OHL talent cleans up at 2025 CHL Awards
Each year, the Canadian Hockey League recognizes the top individual performances from across its three member leagues – the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL – through the prestigious CHL Awards.
In 2025, OHL talent took centre stage, capturing several of the league’s highest honours and highlighting the league’s depth, development, and star power. From record-setting seasons to dominant draft-year campaigns, these players helped solidify the league’s reputation as a leading producer of elite hockey talent. Here’s a look at this year’s award winners and the standout seasons that earned them CHL recognition.
Top Scorer Award
Winner – Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit / OHL)
Nominees – Andrew Cristall (Spokane Chiefs / WHL), Jonathan Fauchon (Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL)
The CHL Top Scorer Award is given out annually to the highest-scoring player in the Canadian Hockey League. It was first awarded in 1994. With a CHL-leading 134 points (62-72-134) in 65 games, 2025 NHL Draft prospect Michael Misa became the first player in Saginaw Spirit history to top the CHL scoring race. His total ties him for eighth in single-season CHL scoring since 2005, alongside John Tavares (2006-07) and Brendan Shinnimin (2011-12). Misa’s 62 goals also mark the highest by an OHL player in their draft year since Patrick Kane netted the exact total with the London Knights in 2006-07. Over the past 25 years, only Connor Bedard (71 goals in 2022-23 with the Regina Pats) and Sidney Crosby (66 goals in 2004-05 with Rimouski Océanic) have posted higher draft-year totals across the CHL than the 18-year-old from Oakville, ON.
Top Draft Prospect Award presented by Kubota Canada
Winner – Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters / OHL)
Nominees – Radim Mrtka (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL), Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL)
The CHL Top Draft Prospect Award, presented by Kubota Canada, is given out yearly to the top eligible prospect for the NHL Entry Draft from the Canadian Hockey League. The award was first given in 1991. Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters becomes the second player in Otters’ franchise history to win the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award, joining Connor McDavid (2014-15). Looking ahead to the 2025 NHL Draft, Schaefer could become just the second Erie player to be selected first overall, a decade after McDavid in 2015. Ranked as the top North American skater by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft, Schaefer impressed despite playing only 17 games due to injury, tallying 22 points (7-15-22) and a +21 rating. The 17-year-old from Stoney Creek, ON, captained Canada to gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, leading all defenders with six points in five games, and contributed to Team CHL’s victory at the inaugural CHL USA Prospects Challenge. He earned a spot on Canada’s World Junior team in December, becoming the third-youngest defenceman ever to represent Team Canada at the tournament.
Defenceman of the Year Award
Winner – Sam Dickinson (London Knights / OHL)
Nominees – Tyson Jugnauth (Portland Winterhawks / WHL), Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada / QMJHL)
The CHL Defenceman of the Year Award is given out annually to the top defenceman in the Canadian Hockey League. Sam Dickinson of the London Knights (OHL) became just the second player in franchise history to win the CHL Defenceman of the Year Award, joining Danny Syvret (2004-05). With 91 points (29-62-91) in 55 games, the San Jose Sharks prospect and 2025 Memorial Cup champion not only recorded the 10th-highest total by a CHL defenceman since 2000, but also set a new Knights single-season record for points by a blueliner – surpassing the previous mark of 87 shared by Evan Bouchard and Rick Corriveau. The 19-year-old from Toronto, ON, closed out the 2025 OHL Playoffs with 31 points – tied for seventh-most by a CHL defenceman in a single postseason since 2000 and earned a spot on the 2025 Memorial Cup All-Star Team.
Goaltender of the Year Award
Winner – Jackson Parsons (Kitchener Rangers / OHL)
Nominees – Max Hildebrand (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL), Jacob Steinman (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL)
The CHL Goaltender of the Year Award is given out annually to the top goaltender in the Canadian Hockey League. Jackson Parsons of the Kitchener Rangers became the first player in franchise history to earn CHL Goaltender of the Year honours, and the first OHL goalie to win the award since Michael McNiven in 2016-17. Parsons was the backbone of a Rangers squad that notched its fourth 100-point season in franchise history in 2024-25, leading the CHL with 37 wins and setting a new Rangers single-season record with a 2.24 goals-against average. He also tied for second in the OHL with a .920 save percentage. In his fourth and final season with Kitchener, the 20-year-old from Embrun, ON, led the OHL with five shutouts, finishing his Rangers career with nine, just one shy of the franchise record.
See the complete list of winners here.
