OHL 20 in 20: Guelph Storm

The Guelph Storm has gathered in the Royal City, preparing for another season of battling it out in the Midwest Division – a division they’re looking to top for the first time in a decade. Though they’re moving on from long-time veterans Braeden Bowman and Michael Buchinger, there’s reason for optimism as the Storm return with an up-and-coming star in Jett Luchanko at centre while standout defender Cam Allen appears healthy and ready to go for 2024-25. Brayden Gillespie is back to battle every night in the crease and the Storm look for continued progress and development from big 6-foot-6 forward Vilmer Alriksson along with a foursome of returning sophomores in 2023 picks Quinn Beauchesne, Wil McFadden, Parker Snelgrove and Rylan Singh. New head coach Cory Stillman has some runway with some of his younger players as they look to come out of the gate strong while leaning on a stable of veterans consisting of Guelph’s own Jake Karabela, rugged defender Tommy Budnick and fellow overage candidates Max Namestnikov and Ryan McGuire.

Five Questions Heading Into 2024-25:

1. Can Stillman kick-start the Guelph offence?
A prolific offensive producer in his playing days, two-time Stanley Cup champion Cory Stillman takes the reins behind the Guelph Storm bench. He’s tasked with sparking a Storm team that was limited that scored just 210 goals in 2023-24, the second-lowest total in the Western Conference. The Storm struggled to get things going some nights, with low shot totals and limited quality chances. Stillman will bring a new perspective to Guelph as the Storm try and find their way through the opening weeks of the season.

2. Will Luchanko be a marquee OHL player at 18?
The Philadelphia Flyers sure think so. Luchanko was a big part of a successful OHL showing at the 2024 NHL Draft, going 13th overall to Philly following a 74-point (20-54–74) season. Luchanko was Guelph’s top point producer in his sophomore season, driving the pace and looking for opportunities to set his linemates up for success. The London, Ont. native enters year three in Guelph as the lead dog up front, centering the Storm’s top unit.

3. What can Allen do with a full season?
The league’s Rookie of the Year in 2021-22, former third overall pick Cam Allen hit a roadblock with injuries in 2023-24, being limited to just 25 games that saw him record nine points (2-7–9). Guelph could’ve used Allen last season, but the right-shot defender still managed to sign an entry-level NHL deal with the Washington Capitals, who selected him in the fifth round in 2023. The swift-skating puck-mover looks to get back to dictating the play as the Storm will need his confidence on the back end following the graduation of St. Louis Blues prospect Michael Buchinger. Allen will have the chance to learn under a former NHL blueliner in Rob Davison, who joins the Storm bench for the year ahead.

4. Who gets the ‘C’?
Braeden Bowman was Guelph’s charismatic leader and a reliable goal-scorer. Now that he’s inked an AHL deal with the Henderson Silver Knights, that prominent leadership label will go to another Stormer and there are some good choices in the room. The aforementioned Allen would definitely merit consideration as would fellow Washington Capitals prospect Jake Karabela, who grew up watching the Storm as a Guelph kid. Allen and Karabela were both regular assistants for the Storm in 2023-24.

5. Can the kids take the next step?
The Storm broke camp with a quartet of fresh faced rookies last fall. Fast forward a year and Quinn Beauchesne, Parker Snelgrove, Wil McFadden and Rylan Singh are ready for their next challenge as sophomores. All four showed positive signs in 2023-24, with first round pick Beauchesne carrying his contributions into the summer when he helped Canada win gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. It’s draft year for three of the four, with Singh, an October birthday, not eligible until 2026.