OHL U16 Top Prospects Showcase – Day Two Recap (Jan. 14, 2026)

Game Three – Team McDavid vs. Team Byfield

Final: 2 (BFLD) – 1 (McD) | Game Centre 

Team Byfield bounced back from their opening game, edging Team McDavid 2–1 in the third matchup of the OHL U16 Top Prospects Showcase.

Max Fransen (Sixsmith, Butler) struck first six minutes into the opening frame, hammering a one‑timer from the point to give Team Byfield the early lead.

They doubled the advantage early in the second when Brady Nash forced a turnover in the offensive zone, drove hard to the net and set up Kash Kwajah, who slipped the puck five‑hole.

Despite Team McDavid having just under four minutes of powerplay time at the start of the third period, their first and only goal of the game came from Drew Bate who went coast‑to‑coast and finished a slick partial breakaway.

Both goaltenders were outstanding from start to finish, each turning in a standout performance that earned them Player of the Game honours for their respective teams.

“It was really special,” said goaltender Owen Loftus, after the win. “I have to give it up to my team as well, we really played hard and I’m proud of them. It was really cool that the OHL organized this event, it’s been a really cool experience.”

 

Team Byfield Stats:

Kash Kwajah – 1G

Max Fransen – 1G

Colten Sixsmith – 1A

Brady Nash – 1A

Finley Butler – 1A

Owen Loftus – Starting goaltender (Named Team Byfield’s Player of the Game)

 

Team McDavid Stats:

Drew Bate – 1G

Mitchell Nouwens – Starting goaltender (Named Team McDavid’s Player of the Game)

 

Game Four – Team Suzuki vs. Team Tavares

Final: 5 (TAV) – 3 (SZKI) | Game Centre

In the final matchup of the OHL U16 Top Prospects Showcase, Team Tavares surged late in the third period to defeat Team Suzuki 5–3.

Team Tavares struck first early in the opening frame when Mason Quinn threaded a centering pass to a wide‑open Cole Guizzetti in the slot, who wasted no time finding the back of the net.

Kane Cloutier, however, would respond for Team Suzuki just over a minute later after he scooped up a loose puck in the neutral zone, walked in uncontested, and snapped a shot glove side to even the score. The goal sparked a strong offensive push, leading to three Suzuki tallies in the first period. 

Two of those came in the final minute of the frame, just 30 seconds apart, as Quinn Roberts (Reilly) and Braden Reilly (Fitzgerald, Roberts) capitalized on rebound opportunities to build momentum heading into intermission.

Tayden Smith (Hendriks, Hewitt) cut the deficit early in the second with a shot from the far circle, pulling Team Tavares back within one.

The comeback continued in the third. Lucas Matheson (Shtefan, Tysick) tied the game at three with a power‑play strike directly off a faceoff. Moments later, Shane Roche (Taylor, Licastro) gave Team Tavares their first lead of the night, banking a tight‑angle shot off the post on another man advantage.

Jake Readings (Roche) sealed the win with an empty‑net goal in the final minute of regulation.

“I saw the draw on the left side, which meant I was the weak‑side defenceman,” said Lucas Matheson, reflecting on his game‑tying goal. “It ended up being a battle off the faceoff and everyone seemed to collapse to that corner, so I slid down, got a great pass through the seam, and was able to fire it low glove.”

 

Team Tavares Stats:

Shane Roche – 1G, 1A

Tayden Smith – 1G

Lucas Matheson – 1G (Named Team Tavares’ Player of the Game)

Jake Readings – 1G

Cole Guizzetti – 1G

Nathan Hewitt – 1A

Jaden Licastro – 1A

Matthew Taylor – 1A

Jacob Tysick – 1A

Roman Shtefan – 1A

Mason Quinn – 1A

Leo Hendriks – 1A

Brayden Grima – 1A

Egor Sokolov – Starting goaltender

 

Team Suzuki Stats:

Braden Reilly – 1G, 1A

Quinn Roberts – 1G, 1A

Kane Cloutier – 1G (Named Team Suzuki’s Player of the Game)

Evan Fitzgerald – 1A

Austin Bennett – Starting goaltender

 

Final Team Records:

Team Byfield (1-1)

Team McDavid (0-2)

Team Suzuki (1-1)

Team Tavares (2-0)