OHL This Week: February 14 to 17, 2025

It’s Family Day weekend! Getting you primed for a full slate of OHL action with playoff races heating up!

Friday Night Faceoff – Rangers at Frontenacs:
Prepare for a cross-conference clash of contenders on Friday as the Kingston Frontenacs welcome the Kitchener Rangers to Slush Puppie Place, seeking to set a new franchise record as they hunt down their 10th consecutive win on home ice. Details

Spirit’s Chernyshov named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week:
San Jose Sharks prospect Igor Chernyshov of the Saginaw Spirit is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, registering five goals, five assists and 10 points over three contests. Details

Bulldogs’ Leenders named OHL Goaltender of the Week:
Buffalo Sabres prospect Ryerson Leenders of the Brantford Bulldogs is the OHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season, going 2-0-1-0 along with a 1.98 goals-against average, and a .944 save percentage. Details

Attack’s Mbuyi named OHL Rookie of the Week:
Owen Sound Attack forward Pierce Mbuyi is the OHL Rookie of the Week for the second time this season, recording three goals and assists over three contests. Details

OHL Plays of the Week:
Bringing you another edition of OHL Plays of the Week, featuring Flint’s Matthew Mania, Sault Ste. Marie’s Marco Mignosa, London’s Jared Woolley, Erie’s Gabriel Frasca and Brantford’s duo of Nick Lardis and Jake O’Brien. Watch

OHL Saves of the Week presented by Enbridge Gas:

Knights, Rangers, Spitfires, Colts included in Week 18 edition of CHL Top 10 Rankings:
The London Knights (1), Kitchener Rangers (5), Windsor Spitfires (8) and Barrie Colts (9) have been included in the Week 18 edition of the CHL Top 10 Rankings. Details

Knights bounce back in Week 20 OHL Power Rankings:
The London Knights return to the top spot in the Week 20 edition of the OHL Power Rankings. Details

Bulldogs’ Lardis becomes first CHL player to 50 goals:
Nick Lardis continues his dominant season, becoming the first OHL player since 2020 to hit the 50-goal mark in under 50 games! The Bulldogs star wasted no time, opening the scoring early as Brantford took a 1-0 lead on Friday Night Faceoff. Watch

Latest Moves:

Otters hire Kris Mallette as 11th Head Coach in club history:
General manager Dave Brown, director of hockey operations Scott Grieve, and the Erie Otters organization announced on Tuesday morning that long-time Kelowna Rockets coach and Western Hockey League alum Kris Mallette has been hired as the 11^th head coach in team history by Erie. Details

Greyhounds sign goaltender Noah Tegelaar:
The Soo Greyhounds have signed former second round OHL Under-18 Priority Selection choice Noah Tegelaar to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. The 18-year-old from Georgetown, Ont. is having a standout season with the OJHL’s Collingwood Blues. Details

Petes sign Draft-eligible goaltender Dylan Lee-Stack:
The Peterborough Petes have signed American goaltender Dylan Lee-Stack to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Lee-Stack, a native of New York, NY, attended both Petes development and training camp as an undrafted free-agent in 2024. Last season, the 2007-born goaltender featured in 18 games for the Yale Jr. Bulldogs 16U, sporting a 2.83 GAA. Details

Attack’s McDonald commits to Robert Morris:
Owen Sound Attack overage forward Bruce McDonald has announced his commitment to Robert Morris University for the 2025-26 NCAA hockey season. Details

Other News:

Frontenacs reaping the rewards of Tyler Hopkins’ breakout season:
Draft eligible Kingston Frontenacs centreman Tyler Hopkins is enjoying a breakout season in his NHL Draft year under head coach Troy Mann. See Hopkins and the Fronts on this week’s Friday Night Faceoff. Read more

Otters issue statement on status and future of organization:
As Erie and the hockey world continue to heal from the sudden and heartbreaking loss of beloved owner, governor, and CEO of the Erie Otters, Jim Waters, questions would arise of the status of the team and organization’s future. Jim’s love and passion for the Otters, for Erie, and for creating one of the most premier franchises in the Ontario Hockey League was evident to anyone who ever interacted with the larger-than-life personality – and that was most obvious to his family. It is with this shared passion of their husband and father’s vision that the Waters Family are excited to continue the legacy and tradition of business and hockey excellence of the Erie Otters for the future. Details

Explore the OHL – Kingston Frontenacs:
Explore the city of Kingston! The Ontario Hockey League is home to 20 teams—17 in Canada and three in the United States. Shifting the focus beyond hockey operations, the OHL aims to highlight the distinctiveness of each member club. Details

Community Corner:

Talk Today Month in the OHL:
The Ontario Hockey League is excited to announce another Talk Today Month in the OHL. Proudly presented by Syngenta Canada and Grain Farmers of Ontario, Talk Today Month sees all 20 OHL member teams host mental health awareness games in collaboration with CMHA branches. Details

The OHL celebrates Black Heritage Month:
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) is celebrating Black Heritage Month by highlighting a former OHL player each week in February who continues to find success both on and off the ice. Details

Petes announce fundraising total of $45,153 for the 16th annual Pink in the Rink campaign:
The Peterborough Petes have officially announced their fundraising total for the 16th Annual Pink in the Rink Campaign. A total of $45,153 has been raised in support of Pedal for Hope, a part of Cops for Cancer at the Canadian Cancer Society. Details

Valentines Day across the League:
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and teams across the OHL are celebrating! Don’t miss the chance to bring your special someone to the rink and take part in love-themed activities as Barrie, Flint, Kingston, Saginaw, Owen Sound, and Guelph host special date nights. Visit team websites for more information.

IceDogs to host Superhero Day on Sunday:
Make this Family Day Weekend SUPER special and fly on down for the Niagara IceDogs’ Superhero Day on February 16th! The IceDogs will be swapping their traditional reds for superhero-themed jerseys in support of the Niagara Children’s Centre. Details

Family Day in the OHL:
Celebrate Family Day with the OHL! Monday’s action-packed schedule features 10 games filled with family-themed fun. Don’t miss out on the excitement, visit team websites for more information!

Alumni Notes:

14 OHL alumni competing in 4 Nations Face-Off:
The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off will be held from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston, featuring teams of NHL players from Finland, Sweden, Canada, and the United States competing in a round-robin tournament. The four teams competing in the 4 Nations Face-Off have finalized their rosters for the new best-on-best event, with 14 graduates from the Ontario Hockey League participating. Details