19 OHL alumni take part in 2026 ESE All-Star Challenge

Nineteen current and former Ontario Hockey League players hit the ice at the 2026 ESE All-Star Challenge on August 5 at Suburban Ice Rochester in Rochester, Michigan.

The annual event brought together professional, collegiate and junior hockey talent for a night of summer hockey, with admission offered by donation and proceeds supporting Benton and the Urban Hockey Foundation.

Team DeBrincat featured three OHL alumni: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters), Cam Fowler (Windsor Spitfires) and Jack Studnicka (Oshawa Generals/Niagara IceDogs).

Four more suited up for Team Brzustewicz, including brothers Henry Brzustewicz (London Knights) and Hunter Brzustewicz (Kitchener Rangers), along with Henry Mews (Ottawa 67’s/Sudbury Wolves) and Max Namestnikov (Sarnia Sting/Guelph Storm).

Former Saginaw Spirit forward Trevor Theuer represented Team Reitter, while Team Hawkins featured four OHL alumni in Dalton Duhart (London Knights/Barrie Colts/Saginaw Spirit), Drake Rymsha (London Knights/Ottawa 67’s/Sarnia Sting), Mitchell Smith (Saginaw Spirit) and Samuel DiBlasi (Saginaw Spirit).

The largest OHL contingent belonged to eventual champion Team Barnes, which featured six former OHL players on the ice: Blake Barnes (Niagara IceDogs), Andrew Gibson (Soo Greyhounds/Oshawa Generals), Logan Mailloux (London Knights), Sam O’Reilly (London Knights/Kitchener Rangers), Teddy Spitznagel (Ottawa 67’s) and Ty Tullio (Oshawa Generals). Ryan Barnes, a former forward with the Sudbury Wolves, Toronto St. Michael’s Majors and Barrie Colts who later served as an assistant coach with the Peterborough Petes, was behind the bench for Team Barnes, bringing the team’s total OHL representation to seven.