Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game presented by Enbridge Gas: Game Preview

Some of the strongest 2025 NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the Ontario Hockey League are ready to hit the ice tonight in a sold-out Brantford crowd at the inaugural Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game, presented by Enbridge Gas. This premier event provides elite players with a platform to showcase their skills and leave a lasting impression on scouts and fans alike.

Forty-two OHL players on the NHL scouting radar will take part in this highly anticipated event, which pits the League’s top prospects from the Eastern Conference against those from the Western Conference. Each team features 19 skaters and two goaltenders, with a pair of roster spots on each team filled by unsigned overage players at the request of NHL Central Scouting.

The Eastern Conference team will be led by Brantford Bulldogs captain Jake O’Brien, last year’s OHL Rookie of the Year, who was recently ranked eighth among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting. Supporting him are assistant captains Porter Martone and Lucas Karmiris of the Brampton Steelheads, along with Kashawn Aitcheson of the Barrie Colts. Behind the bench, Bulldogs Head Coach Jay McKee and his staff will guide the team.

The Western Conference team will be captained by Michael Misa of the Saginaw Spirit, who is ranked third by NHL Central Scouting in the latest report. He’ll be supported by assistants Brady Martin of the Soo Greyhounds, Cameron Reid of the Kitchener Rangers, and Malcolm Spence of the Erie Otters. Though injured blueliner Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters will not compete, he was also named to the team’s leadership group. The Western Conference coaching staff includes Chris Lazary (Saginaw Spirit) as head coach, assisted by the Spirit staff.

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN

If you weren’t able to secure tickets, don’t worry! The game will be streamed live and free on OHL Live on CHL TV, YouTube, and across social media platforms X and Facebook. The Rogers TV broadcast team, with Reed Duthie on play-by-play and Norm Miller as colour commentator, will bring the action to life. Troy Izlakar will provide in-game analysis from between the benches, while Cassie Turkstra serves as the in-game host. Locally, fans can tune in on Rogers TV, YourTV, and Eastlink TV, or on the OHL Action Pak. For live audio coverage, CityNews AM 570’s team, featuring Kitchener Rangers play-by-play voice Mike Farwell and Paul Fixter, will be on the call from Brantford.

The game promises fast-paced action with the league’s top scorers, playmakers, and goaltenders. NHL scouts will be out in full force, evaluating the next generation of hockey stars. The puck drops at 7:00 PM ET at the Brantford Civic Centre.

The Connor McDavid #OHLTopProspects Game presented by @enbridgegas is coming up on Wednesday!

Which Conference will come out on top? pic.twitter.com/590RX0JyrD

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 14, 2025

EASTERN CONFERENCE ROSTER

Goaltenders

72 Jack Ivankovic (Brampton Steelheads)

88 David Egorov (Brantford Bulldogs)

Defence

4 Kaleb Dietsch (Ottawa 67’s)

5 Nolan Jackson (Ottawa 67’s)

7 Xander Velliaris (Saginaw Spirit)

8 Evan Passmore (Barrie Colts)

15 Carson Cameron (Peterborough Petes)

18 Jacob LeBlanc (North Bay Battalion)

77 Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie Colts)

Forwards

12 Ethan Czata (Niagara IceDogs)

24 Shamar Moses (North Bay Battalion)

26 Aiden Young (Peterborough Petes)

27 Lucas Karmiris (Brampton Steelheads)

29 Lirim Amidovski (North Bay Battalion)

34 Filip Ekberg (Ottawa 67’s)

44 Jake O’Brien (Brantford Bulldogs)

53 Beau Jelsma (Barrie Colts)

86 Joshua Avery (Brantford Bulldogs)

91 Tyler Hopkins (Kingston Frontenacs)

94 Porter Martone (Brampton Steelheads)

96 Owen Griffin (Oshawa Generals)

WESTERN CONFERENCE ROSTER

Goaltenders

31 Matthew Koprowski (Owen Sound Attack)

78 Aleksei Medvedev (London Knights)

Defence

2 Henry Brzustewicz (London Knights)

4 David Bedkowski (Owen Sound Attack)

5 Josh Glavin (Saginaw Spirit)

6 Mitch Young (Sarnia Sting)

13 Quinn Beauchesne (Guelph Storm)

18 Cameron Reid (Kitchener Rangers)

59 Daniil Skvortsov (Guelph Storm)

Forwards

10 Jimmy Lombardi (Flint Firebirds)

12 Adrian Misaljevic (Kitchener Rangers)

17 Malcolm Spence (Erie Otters)

29 Travis Hayes (Soo Greyhounds)

33 Sam Alfano (Erie Otters)

34 Harry Nansi (Owen Sound Attack)

42 Jacob Cloutier (Saginaw Spirit)

44 Brady Martin (Soo Greyhounds)

71 Jack Nesbitt (Windsor Spitfires)

77 Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit)

86 Luca Romano (Kitchener Rangers)

88 Carson Harmer (Saginaw Spirit)