OHL This Week: September 17 to 20, 2026
The 2026-27 Ontario Hockey League regular season opens tonight in Peterborough, and home openers fill the weekend! Here are the latest happenings.
OHL unveils 2026-27 Friday Night Faceoff schedule
The OHL has released its 26-game Friday Night Faceoff schedule for 2026-27, bringing a featured matchup to fans live and free every Friday in partnership with FloHockey, YourTV, Rogers tv and Eastlink Community TV. All 20 clubs appear at least twice, highlighted by an Oct. 16 meeting between the Brampton Steelheads and Ottawa 67’s at the Cornwall Civic Complex as part of the OHL Seaway Shootout, and the slate wraps up March 19 with Barrie at Niagara. Read more
Attack visit Rangers in first Friday Night Faceoff of the season
Friday Night Faceoff returns for a second season on Sept. 18 as the Kitchener Rangers raise their Memorial Cup and J. Ross Robertson Cup championship banners to the rafters of the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium before hosting the Owen Sound Attack. The pre-game show begins at 6:30 p.m. on FloHockey’s YouTube, X and Facebook channels. Read more
NHL Training Camp Tracker: 74 OHL players currently attending camps
A number of OHL teams will be without prominent players in the coming days as several are in attendance at NHL Training Camps. Read more
Media poll makes Storm the overwhelming championship pick
Accredited media members from across the league submitted their picks for 2026-27, and 85 per cent tabbed the Guelph Storm to win both the Wayne Gretzky Trophy and the J. Ross Robertson Cup. The Ottawa 67’s and Peterborough Petes split the Bobby Orr Trophy vote, while Saginaw’s Dima Zhilkin was the top choice to lead the league in scoring. Read more
OHL announces 2026-27 officiating team
The league’s 2026-27 officiating team features 108 officials, including 15 newcomers and four returning officials making the transition to referee. Read more
Storm open the season atop the OHL Power Rankings
A panel of 32 accredited OHL media members placed the Guelph Storm first on the 2026-27 preseason ballot with an average score of 19.47, just ahead of the London Knights (17.94), the Saginaw Spirit (14.84) and the Ottawa 67’s (14.63). OHL Power Rankings presented by the United Car Dealers Association will be published weekly on Mondays. Read more
Storm lead preseason CHL Top 10 as four OHL clubs crack the list
The Guelph Storm top the CHL’s preseason Top-10 Rankings, compiled with input from NHL Central Scouting, ahead of the Cape Breton Eagles and Victoria Royals. The London Knights are No. 4, the Saginaw Spirit No. 5 and the Ottawa 67’s No. 9. Read more
Around the League
Wolves land Adams in blockbuster deal: The Sudbury Wolves acquired the rights to forward Tanner Adams from the Brampton Steelheads in exchange for 15 draft picks and two league compensatory picks. Adams, a Porcupine, Ont., native, was the third overall selection in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection, and he has since signed with the Wolves. Read more
Frontenacs extend Cooper and Mann: The Kingston Frontenacs have signed general manager Kory Cooper and head coach Troy Mann to multi-year contract extensions. “They have altered the trajectory of this franchise for the better and I firmly believe that these two are the best men for the job as we work towards bringing a championship to the city of Kingston,” said Frontenacs president and governor Doug Springer. Cooper took over as general manager in July 2021 and won the Jim Gregory OHL General Manager of the Year Award in 2024-25, while Mann was named head coach in October 2023. Read more
Spirit add Wassilyn from Knights: The Saginaw Spirit acquired 18-year-old forward Braidy Wassilyn from the London Knights for forward Carson Harmer and a 2027 fourth-round pick originally belonging to Ottawa. The Campbellville, Ont., product recorded 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 62 games last season, while Harmer had 94 points (41 goals, 53 assists) in 134 games with Saginaw. Read more
Colts acquire Tang from IceDogs: After trading forward Aleksandr Sementsov to the Brantford Bulldogs, the Barrie Colts acquired forward Michael Tang from the Niagara IceDogs in exchange for the 2028 fifth-round pick originally belonging to Oshawa originally received in the previous trade with Brantford. Read more
Wolves broadcaster Bowen joins Marlies: Sudbury Wolves play-by-play broadcaster and former goaltender David Bowen has been named the Toronto Marlies’ lead play-by-play voice for the majority of home games this season. “It’s an honour to join the Toronto Marlies as the team’s lead play-by-play broadcaster,” Bowen said. Read more
Knights, Rangers find new radio homes: The London Knights and Kitchener Rangers are both beginning 2026-27 at new radio stations, with Knights games featuring the voice of Mike Stubbs live on Classic Rock 98.1 FM while the Rangers will be carried on both 98.5 FM CKWR as well as 101.1 FM The Grand. Steve Clark, who calls Niagara IceDogs games on YourTV Niagara as well as J.C. Coutts, who serves as a game night host for Owen Sound Attack hockey on Rogers tv, will begin the season as Kitchener’s radio voices.
At the Rinks
Home opener weekend across the OHL: Twelve clubs open their home schedules this week. Brampton, Brantford, Guelph, Kitchener, London and Sudbury host on Friday, Barrie, Niagara, Owen Sound, Saginaw and Windsor follow on Saturday and Kingston closes the weekend on Sunday. Brantford wraps up its home opening weekend Saturday afternoon against Guelph.
Rangers host Attack on Banner Raising Night: Kitchener’s home opener on Friday against Owen Sound includes a banner raising ceremony celebrating the Rangers’ OHL and Memorial Cup championships. Read more
Knights host Spitfires at Home Opener and Fan Fest: The London Knights open at home Friday against Windsor with a Home Opener and Fan Fest.
Wolves host Petes with Howlapalooza: The Sudbury Wolves welcome Peterborough to the Sudbury Community Arena on Friday at 7:05 p.m., with the second annual Howlapalooza running from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Grey Street. Read more
Storm host Otters at Home Opener: The CHL’s top-ranked Guelph Storm open at home Friday against Erie.
Colts host Wolves at Home Opener Fan Fest: The Barrie Colts open their home schedule Saturday against Sudbury with a Home Opener Fan Fest. Read more
Spirit host Firebirds at Home Opener Celebration: The Saginaw Spirit welcome Flint on Saturday for their Home Opener Celebration.
Frontenacs close the week with a tailgate party: The Kingston Frontenacs host the Ottawa 67’s on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. for their home opener, with the club’s annual Home Opener Tailgate Party starting at noon. Read more
Upcoming Schedule
Thursday, Sept. 17
Kingston at Peterborough, 7:05 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 18
Barrie at North Bay, 7 p.m.
Niagara at Brantford, 7 p.m.
Oshawa at Brampton, 7 p.m.
Owen Sound at Kitchener, 7 p.m. (Friday Night Faceoff on FloHockey)
Windsor at London, 7 p.m.
Peterborough at Sudbury, 7:05 p.m.
Erie at Guelph, 7:07 p.m.
Saginaw at Sault Ste. Marie, 7:07 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 19
Guelph at Brantford, 4 p.m.
Brampton at Niagara, 7 p.m.
Kitchener at Owen Sound, 7 p.m.
Flint at Saginaw, 7:05 p.m.
London at Windsor, 7:05 p.m.
Sarnia at Sault Ste. Marie, 7:07 p.m.
Sudbury at Barrie, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 20
Ottawa at Kingston, 3:05 p.m.
North Bay at Oshawa, 6:05 p.m.
