nikonovich and Hagan Bach to hold the net. New York Rangers draftee Evan Passmore leads a defence that adds 6-foot-6 rookie Declan McNally and fellow first-rounder Lucas Matheson, who showed real offensive flair from the back end during the preseason. Marty Williamson and Dylan Smoskowitz both signed extensions. The Colts will be young, but Smoskowitz demonstrated last season that he can get this group to play for him.
17. Erie Otters (6.19)
The Otters are hungry to get back into contention. Michael Dec’s 25 goals and 53 points lead a returning group that includes Evan Headrick, Mclean Agrette and breakout candidate Tyler Cooper, who had 14 points in 21 games after Feb. 1. David Egorov comes over from Brantford with 21 wins and a .920 save percentage. Chicago prospect Ty Henry is back from knee surgery as an overager on the back end, Colin Kennedy may be the best skater to come out of the 2026 Priority Selection, and Austrian newcomer Paul Schuster made a strong first impression in exhibition play. Kris Mallette’s group plays six of its first seven on the road.
18. Oshawa Generals (4.69)
Missing the playoffs for the first time since 2010 stung, and Oshawa spent the summer making sure it doesn’t happen twice. First-overall pick Kane Cloutier headlines the incoming class, and Tyler Hinde — last year’s OJHL rookie of the year — announced himself with nine points (2-7–9) in six preseason games. The Generals also added a strong defensive option in Colorado Avalanche prospect Linus Funck, acquired from London. Six-foot-seven Vancouver pick Brooks Rogowski and 24-goal overager Harrison Franssen power the attack. Mario Pouliot’s group remains young, and secondary scoring will go a long way toward determining where it finishes.
19. Niagara IceDogs (3.59)
A full reset in St. Catharines. Ryan Roobroeck and Ethan Czata are in Guelph, Dale DeGray has taken over as general manager, and Jake Grimes — a Memorial Cup-winning associate coach in Saginaw in 2024 — runs the bench. Ryerson Edgar is the one to watch after 23 goals and 49 points as a 16-year-old, with 2027 NHL Draft attention already following him. The IceDogs will look to draw production out of a series of offseason additions up front, including Layne Gallacher, Wil McFadden, newcomer Carter Lewandowski and Czech import Stepan Stejskal. Goaltender Vladislav Yermolenko was the best player on the ice some nights last season. He’ll need to be again.
20. Brampton Steelheads (3.38)
Last in the voting, but the cupboard isn’t bare. The biggest development of Brampton’s summer came late, when the Steelheads sent Tanner Adams to Sudbury for a boatload of draft picks, handing head coach and GM James Richmond a pile of ammunition to work with. Finland’s Oskari Ahmajarvi takes over the crease alongside U.S. recruit Neilan Johnson. Keaton Ardagh scored 14 goals as a 16-year-old and should take a real step, with the hard-working Troy Patton alongside him, while Peter Green, Carter Hicks, Zach Nyman and Mason Roy give Richmond a young defence to build around. This is a development season with a long runway.
