O to Pros: NHL Season in Review

From record-setting performances, standout rookie campaigns and debuts, Ontario Hockey League (OHL) alumni continued to make their mark across the NHL throughout the 2025-26 regular season. Here’s a look at some of the top performances from former OHL players at hockey’s highest level:

 

Scoring Leaders

Forward Scoring Leader – Connor McDavid (Erie Otters/Edmonton Oilers)

McDavid once again set the standard offensively, leading the NHL with 138 points while also pacing the league with 90 assists. The Oilers captain extended his streak of 100-point seasons to six, further cementing his place among the game’s elite.

 

The 100-Point Club

Only eight players reached the 100-point plateau in the NHL this season, and three of them are OHL graduates. Joining McDavid are Mark Scheifele (Barrie Colts) at 103 points and Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack/Guelph Storm) at 101. That means OHL alumni made up nearly 40 percent of the league’s most exclusive scoring club.

 

Defenceman Scoring Leader – Evan Bouchard (London Knights/Edmonton Oilers)

Bouchard emerged as the NHL’s top-scoring defenceman, recording 95 points, including a league-leading 74 assists among blueliners in a breakout campaign.

 

Defencemen Goal Leaders

OHL graduates swept the top three spots in the NHL’s defenceman goal-scoring race:

• Jakub Chychrun (Sarnia Sting/Washington Capitals) – 26
• Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters/New York Islanders) – 23
• Darren Raddysh (Erie Otters/Tampa Bay Lightning) – 22

 

Rookie Standouts

Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters/New York Islanders)

The first-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft delivered one of the most remarkable rookie seasons ever by a defenceman. Schaefer’s 23 goals tied Hall of Famer Brian Leetch for the NHL record for goals by a rookie defenceman, a mark that had stood since 1988-89. Along the way, he broke Phil Housley’s 43-year record for most points by an 18-year-old defenceman (previously 57 in 1982-83) and surpassed Denis Potvin’s Islanders franchise record for goals by a rookie defenceman. At 18 years, 195 days, Schaefer became the youngest defenceman in NHL history to reach 50 career points. 

Despite missing the latter half of the 2024-25 season due to injury, Schaefer was a workhorse from the opening puck drop, leading all first-year defencemen in assists (36), points (59), power-play points (18), shots on goal (217), and average ice time (24:41). He also finished first among all rookies in penalties drawn. Schaefer was named NHL Rookie of the Month in both October and December and enters the awards race as the Calder Trophy front-runner.

 

Beckett Sennecke (Oshawa Generals/Anaheim Ducks)

The third-overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft made an immediate impact in Anaheim, scoring in his NHL debut on October 9 and never looking back. Sennecke finished the season with 60 points (23-37–60) in 79 games, tying Schaefer for the rookie lead in goals and finishing second among all first-year players in points. He ranked first among rookies in even-strength points with 46. 

Sennecke’s milestones came early and often. On March 4, a goal and an assist, ironically against Schaefer and the Islanders, made him the first NHL rookie to reach 50 points this season and the fastest rookie in Ducks history to do so (61 games), besting the mark set by Bobby Ryan (69 games). He recorded his first career hat trick on January 25 with the overtime winner in a 4-3 victory over Calgary, and he leaves his debut regular season as a cornerstone piece of Anaheim’s young core.

 

Goaltending Leaders

Minimum 25 games played

Scott Wedgewood (Plymouth Whalers/Colorado Avalanche) led all NHL goaltenders with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, anchoring the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

 

OHL Alumni Leading NHL Clubs

Several OHL graduates finished the season as top performers on their respective NHL teams:

Point Leaders

• Dallas Stars: Jason Robertson (Kingston Frontenacs/Niagara IceDogs) – 96
• Detroit Red Wings: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters) – 85
• Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid (Erie Otters) – 138
• Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack/Guelph Storm) – 101
• Philadelphia Flyers: Travis Konecny (Ottawa 67’s/Sarnia Sting) – 68
• St. Louis Blues: Robert Thomas (London Knights/Hamilton Bulldogs) – 64
• Winnipeg Jets: Mark Scheifele (Barrie Colts) – 103

 

Goals Leaders

• Calgary Flames: Morgan Frost (Soo Greyhounds) – 22
• Chicago Blackhawks: Tyler Bertuzzi (Guelph Storm) – 32
• Dallas Stars: Jason Robertson (Kingston Frontenacs/Niagara IceDogs) & Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires) – 45
• Detroit Red Wings: Alex DeBrincat (Erie Otters) – 41
• Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid (Erie Otters) – 48
• Nashville Predators: Steven Stamkos (Sarnia Sting) – 42
• New York Islanders: Bo Horvat (London Knights) – 31
• Philadelphia Flyers: Owen Tippett (Mississauga Steelheads/Saginaw Spirit) – 28
• St. Louis Blues: Robert Thomas (London Knights/Hamilton Bulldogs) – 25
• Toronto Maple Leafs: John Tavares (Oshawa Generals/London Knights) – 31

 

Trophy Winners & Honours

Art Ross – Connor McDavid (Erie Otters/Edmonton Oilers)

McDavid collected points in 68 of 82 games, recording 43 multi-point performances while reaching the 100-point mark for the sixth consecutive season. He also became one of the fastest players in NHL history to reach both the 1,100- and 1,200-point milestones, while marking the 13th straight year a CHL alumnus has captured the Art Ross Trophy.

 

William M. Jennings – Scott Wedgewood & Mackenzie Blackwood (Colorado Avalanche)

The Avalanche allowed a league-low 203 goals as Wedgewood (Plymouth Whalers; 31 wins, 2.02 GAA, .921 SV%) and Blackwood (Barrie Colts; 23 wins, 2.51 GAA, .904 SV%) combined to backstop Colorado to a league-leading 121 points.

 

Bill Masterton – OHL Alumni Nominees

Awarded to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

• Taylor Hall (Windsor Spitfires/Carolina Hurricanes)
• Gabriel Landeskog (Kitchener Rangers/Colorado Avalanche)
• Boone Jenner (Oshawa Generals/Columbus Blue Jackets)
• Garrett Wilson (Windsor Spitfires/Owen Sound Attack/Philadelphia Flyers)
• Jordan Binnington (Owen Sound Attack/St. Louis Blues)
• Darren Raddysh (Erie Otters/Tampa Bay Lightning)

 

King Clancy – OHL Alumni Nominees

Awarded for leadership qualities on and off the ice and a significant humanitarian contribution.

• Boone Jenner (Oshawa Generals/Columbus Blue Jackets)
• Sam Bennett (Kingston Frontenacs/Florida Panthers)
• Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack/Guelph Storm/Montreal Canadiens)
• Ryan O’Reilly (Erie Otters/Nashville Predators)
• John Tavares (Oshawa Generals/London Knights/Toronto Maple Leafs)
• Gabriel Vilardi (Windsor Spitfires/Kingston Frontenacs/Winnipeg Jets)

 

NHL Debuts

25 OHL alumni reached a major milestone this season, making their NHL debuts:

October

• David Tomasek – Oct. 8, 2025 (Belleville Bulls/Edmonton Oilers)
• Matthew Schaefer – Oct. 9, 2025 (Erie Otters/New York Islanders)
• Curtis Douglas – Oct. 9, 2025 (Barrie Colts/Windsor Spitfires/Tampa Bay Lightning)
• Hunter Haight – Oct. 9, 2025 (Barrie Colts/Saginaw Spirit/Minnesota Wild)
• Brady Martin – Oct. 9, 2025 (Soo Greyhounds/Nashville Predators)
• Beckett Sennecke – Oct. 9, 2025 (Oshawa Generals/Anaheim Ducks)
• Sam Dickinson – Oct. 11, 2025 (London Knights/San Jose Sharks)
• Easton Cowan – Oct. 13, 2025 (London Knights/Toronto Maple Leafs)
• Michael Misa – Oct. 14, 2025 (Saginaw Spirit/San Jose Sharks)

November 

• Braeden Bowman – Nov. 13, 2025 (Guelph Storm/Vegas Golden Knights)
• Hunter Skinner – Nov. 14, 2025 (London Knights/St. Louis Blues)
• Florian Xhekaj – Nov. 22, 2025 (Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs/Montreal Canadiens)
• Connor Clattenburg – Nov. 22, 2025 (Soo Greyhounds/Flint Firebirds/Edmonton Oilers)
• Luca Pinelli – Nov. 26, 2025 (Ottawa 67’s/Columbus Blue Jackets)

December

• Nick Lardis – Dec. 13, 2025 (Peterborough Petes/Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs/Chicago Blackhawks)
• Igor Chernyshov – Dec. 16, 2025 (Saginaw Spirit/San Jose Sharks)
• Denver Barkey – Dec. 20, 2025 (London Knights/Philadelphia Flyers)

January

• Danny Zhilkin – Jan. 8, 2026 (Guelph Storm/Kitchener Rangers/Winnipeg Jets)
• Sandis Vilmanis – Jan. 10, 2026 (Sarnia Sting/North Bay Battalion/Florida Panthers)
• Josh Samanski – Jan. 26, 2026 (Owen Sound Attack/Edmonton Oilers)

February

• Avery Hayes – Feb. 5, 2026 (Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs/Peterborough Petes/Pittsburgh Penguins)

March

• Jorian Donovan – Mar. 24, 2026 (Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs/Saginaw Spirit/Ottawa Senators)
• Porter Martone – Mar. 31, 2026 (Sarnia Sting/Mississauga/Brampton Steelheads/Philadelphia Flyers)

April

• Ilya Protas – Apr. 8, 2026 (Windsor Spitfires/Washington Capitals)
• Oliver Bonk – Apr. 14, 2026 (London Knights/Philadelphia Flyers) 

 

 

From a record-setting rookie redefining what’s possible for an 18-year-old defenceman, to a captain rewriting the Art Ross record books, to 25 new names joining the NHL ranks, the 2025-26 season reaffirmed the OHL’s place as one of the premier development leagues. And with the Stanley Cup Playoffs just around the corner, the “O to Pros” season story is far from over.