2025 OHL Year in Review

By Breanna McNeill December 31, 2025

As we count down to the start of 2026, we’re looking back at the standout moments, milestones, and storylines that defined an unforgettable year across the Ontario Hockey League!

Inaugural Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game Presented by Enbridge Gas

The year kicked off with the first-ever Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game Presented by Enbridge Gas in Brantford, Ont. Top NHL Draft prospects showcased their skills before fans and NHL scouts, with the Eastern Conference edging the West 5-4 in overtime (highlights) thanks to a dramatic winner from Porter Martone (Brampton Steelheads).

The event returns in 2026, this time in Peterborough from January 13-15. New additions include Top Prospects Showcases at the U16 AAA and GOHL levels, giving scouts an expanded look at rising talent. For more information on the rosters or to buy tickets, click here.

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Second Chances on Centre Stage: Four Players Revive Draft Hopes at the 2026 Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game

Sean Reid Sets the OHL Officiating Record

Veteran referee Sean Reid made league history on January 10 in Ottawa, working his 1,109th career regular-season game to set a new OHL officiating record.

Reflecting on the 2025 OHL Cup & 2026 Expansion

The 2025 OHL Cup featured 20 U16 AAA teams from Ontario and Michigan. The wildcard Toronto Jr. Canadiens captured the championship with a 3-2 win over the Don Mills Flyers – JRC’s second title in three years. They became just the fourth wildcard team to win the event and the first to claim both the U14 OHL Cup and OHL Cup under Head Coach Matt Viola.

Several members of the championship roster have already made their OHL debuts, including Keaton Ardagh (Brampton Steelheads), Noah Laus (Soo Greyhounds), Jax Pereira (North Bay Battalion), Sam Roberts (Oshawa Generals), Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion).

Looking ahead, the 2026 OHL Cup Showcase will expand to 25 teams and run March 30 – April 4 in Toronto, with games at Scotiabank Pond and the Championship Final at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

Zayne Parekh Reaches the 100‑Point Plateau

On March 6, Saginaw Spirit defenceman and Calgary Flames prospect Zayne Parekh became just the ninth blueliner in OHL history to record a 100‑point season – and the first since Ryan Ellis in 2011. Parekh finished with 107 points (33-74–107), made his NHL debut in April, and scored in his first game. He is currently representing Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

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Nick Lardis Joins the 70‑Goal Club

On March 8th, Brantford Bulldogs forward and Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis became only the eighth player in CHL history to reach the 70‑goal mark since 2000. His 71‑goal season is the OHL’s highest total since John Tavares scored 72 in 2006-07. Lardis also made his NHL debut this season, scoring his first goal with Chicago.

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NHL Debut: Nick Lardis (December 13, 2025)

Revisiting the 2025 OHL Priority Selection

A total of 303 players were selected in the 15-round process from 88 different programs. The selected players included 169 forwards, 107 defencemen, and 27 goaltenders. A total of 283 of the players chosen were 2009-born athletes while 14 were born in 2008 and six were born in 2007. The Peterborough Petes made the first overall pick after winning the 2025 OHL Priority Selection Draft Lottery, securing the top selection for the first time in franchise history. The Petes selected 2009-born forward Kaden McGregor of the Ottawa Valley Titans to open the proceedings.

A Look Back at the OHL Playoffs

The 2025 OHL Playoffs delivered a postseason defined by dominance in the West and disruption in the East, culminating in a re-match championship series.

Once again, the London Knights stormed through the Western Conference with a flawless 12-0 record, powered by Easton Cowan – who claimed the top spot on the Knights’ all-time playoff points leaderboard – Sam Dickinson, Kasper Halttunen, and standout goaltender Austin Elliott. The West also produced one of the playoffs’ most dramatic turns, as the Kitchener Rangers stunned the Windsor Spitfires with a reverse sweep, erasing a 3-0 deficit and winning four straight which was capped by an overtime victory in Game 7 to advance to the conference final.

In the East, the Oshawa Generals authored the postseason’s signature surge, knocking off the number one seeded Brantford Bulldogs, sweeping the Barrie Colts, and riding breakout performances from Beckett Sennecke, Calum Ritchie, Ben Danford and Jacob Oster to return to the league final as a fourth seed.

The championship series was a rematch from the year before, showcasing the contrast between London’s machine‑like consistency and Oshawa’s revenge mentality. Despite dropping the first game of the series and their first of the playoffs, the Knights bounced back to win four straight and capture the J. Ross Robertson Cup following a 5-2 win in Game 5 at Canada Life Place. This was bench boss Dale Hunter’s fifth championship, tying the OHL record for most championships by a head coach.

A New League Attendance Record

After the completion of the 2024-25 playoffs, the league announced that it has established a new all-time attendance record of over 3.2 million fans through the turnstiles during the regular season and playoffs. A record of more than 2.8 million fans attended during the regular season alone before an additional 380,203 attended games throughout the OHL Playoffs. The new record eclipses the previous mark set back in 2015-16.

London Knights Win Memorial Cup

The London Knights returned the the Memorial Cup for the second straight year, determined to flip the script after losing in the final to the Saginaw Spirit in 2024. The Knights went 2-1 in the round-robin, before taking down the Moncton Wildcats 5-2 in the semifinals, setting up a rematch with Gavin McKenna and the Medicine Hat Tigers – whom had given them their only loss so far in the tournament.

In the championship game, the Knights secured their third Memorial Cup title in franchise history with a 4-1 victory. Four London players were named to the 2025 Memorial Cup All-Star Team:

(F) Easton Cowan
(F) Denver Barkey
(D) Sam Dickinson
(G) Austin Elliott

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Celebrating Excellence: OHL & CHL Awards

Bumbacco Trophy (OHL West Division Champion) – Windsor Spitfires
CHL Defenceman of the Year Award – Sam Dickinson, London Knights
CHL Goaltender of the Year Award – Jackson Parsons, Kitchener Rangers
CHL Top Draft Prospect Award – Matthew Schaefer, Erie Otters
CHL Top Scorer Award – Michael Misa, Saginaw Spirit
Dave Pinkney Trophy (Lowest Team GAA) – Austin Elliott and Aleksei Medvedev, London Knights
Eddie Powers Trophy (OHL Top Scorer presented by Kubota) – Michael Misa, Saginaw Spirit
Emms Family Award (OHL Rookie of the Year) – Pierce Mbuyi, Owen Sound Attack
Emms Trophy (OHL Central Division Champion) – Barrie Colts
FW ‘Dinty’ Moore Trophy (Lowest Rookie GAA) – Aleksei Medvedev, London Knights
Hamilton Spectator Trophy (OHL Regular Season Champion) – London Knights
Holody Trophy (OHL Midwest Division Champion) – London Knights
Jim Gregory Trophy (OHL General Manager of the Year) – Kory Cooper, Kingston Frontenacs
Jim Mahon Trophy (Top Scoring Right Winger) – Nick Lardis, Brantford Bulldogs
Jim Rutherford Trophy (OHL Goaltender of the Year) – Jackson Parsons, Kitchener Rangers
Leo Lalonde Trophy (OHL Overage Player of the Year) – Jackson Parsons, Kitchener Rangers
Leyden Trophy (OHL East Division Champion) – Brantford Bulldogs
Matt Leyden Trophy (OHL Coach of the Year) – Jussi Ahokas, Kitchener Rangers
Max Kaminsky Trophy (OHL Defenceman of the Year) – Sam Dickinson, London Knights
Roger Neilson Memorial Award (OHL Top Academic Post-Secondary Student) – Thomas Budnick, Brantford Bulldogs
Stafford Smythe Trophy (MVP of 2025 Memorial Cup) – Easton Cowan, London Knights
Wayne Gretzky 99 Award (MVP of 2025 OHL Playoffs) – Kasper Halttunen, London Knights
William Hanley Trophy (OHL Most Sportsmanlike Player) – Ilya Protas, Windsor Spitfires

OHL Talent Shines in the 2025 NHL Draft

This past june, 41 OHL players were selected in the seven rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California. It marks the most OHL players chosen at the NHL Draft since 2017 – including nine in the first round and five in the top ten.

1st. Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters) – New York Islanders
2nd. Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit) – San Jose Sharks
5th. Brady Martin (Soo Greyhounds) – Nashville Predators
6th. Porter Martone (Brampton Steelheads) – Philadelphia Flyers
8th. Jake O’Brien (Brantford Bulldogs) – Seattle Kraken
12th. Jack Nesbitt (Windsor Spitfires) – Philadelphia Flyers
17th. Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie Colts) – New York Islanders
21st. Cameron Reid (Kitchener Rangers) – Nashville Predators
31st. Henry Brzustewicz (London Knights) – Los Angeles Kings

Strengthening Coverage: The FloHockey Partnership

This year the OHL and FloSports entered a landmark seven-year media partnership that began with the start of the 2025-26 season. The new agreement established FloHockey as the global home for live and on-demand streaming coverage of the OHL’s full regular season, postseason, and marquee league events and an essential destination for Canadian hockey. Fans can sign up for an account by clicking here.

GOHL Officially Recognized as the OHL’s Development League

Announced in September, the GOHL entered a new era. Beginning this season, the league started a phased transition to the Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL) and officially became the first development league of the OHL. With 23 teams across Southern Ontario, the league provides meaningful opportunities for young athletes to grow through high-level competition, academic support, and community engagement.

For more information on the GOHL or their OHL alignment, click here.

The Inaugural Rivalry Week Sets a New Tone

The start of the 2025-26 season saw the inaugural Rivalry Week take place, bringing both divisional and in some cases cross-conference battles to the forefront. The matchups featured a home-and-home series between two familiar opponents. Here are the results from this year:

Erie Otters vs. Niagara IceDogs (1-1)
Guelph Storm vs. Owen Sound Attack (1-1)
Kingston Frontenacs vs. Ottawa 67’s (1-1)
Kitchener Rangers vs. London Knights (1-1)
Sarnia Sting vs. Windsor Spitfires (1-1)
Soo Greyhounds vs. Sudbury Wolves (1-1)
Flint Firebirds vs. Saginaw Spirit (2-0 FLNT)
Barrie Colts vs. North Bay Battalion (2-0 NB)

OHL Announces Return to an In‑Person Draft Format

In November, the league announced that the 2026 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore will be held in-person for the first time since 2000. The draft will take place June 12-13, 2026, at Slush Puppie Place in Kingston, home of the Kingston Frontenacs.

Ethan Miedema Hits the 300‑Game Milestone

Guelph Storm veteran Ethan Miedema hit a significant OHL milestone in December becoming the first OHL player born this century to reach the 300 career-game milestone. Reaching this landmark is something only a handful of players each season typically accomplish, however this feat hasn’t occurred in several years due to the lost 2020-21 season as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

OHL Players Represent on International Stage

OHL talent continued to shine around the world in 2025, with players and prospects earning opportunities to compete at the highest levels of international hockey. From the World Juniors to the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, OHL athletes proudly represented their teams and their countries on the global stage.

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OHL Alumni Shine

From Stanley Cup champions to international gold medalists, OHL alumni made their mark in 2025 across the NHL, AHL, U SPORTS, and international competition.

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2025 OHL Year in Review

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