Kasper Halttunen presented Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as MVP of 2025 OHL Playoffs
London, ON – With 21 points (15-6-21) in 17 playoff games, including nine goals in the OHL Championship Series, London Knights forward Kasper Halttunen was voted the Most Valuable Player of the 2025 OHL Playoffs by accredited media at Canada Life Place on Thursday night.
The first CHL Import Draft Selection to earn OHL Playoff MVP honours, Halttunen scored twice in London’s 5-2 series-clinching win over the Oshawa Generals in Game 5. In a rematch of last year’s OHL Championship Series, OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford presented Halttunen with the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award, making him the sixth player in franchise history to receive the accolade, joining Easton Cowan (2024), Mitch Marner (2016), Bo Horvat (2013), Austin Watson (2012) and Corey Perry (2005).
Selected by the San Jose Sharks in the second round (36th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft, the Finnish-born blueliner reflected on the honour.
“Obviously it means a lot, but that’s a team trophy right there. I couldn’t of done it without any of those guys. It doesn’t matter who wins individual trophies, what matters is the trophy that the boys are lifting right now together.”
Halttunen’s nine OHL Championship Series goals are the most by a single player since Belleville’s Jonathan Cheechoo, another Sharks prospect, scored nine in 1999.
Halttunen and the Knights advance to the 2025 Memorial Cup as they seek redemption after narrowly missing out on CHL supremacy last June.
Wayne Gretzky 99 Award winners:
2025 – Kasper Halttunen (London Knights)
2024 – Easton Cowan (London Knights)
2023 – Michael Simpson (Peterborough Petes)
2022 – Logan Morrison (Hamilton Bulldogs)
2019 – Nick Suzuki (Guelph Storm)
2018 – Robert Thomas (Hamilton Bulldogs)
2017 – Warren Foegele (Erie Otters)
2016 – Mitchell Marner (London Knights)
2015 – Connor McDavid (Erie Otters)
2014 – Robby Fabbri (Guelph Storm)
2013 – Bo Horvat (London Knights)
2012 – Austin Watson (London Knights)
2011 – Robby Mignardi (Owen Sound Attack)
2010 – Adam Henrique (Windsor Spitfires)
2009 – Taylor Hall (Windsor Spitfires)
2008 – Justin Azevedo (Kitchener Rangers)
2007 – Marc Staal (Sudbury Wolves)
2006 – Daniel Ryder (Peterborough Petes)
2005 – Corey Perry (London Knights)
2004 – Martin St. Pierre (Guelph Storm)
2003 – Derek Roy (Kitchener Rangers)
2002 – Brad Boyes (Erie Otters)
2001 – Seamus Kotyk (Ottawa 67’s)
2000 – Brian Finley (Barrie Colts)
1999 – Justin Papineau (Belleville Bulls)
