OHL Announces Top Performers of the Week for Sept. 17-20, 2026
TORONTO – The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) today announced top performers of the week for the opening week of regular season games spanning September 17-20, 2026.
Cogeco OHL Player of the Week: Dima Zhilkin (Saginaw Spirit)
Saginaw Spirit forward Dima Zhilkin is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, opening the season with three goals, two assists and five points over two games.
Zhilkin scored twice on Friday night in Sault Ste. Marie as the Spirit fell 5-4 in overtime to the Soo Greyhounds. He scored and added two assists in Saturday’s home opener, a 5-4 loss to the Flint Firebirds. Zhilkin’s five points and 13 shots on goal both have him tied for the league lead.
A 17-year-old from Windsor, Ont., Zhilkin is a top prospect for the 2027 NHL draft. He is coming off a sophomore season that featured 36 goals, 39 assists, 75 points and 100 penalty minutes over 59 games. The 5-foot-11, 195-lb. left-wing was Saginaw’s first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. Zhilkin represented Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, claiming bronze as he produced three goals across five games. He was also a member of Canada’s National Under-18 World Championship team, recording seven points (5-2–7) over five games.
Also considered for the award this week, London Knights overager Evan Van Gorp scored recorded five points (2-3–5) as London skated to back-to-back victories over Windsor. Draft eligible Soo Greyhounds forward Ryan Kaczynski registered four goals over two games, including his first OHL hat trick.
Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week: Paolo Frasca (Sudbury Wolves)
Sudbury Wolves overage goaltender Paolo Frasca is the Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week, going 2-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average and .982 save percentage as the Wolves opened the season with two wins.
Frasca made 25 saves on Friday as the Wolves beat the Peterborough Petes 2-1 in their home opener, and he was named the game’s first star. He earned his first career OHL shutout on Saturday in Barrie, stopping all 31 shots he faced in a 6-0 win over the Colts.
A 20-year-old from Toronto, Frasca joined the Wolves midway through the 2025-26 season from the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies, posting an 8-10-0-0 record with a 3.33 goals-against average and .901 save percentage over 18 games in Sudbury. The 5-foot-10, 218-lb. goaltender is a graduate of the St. Andrew’s College hockey program. He won GTHL U16 and U18 championships with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. Frasca was selected by the Windsor Spitfires in the 11th round (222nd overall) in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection.
Also considered for the award this week, Ryerson Leenders of the Owen Sound Attack went 2-0 with a 1.01 goals-against average, .966 save percentage and a shutout. Oshawa Generals goaltender Jaden Cholette also won a pair of games, recording a 2.00 goals-against average and .934 save percentage.
Make Space OHL Rookie of the Week: Royden Smith (Kingston Frontenacs)
Kingston Frontenacs rookie goaltender Royden Smith is the Make Space OHL Rookie of the Week, going 2-0 with a 2.46 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in his first two OHL starts.
Smith made his OHL debut on opening night Thursday in Peterborough, turning aside 44 shots as the Frontenacs beat the Petes 6-3. It was the most saves by a Frontenacs goaltender in an OHL debut in 30 years. He followed that up with 26 saves in Sunday’s home opener, a 3-2 overtime win over the Ottawa 67’s.
A 17-year-old from Toronto, Smith was Kingston’s fifth-round pick (92nd overall) in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Marlboros AAA program. The 6-foot-5, 205-lb. goaltender spent the 2025-26 season with the OJHL’s Wellington Dukes, posting a record of 9-12-0-4 with a 3.79 goals-against average, .896 save percentage and two shutouts over 25 games.
Also considered for the award this week, first overall OHL Draft pick Kane Cloutier of the Oshawa Generals recorded two goals and an assist over a pair of victories. London Knights first-year blueliner Cooper McAslan scored two goals, including an OT winner while adding an assist as London went 2-0.
GOHL Prospect of the Week: Mitchell Nouwens (St. Catharines Falcons/Owen Sound Attack)
Owen Sound Attack prospect Mitchell Nouwens of the St. Catharines Falcons is the GOHL Prospect of the Week, going 2-0 with a shutout and a .939 save percentage.
Nouwens stopped all 29 shots he faced on Thursday as the Falcons beat the Brantford Titans 5-0 in Brantford. He made 33 more saves on Saturday in Caledonia, helping St. Catharines to a 5-4 overtime win over the Caledonia Corvairs.
A 16-year-old from Burlington, Ont., Nouwens is off to a 3-0 start in his junior hockey career. He was Owen Sound’s fifth-round pick (85th overall) in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection from the GTHL’s Toronto Red Wings, and appeared in one preseason game with the Attack.
2026-27 winners: Sept. 7-13: Andrew Baker (Chatham Maroons/Guelph Storm); Sept. 14-20: Mitchell Nouwens (St. Catharines Falcons/Owen Sound Attack)
