OHL Announces Top Performers of the Month for December

TORONTO – The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) today announced Top Performers of the Month for December.

Player of the Month – Riley Patterson (Niagara IceDogs) – 11 GP, 9G, 10A, 19 PTS., +7
Leading the OHL with 19 points (9-10–19) over 11 games during the month of December, Vancouver Canucks prospect Riley Patterson of the Niagara IceDogs is the OHL Player of the Month. Patterson’s month featured seven different multi-point efforts, including a pair of overtime game-winners. He started things off with three points (1-2–3) on Dec. 5th at Brampton, scored 1:31 into overtime on Dec. 7th vs. North Bay, and registered his first of two two-goal efforts on Dec. 18th at Peterborough. His second included another overtime game-winner on Dec. 20th at home to the Sarnia Sting. Patterson put together another three-point outing (1-2–3) on Dec. 29th at Brampton as the IceDogs won by a score of 4-3.

A 19-year-old from Burlington, ON, Patterson sits fifth in OHL scoring with 45 points (21-24–45) over 33 games in this, his fourth OHL season. Acquired from the Barrie Colts last summer, Patterson has produced 166 points (75-91–166) over 165 career regular season games after entering the league as Flint’s third round (57th overall) pick in 2022. He was selected by Vancouver in the fourth round (125th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, and signed a three-year entry-level NHL contract with Vancouver on Sept. 21, 2025. Patterson is a former OHL Cup champion, winning as a member of the GTHL’s Mississauga Senators in 2022. Patterson also holds the distinction of being a former OJHL and CJHL Rookie of the Year, producing 73 points (30-43–73) over 52 games during the 2022-23 season with the North York Rangers.

Defenceman of the Month – Anthony Cristoforo (Windsor Spitfires) – 8 GP, 6G, 6A, 12 PTS., +8
Anthony Cristoforo of the Windsor Spitfires is the OHL Defenceman of the Month, producing 12 points (6-6–12) over eight games accompanied by a plus-8 rating. The fourth-year veteran had a point in all eight of his December outings, highlighted by a four-point effort (3-1–4) on Dec. 18th vs. Sault Ste. Marie, a game he happened to see some assignments up on the Spitfires’ forward ranks. He also put together a two-goal performance on Dec. 11th at Peterborough as the Spitfires won 6-3.

A 19-year-old from Woodbridge, ON, Cristoforo has produced at over a point-per-game in 2025-26, recording 33 points (10-23–33) over 30 contests with a plus-14 rating. The 6-foot, 180Ib. right-shot blueliner sits fifth in all-time points by a Spitfires defenceman with 172 (35-137–172) over 224 career regular season contests. Cristoforo was a first round (22nd overall) pick by Windsor in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection.

Goaltender of the Month – Ben Hrebik (Barrie Colts) – 7 GP, 5-2-0-0, 1.86 GAA, .950 SV%, 246 SV
Kept busy during the month of December, Ben Hrebik of the Barrie Colts is the OHL Goaltender of the Month for a second straight month, going 5-2 with a 1.86 goals-against average and .950 save percentage while making 246 saves. Hrebik faced 40 or more shots four different times in December, winning in three of those four instances. He turned aside 39-of-40 shots on Dec. 6th in a 2-1 win at Kingston, made 42 saves on Dec. 13th as the Colts defeated the visiting Niagara IceDogs 2-1, and made an additional 45 saves on Dec. 28th as Barrie beat the North Bay Battalion 3-1 on the road.

A 19-year-old from Milton, ON, Hrebik has been the OHL’s busiest goaltender, making a league-leading 881 saves, resulting in an impressive .930 save percentage to go with a 2.61 goals-against average and 14-7-1-3 record over 25 games. The 6-foot-3, 204Ib. goaltender is in his second full OHL season after going 21-9-2-0 with a 2.87 goals-against average and .920 save percentage over 34 games in 2024-25. The Colts selected Hrebik in the ninth round (173rd overall) of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection.

Rookie of the Month – Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs) – 10 GP, 7G, 9A, 16 PTS., +6
Brantford Bulldogs centreman Caleb Malhotra is the OHL Rookie of the Month, producing 16 points (7-9–16) over 10 games accompanied by a plus/minus rating of plus-6. With the absence of teammates Jett Luchanko (Canada) and Adam Benak (Czechia) at the World Juniors, Malhotra was thrust into an elevated role and excelled, helping Brantford continue its strong first half, playing to a record of 25-6-4-1. The 6-foot-2, 182Ib. pivot recorded points in nine of his 10 December outings, headlined by three points (1-2–3) on Dec. 6th in a 7-2 win vs. North Bay. Malhotra scored twice on Dec. 19th in Kingston, netting the game-winner in a 4-2 triumph over the Frontenacs. He earned first star honours in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Erie Otters, recording a goal and an assist.

A 17-year-old from Toronto, Malhotra leads OHL rookies with 48 points (18-30–48) over 35 games. The son of former OHL and NHL forward Manny Malhotra was originally selected by the Kingston Frontenacs in the first round (8th overall) of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, and was acquired by the Bulldogs on Sept. 12, 2024. He captained Team CHL in this year’s CHL/USA Prospects Challenge, and will represent the Western Conference in the 2026 Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game on Jan. 14th. Malhotra is an A-rated prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft. He is committed to Boston University (NCAA).