76 OHL Players Included on NHL Central Scouting’s Final 2026 NHL Draft Rankings

TORONTO – A total of 76 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) players have been included in NHL Central Scouting’s Final Draft Rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft, underscoring the league’s depth heading into June.

 

CANADIAN HOCKEY LEAGUE BOASTS 75.5 PER CENT OF RANKS TO LEAD ALL NORTH AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT LEAGUES

The list features 65 skaters and 11 goaltenders from across the OHL, spanning all 20 member clubs. In total, 197 players developed across the Canadian Hockey League’s (CHL) three member leagues (OHL, WHL, and QMJHL) were included in the final rankings. The Western Hockey League (WHL) leads the way with 78 current players (69 skaters, 9 goaltenders), while the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) features 41 (35 skaters, 6 goaltenders).

Of the 224 North American skaters ranked, 65 hail from the OHL, accounting for approximately 29% of the list.

Defenceman Chase Reid of the Soo Greyhounds leads the way among OHL prospects, ranked second overall on the North American Skater list. He is one of four OHL players inside the top 10, joined by Caleb Malhotra of the Brantford Bulldogs (6), Nikita Klepov (8), and Ethan Belchetz of the Windsor Spitfires (9).

“It was difficult to come up with this order, and there is strong consensus that all four of these defencemen are going to be franchise builders,” said Dan Marr, Vice President and Director of NHL Central Scouting, on the latest edition of the NHL Draft Class podcast. “[Chase] Reid was the new kid on the block, but at every level and in every situation he was put in, he didn’t just perform — he excelled with the puck. He also has a very strong defensive game, which I don’t think he gets enough credit for.”

Malhotra, who arrived in the OHL after a season in the BCHL, quickly established himself as one of the league’s most complete forwards. The 17-year-old recorded 84 points (29-55–84) in 67 games, setting a new single-season mark for most points by a Brantford Bulldogs rookie. He also posted a plus-33 rating, added eight game-winning goals, and produced 30 points on the power play, proving he could thrive alongside older, skilled players on a deep roster.

“Caleb had a more well-rounded game for us. Going into the season, he was a bit more unknown after coming from the BCHL, but right from the first game, we knew we had to move him to an A-rated prospect,” Marr said. “He has a complete game — he plays with composure and compete, and makes plays where there is no play. He’s very well respected within his team and around the league.”

Klepov’s offensive instincts have also stood out among this year’s class, as he emerged as one of the most dangerous scorers in the OHL. The Saginaw Spirit forward led the league with 97 points (37-60–97) in 67 games, capturing the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the OHL’s top point producer while also being named the recipient of the Emms Family Award as OHL Rookie of the Year.

In doing so, Klepov became the first player since Patrick Kane in 2007 to win both honours in the same season. He also tied a Saginaw franchise rookie record with 37 goals, adding 38 power-play points and three shorthanded markers to showcase his all-situations impact.

“He reminds me of Ilya Kovalchuk — always open, always dangerous with the one-timer,” Marr said. “He’s that type of scorer, but he’s also a hard-working two-way player who understands the game very well. When he’s ready, he’s going to hit the NHL in a big way.”

Belchetz, meanwhile, has taken notable strides in rounding out his game, emerging as a physically imposing presence with a growing offensive toolkit. He remained at No. 9 despite being sidelined since late February after sustaining a season-ending injury.

“Ethan filled the holes in his game this past season, and any doubt people may have had, he erased,” Marr added. “He’s a power forward with good hands, strong puck skills, and high hockey sense. Sometimes it takes bigger players longer to reach their peak, but he’s already performing at a high level — and he hasn’t even reached that peak yet. He’s a huge physical presence, but also one of the more humble players you’ll meet.”

 

In total, 10 OHL players are ranked among the top 32 North American skaters, signalling strong first-round potential across the league.

By position, the OHL’s contribution to the list includes 14 centres, 17 left-wingers, 11 right-wingers, and 23 defencemen, along with 11 goaltenders.

All 20 OHL member teams are represented in the final rankings, led by the London Knights with seven players included – the highest total in the OHL. CHL-wide, that mark is matched by the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, while the Medicine Hat Tigers lead all CHL clubs with nine players ranked.

The 2026 NHL Draft will be held June 26–27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, marking the fourth time the Buffalo Sabres have hosted the event. The NHL will once again use a decentralized format, with prospects and their families attending in person while team executives make selections remotely from their home markets. Buffalo has also hosted the NHL’s annual Scouting Combine since 2015 and will welcome the league’s top draft-eligible prospects again this spring.

 

2026 NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings – OHL

SKATERS

RANK	PLAYER	POS.	TEAM
2	Chase Reid	D	Soo Greyhounds
6	Caleb Malhotra	C	Brantford Bulldogs
8	Nikita Klepov	RW	Saginaw Spirit
9	Ethan Belchetz	LW	Windsor Spitfires
14	Adam Novotny	LW	Peterborough Petes
21	Brooks Rogowski	C	Oshawa Generals
25	Ryder Cali	C	North Bay Battalion
27	Adam Nemec	LW	Sudbury Wolves
28	Ryan Roobroeck	LW	Niagara IceDogs
29	Jaxon Cover	RW	London Knights
35	Thomas Vandenberg	C	Ottawa 67’s
40	Maksim Sokolovskii	D	London Knights
41	Alessandro Di Iorio	C	Sarnia Sting
43	Egor Barabanov	C	Saginaw Spirit
47	Vladimir Dravecky	D	Brantford Bulldogs
49	Alexander Bilecki	D	Kitchener Rangers
56	Pierce Mbuyi	LW	Owen Sound Attack
59	Cole Zurawski	RW	Owen Sound Attack
68	Eric Frossard	D	Guelph Storm
69	Beckham Edwards	C	Sarnia Sting
71	Ben Wilmott	C	Barrie Colts
73	Alex Kostov	RW	Flint Firebirds
75	Spencer Bowes	LW	Ottawa 67’s
80	Wesley Royston	RW	Owen Sound Attack
82	Colin Fitzgerald	C	Soo Greyhounds
83	Parker Vaughan	RW	North Bay Battalion
85	Carter Stevens	RW	Guelph Storm
91	Lucas Ambrosio	D	Erie Otters
95	Jasper Kuhta	C	Ottawa 67’s
97	Adam Levac	C	Peterborough Petes
103	Jean-Cristoph Lemieux	LW	Sudbury Wolves
105	Braidy Wassilyn	LW	London Knights
110	Callum Croskery	D	Soo Greyhounds
118	Aiden O’Donnell	LW	Oshawa Generals
119	Layne Gallacher	C	Guelph Storm
124	Brody Pepoy	RW	Saginaw Spirit
141	Brady Murnane	D	Oshawa Generals
142	Andre Mondoux	D	Kingston Frontenacs
143	Cohen Bidgood	RW	London Knights
148	Nathan Amidovski	LW	Brampton Steelheads
152	Joe Salandra	RW	Barrie Colts
157	Ondrej Ruml	D	Ottawa 67’s
159	Harris Pangretitsch	D	Soo Greyhounds
169	Julian Brown	D	Owen Sound Attack
171	Dryden Allen	D	Flint Firebirds
175	Leo Laschon	D	Oshawa Generals
181	Illia Shybinskyi	LW	Guelph Storm
182	Leon Kolarik	LW	Peterborough Petes
184	Ryan Brown	LW	London Knights
186	Darian Anderson	RW	Flint Firebirds
188	Caden Harvey	C	Windsor Spitfires
190	Jacob Vandeven	D	London Knights
194	Rowan Henderson	LW	Sudbury Wolves
196	Weston Cameron	LW	Kitchener Rangers
201	Rylan Singh	LW	Guelph Storm
202	Colin Feeley	D	Oshawa Generals
205	Andrew Robinson	D	Windsor Spitfires
207	Justin Handsor	D	Barrie Colts
212	Grady Spicer	D	Windsor Spitfires
214	Alexander Karmanov	D	North Bay Battalion
217	Alex McLean	C	Kingston Frontenacs
218	Julius Saari	D	Erie Otters
219	Cody Wood	D	London Knights
220	Elliot Arnett	D	Owen Sound Attack
223	Aiden Young	LW	Peterborough Petes

 

GOALTENDERS

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM
11	Ryder Fetterolf	Ottawa 67’s
12	Zachary Jovanovski	Guelph Storm
13	Stepan Shurygin	Saginaw Spirit
15	Matthew Minchak	Kingston Frontenacs
17	Vladislav Yermolenko	Niagara IceDogs
18	Arvin Jaswal	Barrie Colts
23	Matthew Humphries	Oshawa Generals
24	Gavin Betts	Kingston Frontenacs
31	Ben Hrebik	Barrie Colts
32	Maksim Corovic	Brantford Bulldogs
36	Jason Schaubel	Kitchener Rangers

 

Related Articles

Learn more about some of the OHL prospects featured in NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings:

• Chase Reid: Seventh-Round Steal Turned One of the OHL’s Top Rookies
• Brooks Rogowski: Unlikely Path from Michigan High School Hockey to the OHL
• Adam Novotny and Chase Reid: Aim to Shine on World Stage Ahead of 2026 NHL Draft
• Ryder Fetterolf: 67’s Rewrite Expectations with Rookie Goaltending and Depth Scoring
• Caleb Malhotra and Alessandro Di Iorio: Reunite at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge
• Jaxon Cover: From the Cayman Islands to OHL Ice
• Beckham Edwards and Alessandro Di Iorio: The Sophomore Duo Changing the Game in Sarnia 

 

For the full NHL Central Scouting Final Draft Rankings, visit nhl.com.