[{"id":300001,"date":"2026-08-12T14:45:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=300001"},"modified":"2026-08-12T14:47:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:47:47","slug":"futures-watch-owen-sound-attacks-2026-draft-class-and-new-faces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/futures-watch-owen-sound-attacks-2026-draft-class-and-new-faces","title":{"rendered":"Futures Watch: Owen Sound Attack\u2019s 2026 Draft Class and New Faces"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the 2026-27 OHL season approaches, the Owen Sound Attack are preparing for a new campaign under new management and leadership. We spoke with General Manager Tyler Nother about the club\u2019s 2026 draft class and the new faces fans should keep an eye on heading into the season.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2026 Draft Class Revisit<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI<\/span> think the thing that all three of these players share is that they\u2019re team-first guys and they want to win. When we went through the interview process with them, they had mentioned that they would be excited to be in Owen Sound. All of them are ecstatic to be in Owen Sound.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: Max Fransen<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20190\u201d, 190lbs, left-shot defenceman<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>La Salle, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Sept 28, 2010<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted: <\/b>1st Round, 8th Overall (2026 OHL Priority Selection)<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Upper Canada College Blues U16): <\/b>69 GP, 29G, 60A, 89 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected eighth overall in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection, Fransen joins the Attack following a strong season with the Upper Canada College Blues U16 program, recording 69 points (29-60\u201389) in 69 games. He also added seven points (2-5\u20137) in six games at the 2026 OHL Cup and was ranked ninth on the OHL\u2019s Consensus Ontario Top-100 Rankings heading into the Priority Selection. Serving as captain of Upper Canada College, Fransen established himself as one of the premier defencemen in his age group through his ability to drive play, contribute offensively and excel in all situations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe see Max Fransen as the best puck-moving defenceman in the 2010 birth class. We just love the way that he can play on both sides of the puck. Obviously, he was the leader for that Upper Canada College team, just by the way that he was able to work on their power play and play in all situations. He has a really good understanding of what he\u2019s able to do for himself on the ice with his own skill set. He really sets up his teammates to have success. So I think those are things that really stood out to us. We fully expect that Max is going to make a great transition to the OHL. He\u2019s got the ability to process the game at a high level, and it\u2019s going to be our responsibility to assist in his development.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: Matthew Zilinski<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>5\u201910\u201d, 159lbs, right-shot forward<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Cambridge, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Feb 21, 2010<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted: <\/b>2nd Round, 21st Overall (2026 OHL Priority Selection)<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Mississauga Senators U16 AAA): <\/b>25 GP, 14G, 21A, 35 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected by the Attack in the second round (21st overall) of the 2026 OHL Priority Selection, Matthew Zilinski joins the organization as one of the club\u2019s top prospects. Known for his combination of skill, hockey IQ and competitiveness, the Cambridge, Ont., native recorded 35 points (14-21\u201335) in just 25 regular-season games with the Mississauga Senators U16 AAA during the 2025-26 campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMatthew Zilinski is extremely competitive. I think that\u2019s something that always stood out to myself and our scouting staff with him. He\u2019s got really excellent feet and [we like] the way that he can get around the ice. He\u2019s another player that can really play connected hockey as well and set his teammates up. He drives the play, he drives offensively. Those are things that are exciting for us and for our group. We think that as Matty continues to develop, he\u2019s going to be a pretty darn good player in the OHL.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: Jace Voortman<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20190\u201d, 162lbs, left-shot forward<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Thunder Bay, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Aug 12, 2010<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted: <\/b>3rd Round, 46th Overall (2026 OHL Priority Selection)<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA): <\/b>21 GP, 12G, 9A, 21 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected 46th overall in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection, Jace Voortman spent the 2025-26 season with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA, recording 21 points (12-9\u201321) in 21 regular-season games before adding four points at the OHL Cup.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJace is extremely responsible, which is something that we really liked about his game. He\u2019s just a player that understands what\u2019s needed at certain times of the game. You look at him at the Under-17s, and he scores some timely goals, and he\u2019s out there taking faceoffs near the end of the game and being able to shut down the opposition\u2019s top line. He just plays the game like a pro.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: Turner Stephenson<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20193\u201d, 176lbs, left-shot defenceman<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Innerkip, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Jun 24, 2010<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted: <\/b>3rd Round, 53rd Overall (2026 OHL Priority Selection)<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Upper Canada College Blues U16): <\/b>64 GP, 3G, 15A, 18 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected 53rd overall in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection, Turner Stephenson spent the 2025-26 season patrolling the blue line for the Upper Canada College Blues U16, recording 18 points (3-15\u201318) in 64 games.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTurner is six-foot-three, and I just think the way that he defends at that size, the way that he can read the game \u2013 he surfs really well and closes time and space in the neutral zone. He\u2019s competitive. He wants to play hard. He\u2019s willing to block shots. He\u2019s just that defenceman that coaches like to put out there on the penalty kill and, when you\u2019re up by a goal, make it hard on the opposition. I think that\u2019s something that Turner will turn into very nicely.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: Mitchell Nouwens<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20192\u201d, 179lbs, goaltender<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Burlington, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Feb 09, 2010<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted: <\/b>5th Round, 85th Overall (2026 OHL Priority Selection)<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected 85th overall in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection, Mitchell Nouwens was the first goaltender taken by the Attack in the 2026 draft. The 6-foot-2 Burlington, Ont., native joins the organization from the Toronto Red Wings U16 AAA program.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMitchell\u2019s a guy that our staff was really high on. We really liked his compete level when he played for the Toronto Red Wings program. He\u2019s obviously got good size at six-foot-two. Our guys were very high on him as we went through [the draft], and we were happy to get him where we got him in the draft.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: Roderik Cernak<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20193\u201d, 187lbs, right-shot defenceman<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Bratislava, SVK<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Mar 19, 2008<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted: <\/b>1st Round, 22nd Overall (2026 CHL Import Draft)<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (HC Slovan Bratislava U20): <\/b>25 GP, 4G, 10A, 14 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2026 CHL Import Draft, the 6-foot-3 Slovakian defenceman joins the Attack after spending the majority of last season with HC Slovan Bratislava U20. The right-shot blueliner recorded 14 points (4-10\u201314) in 25 regular-season games while posting a plus-10 rating.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, he\u2019s a big, right-handed shot defenceman that I think is going to be really good for us. He\u2019s a great teammate. We did lots of background work on him to understand the individual that we were bringing in. He plays that hard-nosed game, is willing to block shots on the penalty kill and really understands who he is as a player. I think those are positives for us when you get a player that knows exactly how they need to play now to be successful.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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Other members of the 2026 class include:\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
PLAYER<\/b><\/td>\nPOSITION<\/b><\/td>\nHOMETOWN<\/b><\/td>\nDOB<\/b><\/td>\n2025-26 TEAM<\/b><\/td>\nDRAFTED<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Colin MacCormack<\/span><\/td>\nRD<\/span><\/td>\nPhiladelphia, PA<\/span><\/td>\nFeb 4, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nWoodbridge Wolfpack Premier 15’s<\/span><\/td>\n6th round, 104th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Innis Robinson<\/span><\/td>\nRW<\/span><\/td>\nOttawa, ON<\/span><\/td>\nAug 6, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nOttawa Jr. 67’s U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n6th round, 109th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dawson O’Connor<\/span><\/td>\nLD<\/span><\/td>\nToronto, ON<\/span><\/td>\nAug 25, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nMississauga Reps U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n7th round, 122nd overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gavin Murphy<\/span><\/td>\nC<\/span><\/td>\nMarkham, ON<\/span><\/td>\nMay 05, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nDon Mills Flyers U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n8th round, 149th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jack Riehl<\/span><\/td>\nRW<\/span><\/td>\nMars, PA<\/span><\/td>\nJan 20, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nPittsburgh Penguins Elite 15’s<\/span><\/td>\n9th round, 169th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lucas Tout<\/span><\/td>\nRW<\/span><\/td>\nKincardine, ON<\/span><\/td>\nMar 16, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nGrey-Bruce Highlanders U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n10th round, 191st overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Austin Hall<\/span><\/td>\nLW<\/span><\/td>\nLivonia, MI<\/span><\/td>\nJul 27, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nDetroit HoneyBaked 15’s<\/span><\/td>\n11th round, 209th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jacob Ambrosio<\/span><\/td>\nLW<\/span><\/td>\nOakville, ON<\/span><\/td>\nJan 29, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nToronto Red Wings U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n12th round, 229th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cole Cartan<\/span><\/td>\nLW<\/span><\/td>\nAurora, ON<\/span><\/td>\nJan 09, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nYork-Simcoe Express U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n12th round, 229th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Massimo Tomassi<\/span><\/td>\nG<\/span><\/td>\nVaughan, ON<\/span><\/td>\nJan 29, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nMississauga Senators U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n14th round, 269th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shea Huinink<\/span><\/td>\nRW<\/span><\/td>\nWhitby, ON<\/span><\/td>\nMar 30, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nAjax-Pickering Raiders U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n15th round, 293rd overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brechyn Aird<\/span><\/td>\nRD<\/span><\/td>\nCobourg, ON<\/span><\/td>\nSep 5, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nAjax-Pickering Raiders U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n15th round, 296th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sheamus Gunn<\/span><\/td>\nRW<\/span><\/td>\nBarrie, ON<\/span><\/td>\nOct 3, 2008<\/span><\/td>\nNorth Central Predators U18 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n1st round, 8th overall (U18)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jacob Kirstein<\/span><\/td>\nG<\/span><\/td>\nRedbridge, ON<\/span><\/td>\nSep 22, 2009<\/span><\/td>\nCIH Academy Voyageurs Prep U18<\/span><\/td>\n2nd round, 28th overall (U18)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Finley Schroeter<\/span><\/td>\nRW<\/span><\/td>\nMississauga, ON<\/span><\/td>\nMay 18, 2008<\/span><\/td>\nMississauga Rebels U18 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n3rd round, 45th overall (U18)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mikhail Melikov<\/span><\/td>\nLW<\/span><\/td>\nMoscow, Rus<\/span><\/td>\nFeb 7, 2007<\/span><\/td>\nMHC Dynamo Moscow Jr.<\/span><\/td>\n2nd round, 83rd overall (Import)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

2026 New Faces:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

*Note: Player additions are current as of publication. Team signings remain ongoing, and this section will be updated throughout the offseason as additional players are signed and trades are completed.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: Ryerson Leenders<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20191\u201d, 179lbs, goaltender<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Nanticoke, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>June 1, 2006<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired:<\/b> June 2, 2026<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Brantford Bulldogs): <\/b>39 GP, 2.69 GAA, 9.10 SV%<\/span><\/p>\n

Ryerson Leenders appeared in 39 regular-season games with the Bulldogs during the 2025-26 campaign, posting a 27-5-4 record with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. He also recorded two shutouts while handling the bulk of Brantford\u2019s starts, helping the club capture the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as OHL regular-season champions. Originally selected by the Mississauga Steelheads in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, Leenders brings plenty of experience to the Attack crease. The 6-foot-1 netminder has recorded 94 wins across 168 career regular-season games while adding another 16 victories in 30 playoff appearances.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel that Ryerson Leenders can be the best goaltender in the Ontario Hockey League this year. I think with Ryerson\u2019s pedigree that he\u2019s had so far, he\u2019s chasing down the most wins by a goaltender in OHL history this year. That\u2019s a personal milestone that\u2019s there, but I think it just speaks to the success that he\u2019s been able to have in our league so far. He\u2019s an overage player. He\u2019s going to bring that element of leadership to us as well. That\u2019s really exciting for us, to be able to add a player like Ryerson. We\u2019re excited to see everything he\u2019ll help our group do this year.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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Player Spotlight: Caden Bell<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>5\u201911\u201d, 165lbs, right-shot defenceman<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Scarborough, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Jan 15, 2009<\/span><\/p>\n

Signed: <\/b>Aug 1, 2026<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (St. Catharines Falcons): <\/b>46 GP, 11G, 29A, 40 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired by the Attack earlier this offseason in a trade with the Niagara IceDogs, Caden Bell officially joins the organization ahead of the 2026-27 season. The 17-year-old Scarborough, Ont., native enjoyed an impressive campaign with the St. Catharines Falcons of the GOHL, recording 40 points (11-29\u201340) in 46 regular-season games before adding 11 points in 16 playoff contests during the Falcons\u2019 run to the Sutherland Cup Championship Series. Bell\u2019s breakout season earned him a spot on the GOHL Eastern Conference All-Rookie Team, while he also represented the league at the MacPherson Challenge Tournament and participated in the GOHL Top Prospects Game.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe GOHL does a fantastic job of being able to develop 16-year-old players and really serve as a launching pad to get into our league. I think Caden Bell definitely benefited from that. He had an excellent coach in Tyler Bielby, who I think is one of the top coaches in that entire league at the Tier II level. With that sort of development and the fact that he was able to play really big minutes for them and go on a little bit of a run with them in the Sutherland Cup playoffs, [you could] see the points that he produced in that amount of time. You look at that league and you look at point production for other players, Bell was elite in that league and did a really good job last year. He\u2019s going to continue to have to work on his game as he makes the step, but I think with the solid development that he got there in St. Catharines and the GOHL, he\u2019s going to be a great player for us this year.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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Player Spotlight: Lucian Bernat<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20194\u201d, 201lbs, right-shot forward<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Bratislava, SVK<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>June 8, 2008<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted: <\/b>2nd round, 75th overall (2025 CHL Import Draft)<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Tappara U20): <\/b>37 GP, 15G, 16A, 31 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected by the Attack in the second round (75th overall) of the 2025 CHL Import Draft, the 6-foot-4 winger arrives in Owen Sound following a strong 2025-26 season that saw him record 31 points (15-16\u201331) in 37 games with Tappara U20 in Finland. The Bratislava, Slovakia, native also represented his country at the 2026 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, registering four points (1-3\u20134) in seven games. Bernat was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the sixth round (176th overall) of the 2026 NHL Draft<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBig forward, knows how to play the game the right way. He\u2019s got a really good shot. I saw him score one the other week \u2013 pretty impressive player. I think the thing with Lucian is he wants to be a pro. He has those habits and the way that he works and what he\u2019s willing to do to take that next step. He\u2019s got really good skill. He wants to play the game direct, and I think that\u2019s something that we can continue to help him with this year with our style of play that we have with the Owen Sound Attack. I think he\u2019ll fit in well. We\u2019ve got some skilled pieces that are going to be fun for Lucian to play with, but also returning guys to introduce a player like Lucian and have him work with those guys this year. I think it\u2019s going to be a lot of fun for the fans at the Bayshore to watch.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: Lucas Prud’Homme<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20193\u201d, 207lbs, left-shot forward<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Ottawa, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>April 10, 2007<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted: <\/b>5th round, 91st overall (2023 OHL Priority Selection)<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Madison Capitols): <\/b>49 GP, 5G, 5A, 10 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Originally selected by the Attack in the fifth round (91st overall) of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, Prud\u2019homme officially joins the Bears Den after spending the 2025-26 season with the Madison Capitols of the USHL. The 6-foot-3 Ottawa, Ont., native recorded 10 points (5-5\u201310) in 49 games while adding 184 penalty minutes and finishing with a plus-4 rating. Known for his physical presence and tenacity, Prud\u2019homme brings a hard-nosed element to Owen Sound\u2019s forward group.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExtremely excited. I think Lucas is a player that can play any way you want to play. I think he has the ability to provide some secondary offence and some timely offence just with the way that he wants to play. He plays a playoff style of hockey. He\u2019s in your face, he\u2019s competitive, he hits hard, he hunts pucks, and he defends well. I think he\u2019s somebody that the fans at our rink are going to appreciate the way that he plays. From everything that I\u2019ve been able to see of him play, and even from recommendations from coaches in the past, this guy is all heart. He\u2019ll do anything to help his team win. When we look to build out our program, being able to add a player like Lucas who has those intangibles is something for us. We were really excited to be able to get him, identify him within the prospect pool, get him to sign and have him excited to come to Owen Sound.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: Cameron Merrick<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20192\u201d, 179lbs, left-shot defenceman<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Boston, MA<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Nov 10, 2007<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired: <\/b>Aug 6, 2026<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Minnetonka High): <\/b>30 GP, 2G, 5A, 7 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired from the Brantford Bulldogs on August 6, Cameron Merrick joins the Attack after spending the 2025-26 season with Minnetonka High and Team The Base, where he recorded a combined 18 points (5-13\u201318) in 48 games.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCam\u2019s a big, skating defenceman. I think that\u2019s really exciting for us. When we looked at that deal, obviously we brought in a second-, a third- and a fourth-round pick as part of that deal along with Cam. For us, it was a situation where we were excited about Cam. We were excited about the picks we were able to generate from that deal. It\u2019s very exciting for us.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With a new-look management group, a promising 2026 draft class and several experienced additions joining the roster, the Attack will have plenty of new faces to watch as they prepare for the 2026-27 campaign. With training camp approaching, Owen Sound\u2019s young talent will look to take the next step and help shape the club\u2019s identity under its new leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

____________________________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n

FloHockey<\/b><\/a> remains the exclusive streaming home of the Ontario Hockey League, delivering more than 680 regular-season games throughout the year, plus complete coverage of the OHL playoffs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Subscribers can stream games live or watch on demand from anywhere, ensuring they never miss a goal, save, or highlight during the 2026-27 season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re following your hometown team or tracking prospects across the league, <\/span>FloHockey<\/b><\/a> provides comprehensive coverage of every OHL club all season long.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Follow the Owen Sound Attack\u2019s 2026 draft class and new faces as the club prepares for the 2026-27 OHL season under new leadership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":575,"featured_media":300006,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":3875,"name":"2026 Futures Watch","slug":"2026-futures-watch","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3875,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":8,"filter":"raw","term_order":"33"},{"term_id":2673,"name":"OHL News","slug":"ohl-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2689,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4020,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2864"},{"term_id":86,"name":"Owen Sound Attack","slug":"owen-sound-attack","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":86,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1378,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2956"}],"class_list":["post-300001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-2026-futures-watch","tag-ohl-news","tag-owen-sound-attack","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/12144739\/FuturesWatchWeb-2.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/575"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=300001"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":300005,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/300001\/revisions\/300005"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/300006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=300001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=300001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=300001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":299996,"date":"2026-08-12T14:30:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=299996"},"modified":"2026-08-12T14:30:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:30:34","slug":"67s-sign-forward-hannu-packalen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/67s-sign-forward-hannu-packalen","title":{"rendered":"67\u2019s sign forward Hannu Packalen"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]OTTAWA \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>The Ottawa 67\u2019s announced today that forward Hannu Packalen has signed an Ontario Hockey League Scholarship and Development Agreement with the club.<\/p>\n

\u201cHannu is a clever centreman who is comfortable with the puck and likes to distribute it to create offence,\u201d said General Manager Jan Egert. \u201cWe are looking forward to supporting his development within our organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Kingston, Ontario native was selected by Ottawa 26th\u00a0overall in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection. Last year, Packalen registered 13 goals and 30 assists for 43 points in 32 games with the Peterborough Petes U16 AAA. He also played for the U18 team, scoring five\u00a0points in six\u00a0games, before scoring five\u00a0points in five games at the Telus Cup.<\/p>\n

HEIGHT:<\/strong>\u00a05\u201911\u00a0 |\u00a0WEIGHT:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>170\u00a0lbs \u00a0|\u00a0DOB:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>2010-02-15\u00a0|\u00a0HOMETOWN:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Kingston, ON |\u00a0PREVIOUS TEAM:<\/strong>\u00a0Peterborough Petes U16\u00a0AAA |\u00a0SHOOTS:<\/strong>\u00a0R[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]OTTAWA \u2013<\/strong> Les 67 d\u2019Ottawa ont annonc\u00e9 aujourd\u2019hui que l\u2019attaquant Hannu Packalen avait sign\u00e9 un contrat de bourse et de d\u00e9veloppement de la Ligue de hockey de l\u2019Ontario\u00a0avec le club.<\/p>\n

\u00ab Hannu est un centre intelligent, \u00e0 l\u2019aise avec la rondelle, qui aime la distribuer pour cr\u00e9er des occasions offensives \u00bb, a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 le directeur g\u00e9n\u00e9ral Jan Egert. \u00ab Nous sommes impatients de l\u2019accompagner dans son d\u00e9veloppement au sein de notre organisation. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Originaire de Kingston, en Ontario, il a \u00e9t\u00e9 s\u00e9lectionn\u00e9 par Ottawa 26e au total\u00a0lors du rep\u00eachage prioritaire de la LHO de\u00a02026. L\u2019ann\u00e9e derni\u00e8re, Packalen a inscrit 13 buts et 30 passes d\u00e9cisives, pour un total de 43 points en 32 matchs avec les Petes de Peterborough (U16 AAA). Il a \u00e9galement jou\u00e9 pour l\u2019\u00e9quipe U18, marquant cinq\u00a0points en six matchs, avant d\u2019en marquer cinq\u00a0autres en cinq\u00a0matchs lors de la Coupe Telus.<\/p>\n

TAILLE<\/strong> : 5\u201911 \u00a0| POIDS<\/strong> : 170 lbs \u00a0| DATE DE NAISSANCE<\/strong> : 15\/02\/2010 | VILLE NATALE<\/strong> : Kingston, ON | ANCIENNE \u00c9QUIPE<\/strong> : Peterborough Petes U16\u00a0AAA | TIR <\/strong>: D[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]OTTAWA \u2013\u00a0The Ottawa 67\u2019s announced today that forward Hannu Packalen has signed an Ontario Hockey League Scholarship and Development Agreement with the club. \u201cHannu is a clever centreman who is comfortable with the puck and likes to distribute it to create offence,\u201d said General Manager Jan Egert. \u201cWe are looking forward to supporting his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":586,"featured_media":299998,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":3906,"name":"Hannu Packalen","slug":"hannu-packalen","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3906,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1"},{"term_id":2673,"name":"OHL News","slug":"ohl-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2689,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4020,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2864"},{"term_id":90,"name":"Ottawa 67's","slug":"ottawa-67s","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":90,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1643,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2923"},{"term_id":890,"name":"Prospects","slug":"prospects","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":901,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1754,"filter":"raw","term_order":"3065"}],"class_list":["post-299996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-hannu-packalen","tag-ohl-news","tag-ottawa-67s","tag-prospects","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/12143003\/Hannu-web.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/586"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299996"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":300000,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299996\/revisions\/300000"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":299992,"date":"2026-08-12T09:32:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T13:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=299992"},"modified":"2026-08-12T09:32:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T13:32:19","slug":"colts-announce-contract-extensions-for-dylan-smoskowitz-and-marty-williamson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/colts-announce-contract-extensions-for-dylan-smoskowitz-and-marty-williamson","title":{"rendered":"Colts announce contract extensions for Dylan Smoskowitz and Marty Williamson"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League announced today that the organization have signed\u00a0Dylan Smoskowitz<\/strong><\/em> and Marty Williamson<\/strong><\/em> to contract extensions, ensuring both will continue to lead the hockey operations department for years to come.<\/p>\n

President of Hockey Operations John Winstanley<\/strong><\/em> made the announcement, citing the stability and continuity both leaders have brought to the organization.<\/p>\n

\n

“We are extremely excited to announce the extensions of our Head Coach Dylan Smoskowitz<\/strong> as well as Vice President and General Manager Marty Williamson<\/strong>,” said Winstanley. “Both have played an important role in establishing the culture, standards, and direction of our hockey program, and we believe strongly in their ability to continue moving this organization forward. Stability and continuity are important as we build for sustained success,” Winstanley continued. “We want our players, staff, and fans to know that we have a clear vision for where we are going, and these two individuals are a major part of that vision. We have a tremendous amount of confidence in their leadership, their commitment to our players, and their ability to build a winning environment both on and off the ice.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Smoskowitz and Williamson have been fixtures of the Colts organization in recent years. Smoskowitz, a former Colts forward from 2010 to 2012, rejoined the club as Assistant Coach in 2021 before being promoted to Head Coach in 2025. Williamson, who first coached the Colts from 2004 to 2010, returned to the organization in 2020 as General Manager and Head Coach before transitioning to his current role as Vice President and General Manager in 2025.<\/p>\n

\n

“We are excited about what is ahead and believe this is another important step in building an organization that our players, families, fans, and community can be proud of.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Smoskowitz and Williamson will continue in their respective roles as the organization builds toward its goals for the upcoming season.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Barrie Colts have signed Head Coach Dylan Smoskowitz and General Manager Marty Williamson to contract extensions, keeping the pair at the helm of hockey operations as the club builds toward sustained success on and off the ice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":586,"featured_media":299994,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":3905,"name":"Hockey Operations Updates","slug":"hockey-operations-updates","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3905,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2"},{"term_id":362,"name":"dylan smoskowitz","slug":"dylan-smoskowitz","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":365,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":12,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1247"},{"term_id":84,"name":"marty williamson","slug":"marty-williamson","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":84,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":15,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2395"}],"class_list":["post-299992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-hockey-operations-updates","tag-dylan-smoskowitz","tag-marty-williamson","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/12093134\/Bar-web-Aug12.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/586"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299992"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299992\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299995,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299992\/revisions\/299995"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":299988,"date":"2026-08-11T17:04:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T21:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=299988"},"modified":"2026-08-11T17:06:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T21:06:31","slug":"canucks-sign-adam-novotny-to-three-year-entry-level-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/canucks-sign-adam-novotny-to-three-year-entry-level-contract","title":{"rendered":"Canucks sign Adam Novotn\u00fd to Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Vancouver Canucks have announced the signing of Petes forward Adam Novotn\u00fd to a three-year, entry level contract.<\/span><\/p>\n

Novotn\u00fd, a forward from Kobylice, Czechia, was selected by the Canucks in the first round, 24th overall, in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, after spending the 2025-26 season with the Petes. Peterborough originally selected him in the first round, 8th overall, of the 2024 CHL Import Draft. In his first season in Peterborough, Novotn\u00fd played in 58 games, scoring 34 goals and adding 31 assists for 65 points. He was also named a finalist for the William Hanley Trophy for the league’s Most Sportsmanlike Player.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations to Adam on this amazing accomplishment,\u201d said Petes General Manager and Vice President of Operations Michael Oke. \u201cAdam has certainly put the work in to reach this point in his career, and it comes as no surprise to any of us on the staff to see him achieve this milestone. <\/span>I\u2019d also like to extend a congratulations to the Novotny family, who have supported Adam through every step of his hockey journey<\/span>. <\/span>We\u2019re all incredibly proud of what he has accomplished so far in his career and are looking forward to supporting him as he continues to work towards his goal of playing in the NHL.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Before coming to Peterborough, the 2007-born forward featured in 41 games for Mountfield HK in Czechia\u2019s top professional league, scoring one goal and adding two assists for three points. He also featured in 10 playoff games for Mountfield, scoring twice. In 2023, Novotn\u00fd made his debut in the Czech Extraliga for Mountfield, scoring in his first game and becoming the youngest player to score a goal in the league at 15.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are so happy for Adam, earning his entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks,\u201d noted Petes Director of Player Personnel and Assistant Coach Patrick O\u2019Connor. \u201cWorking with <\/span>him every day, it is no surprise that he\u2019s accomplished this. He is an elite athlete who is fully committed to developing and becoming a professional player in the NHL. This could not have <\/span>happened to a nicer young man. Congratulations, Adam, you\u2019ve earned it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Vancouver Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson had this to say about the signing in a media release sent out by the team:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCharacter, compete and a winning mentality, those are three of the things we really appreciate about Adam\u2019s DNA. It was a small sample size, but he showed us a lot at our development camp last month in Abbotsford. Besides his strong skating, puck control, and quick release, Adam was relentless in his pursuit of the puck and battled very hard in each drill.\u00a0 A coachable and honest player, his leadership qualities were also noticeable, and you could tell right away how committed he is to try to do things the right way. We are very excited to have Adam sign his ELC and we look forward to working with him in the years to come.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Novotn\u00fd was selected 24th overall by Vancouver in June\u2019s NHL Draft<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":575,"featured_media":299990,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":3904,"name":"Vancouver Canucks","slug":"vancouver-canucks","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3904,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"3"},{"term_id":3398,"name":"Adam Novotny","slug":"adam-novotny","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3398,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":18,"filter":"raw","term_order":"167"},{"term_id":2673,"name":"OHL News","slug":"ohl-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2689,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4020,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2864"},{"term_id":77,"name":"Peterborough Petes","slug":"peterborough-petes","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":77,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1615,"filter":"raw","term_order":"3026"}],"class_list":["post-299988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-vancouver-canucks","tag-adam-novotny","tag-ohl-news","tag-peterborough-petes","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/11170331\/Novotny-Web.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/575"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299988"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299991,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299988\/revisions\/299991"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":299982,"date":"2026-08-11T14:52:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T18:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=299982"},"modified":"2026-08-11T14:52:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T18:52:22","slug":"firebirds-sign-import-pick-martins-klaucans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/firebirds-sign-import-pick-martins-klaucans","title":{"rendered":"Firebirds sign import pick Martins Klaucans"},"content":{"rendered":"

FLINT –<\/b> The Flint Firebirds announced that they have signed forward Martins Klaucans to a Standard Player Agreement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very excited for this next chapter,\u201d Klaucans said. \u201cI\u2019ve heard a lot of good things about the organization. I can\u2019t wait to meet the guys and get on the ice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Klaucans was drafted by Flint with the 28th overall selection in the CHL Import Draft in June. He has spent the last two seasons playing in North America, most recently with the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the QMJHL last year. In 50 games with the Phoenix, Klaucans had four goals and seven assists. In 2024-25, he spent the year with the St. Cloud Norsemen of the NAHL.<\/span><\/p>\n

Klaucans is a native of Riga, Latvia, the same hometown as recent Firebirds Darels Uljanskis and Karlis Flugins. He played for his nation\u2019s U18 national team the past three seasons and the U20 national team in the past two.<\/span><\/p>\n

SCOUTING REPORT FROM HEAD SCOUT MIKE OLIVERIO<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cMartins is a high-character player that plays with pace. Whether tracking opponents or gaining the offensive zone, he is always moving his feet. <\/span>His compete level is what set him apart from others at the World U18\u2019s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FLINT – The Flint Firebirds announced that they have signed forward Martins Klaucans to a Standard Player Agreement.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m very excited for this next chapter,\u201d Klaucans said. \u201cI\u2019ve heard a lot of good things about the organization. I can\u2019t wait to meet the guys and get on the ice.\u201d Klaucans was drafted by Flint with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":575,"featured_media":299984,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":3903,"name":"Martins Klaucans","slug":"martins-klaucans","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3903,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"4"},{"term_id":63,"name":"Flint Firebirds","slug":"flint-firebirds","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":63,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1355,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1381"},{"term_id":2673,"name":"OHL News","slug":"ohl-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2689,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4020,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2864"},{"term_id":890,"name":"Prospects","slug":"prospects","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":901,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1754,"filter":"raw","term_order":"3065"}],"class_list":["post-299982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-martins-klaucans","tag-flint-firebirds","tag-ohl-news","tag-prospects","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/11145210\/Klaucans-Web.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299982","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/575"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299982"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299982\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299985,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299982\/revisions\/299985"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":299979,"date":"2026-08-11T14:12:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T18:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=299979"},"modified":"2026-08-11T14:12:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T18:12:04","slug":"futures-watch-guelph-storms-2026-draft-class-and-new-faces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/futures-watch-guelph-storms-2026-draft-class-and-new-faces","title":{"rendered":"Futures Watch: Guelph Storm\u2019s 2026 Draft Class and New Faces"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the 2026-27 OHL season approaches, the Guelph Storm are preparing for a highly anticipated campaign that will culminate with the club hosting the 2027 Memorial Cup. We spoke with the organization about its 2026 draft class and the new faces fans should keep an eye on heading into the upcoming season.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2026 Draft Class Revisit<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: <\/b>Declan McNally<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20196\u201d, 180lbs, left-shot defenceman<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>La Salle, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Sept 28, 2010<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted: <\/b>1st Round, 7th Overall (2026 OHL Priority Selection)<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA): <\/b>59 GP, 7G, 26A, 33 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected seventh overall in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection, Declan McNally put together a strong season on the blue line with the Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA program, registering 33 points (7-26\u201333) through 59 games in the regular season. The 6-foot-6 defenceman also added four points in five games at the 2026 OHL Cup and earned an invitation to Canada\u2019s National U17 Development Camp.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLooking ahead, our club\u2019s goal was to improve our size, skill, and physicality through the OHL Priority Selection, and we believe defenseman Declan McNally addresses these needs,\u201d \u2013 <\/span><\/i>General Manager, George Burnett<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: <\/b>Finley Butler<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20196\u201d, 216lbs, right-shot forward<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>London, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Mar 22, 2010<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted: <\/b>2nd Round, 29th Overall (2026 OHL Priority Selection)<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (London Jr. Knights U16 AAA): <\/b>30 GP, 23G, 37A, 60 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected 29th overall in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection, Finley Butler put together an impressive 2025-26 campaign with the London Junior Knights U16 AAA squad. The 2010-born forward ranked second on his team in scoring with 60 points (23-37\u201360) in 30 regular-season games. Butler added four goals and three assists in six OHL Cup contests and also suited up in three junior hockey games with the GOHL\u2019s Komoka Kings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cButler is a big, powerful forward who combines size, skill, and physicality, making him difficult to contain in the offensive zone. He has soft hands, a strong touch around the net, plays with an edge, and is a high-character kid with big upside.\u201d <\/span><\/i>\u2013 Wade Branch, Head Scout<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: <\/b>Timothy Kazda<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20191\u201d, 189lbs, right-shot forward<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Ilava, SVK<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Oct 4, 2008<\/span><\/p>\n

Drafted: <\/b>1st Round, 4th Overall (2026 OHL Priority Selection)<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Chicago Steel): <\/b>59 GP, 22G, 19A, 41 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected fourth overall in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, Timothy Kazda was the Storm\u2019s lone selection in this year\u2019s import draft. Last season, the Ilava, Slovakia native recorded 41 points (22-19\u201341) in 59 games with the USHL\u2019s Chicago Steel and was named to the league\u2019s All-Academic Team. Prior to joining the Steel, Kazda spent three seasons with Seacoast Performance Academy from the 14U to 16U levels, amassing 228 points (136-92\u2013228) in 146 games.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTimo Kazda – our first round selection in the CHL Import Draft – had an impressive U18 World Championships where he led the tournament in scoring and was awarded MVP honours. We expect Timo to complement our scoring, pace, and physicality as he enters his NHL draft year.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u2013 General Manager, George Burnett<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Other members of the 2026 class include:\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
PLAYER<\/b><\/td>\nPOSITION<\/b><\/td>\nHOMETOWN<\/b><\/td>\nDOB<\/b><\/td>\n2025-26 TEAM<\/b><\/td>\nDRAFTED<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kellen Paetsch<\/span><\/td>\nRD<\/span><\/td>\nSpencerport, NY<\/span><\/td>\nDec 11, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nBishop Kearney Selects 15’s<\/span><\/td>\n4th round, 68th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Joseph Fenwick<\/span><\/td>\nLW<\/span><\/td>\nMarkham, ON<\/span><\/td>\nJan 6, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nMarkham Majors U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n5th round, 82nd overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ayden Dark<\/span><\/td>\nG<\/span><\/td>\nOttawa, ON<\/span><\/td>\nMar 5, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nHill Academy U16<\/span><\/td>\n6th round, 114th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Alexander Moore<\/span><\/td>\nLW<\/span><\/td>\nNorthville, MI<\/span><\/td>\nAug 2, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nDetroit Little Caesars 15’s<\/span><\/td>\n8th round, 148th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chace Minard<\/span><\/td>\nLW<\/span><\/td>\nOwen Sound, ON<\/span><\/td>\nJan 4, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nGrey-Bruce Highlanders U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n9th round, 168th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Colton Van Geffen<\/span><\/td>\nRD<\/span><\/td>\nStrathroy, ON<\/span><\/td>\nFeb 19, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nHuron-Perth Lakers U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n10th round, 188th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jaxson Menary<\/span><\/td>\nC<\/span><\/td>\nWhitby, ON<\/span><\/td>\nJun 1, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nVaughan Kings U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n11th round, 208th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jacob Tysick<\/span><\/td>\nC<\/span><\/td>\nPerth, ON<\/span><\/td>\nFeb 14, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nOttawa Valley Titans U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n12th round, 228th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
James Ware\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nLW<\/span><\/td>\nGreenwich, CT<\/span><\/td>\nJun 3, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nMid Fairfield Jr. Rangers 15’s<\/span><\/td>\n13th round, 248th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Landon Girardi<\/span><\/td>\nLW<\/span><\/td>\nNiagara Falls, ON<\/span><\/td>\nMar 8, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nSouthern Tier Admirals U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n14th round, 268th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Joshua Pagani<\/span><\/td>\nLW<\/span><\/td>\nToronto, ON<\/span><\/td>\nMay 1, 2010<\/span><\/td>\nVaughan Kings U16 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n15th round, 288th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Landyn Quirk<\/span><\/td>\nG<\/span><\/td>\nCambridge, ON<\/span><\/td>\nDec 30, 2009<\/span><\/td>\nKitchener Jr. Rangers U18 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n1st round, 7th overall (U18)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Maddyx Chaput<\/span><\/td>\nLW<\/span><\/td>\nOakville, ON<\/span><\/td>\nJun 16, 2009<\/span><\/td>\nHuron-Perth Lakers U18 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n2nd round, 27th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Francesco Porporino<\/span><\/td>\nLD<\/span><\/td>\nWoodbridge, ON<\/span><\/td>\nJul 6, 2008<\/span><\/td>\nToronto Red Wings U18 AAA<\/span><\/td>\n3rd round, 44th overall<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

2026 New Faces:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

*Note: Player additions are current as of publication. Team signings remain ongoing, and this section will be updated throughout the offseason as additional players are signed and trades are completed.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur club has made significant additions over the past number of months to complement our returning group of players for the 2026-27 season. Acquiring Ethan Czata, Ryan Roobroeck, Owen Griffin, and Adrien Bartovic provides us with depth up front in overall experience, skill, and leadership. Vlad Dravecky – a proven puck-moving defenseman who can play in all situations \u2013 is a welcome addition to our back end. Finally, bringing in goaltender Ben Hrebik gives our team a very capable and dependable tandem in goal.\u201d \u2013 <\/span><\/i>General Manager, George Burnett<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: <\/b>Ethan Czata<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20191\u201d, 178lbs, left-shot centreman<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Brampton, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>May 29, 2007<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired: <\/b>June 2, 2026<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Niagara IceDogs): <\/b>63 GP, 25G, 28A, 53 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired in a major offseason trade, Ethan Czata arrives in Guelph following three seasons with the Niagara IceDogs. Originally selected fifth overall in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, the Brampton, Ont. native has recorded 125 points (53-72\u2013125) in 193 career regular-season games. Czata served as Niagara\u2019s captain during the 2025-26 season and was selected 56th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2025 NHL Draft. He also recently represented Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: <\/b>Ryan Roobroeck<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20194\u201d, 215lbs, left-shot winger<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>London, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>September 25, 2007<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired: <\/b>June 19, 2026<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Niagara IceDogs): <\/b>49 GP, 30G, 28A, 58 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired in another major offseason trade, Ryan Roobroeck joins the Storm following three standout seasons with Niagara. Originally selected second overall by the IceDogs in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, the London, Ont. native recorded 196 points (99-97\u2013196) in 176 career regular-season games, averaging better than a point per game in each of his three OHL seasons. His 99 career goals are the most among all 2007-born OHL players over the past three seasons. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound forward was selected 35th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2026 NHL Draft.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: <\/b>Owen Griffin<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>5\u201911\u201d, 165lbs, right-shot centreman<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Markham, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>April 8, 2007<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired: <\/b>June 10, 2026<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Niagara IceDogs): <\/b>66 GP, 25G, 42A, 67 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired in an offseason trade, Owen Griffin joins the Storm following three seasons with the Oshawa Generals. Originally selected sixth overall in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, the Columbus Blue Jackets prospect recorded 124 points (48-76\u2013124) in 189 regular-season games with the Generals. Griffin was also a key contributor during Oshawa\u2019s back-to-back appearances in the OHL Championship Series, producing 34 points in 42 playoff games, including 17 goals. He led all OHL players with 17 goals during the 2025 postseason. Selected by Columbus in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, Griffin also represented Canada at the 2023 U17 World Hockey Challenge, winning gold alongside several current Storm players.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: <\/b>Adrien Bartovic<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20190\u201d, 185lbs, left-shot forward<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Pardubice, CZE<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Mar 9, 2007<\/span><\/p>\n

Signed: <\/b>July 23, 2026<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Bili Tygri Liberec U20): <\/b>29 GP, 20G, 25A, 45 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Originally selected in the first round (42nd overall) by the Brantford Bulldogs in the 2025 CHL Import Draft, Adrien Bartovic had his OHL rights acquired by the Storm earlier this offseason. Last season, the Pardubice, Czechia native recorded 45 points (20-25\u201345) in 29 games with Bili Tygri Liberec U20, finishing second on the team in scoring. The 2007-born forward also suited up in 17 games in Slovakia\u2019s top professional league, recording three goals and an assist.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: <\/b>Vladimir Dravecky<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20190\u201d, 189lbs, right-shot defenceman<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Trinec, CZE<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>Dec 19, 2007<\/span><\/p>\n

Signed: <\/b>June 9, 2026<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Brantford Bulldogs): <\/b>58 GP, 9G, 19A, 28 PTS<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired in an offseason trade, Vladimir Dravecky joins the Storm after establishing himself as one of the OHL\u2019s top rookie defencemen with the Brantford Bulldogs. Selected 50th overall by Brantford in the 2025 CHL Import Draft, the Trinec, Czechia native recorded 28 points (9-19\u201328) and a plus-24 rating in 58 regular-season games. He added three assists in 11 playoff contests as the Bulldogs advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship Series. Dravecky also represented Czechia at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, helping his country earn silver, before being selected 141st overall by the New York Islanders in the 2026 NHL Draft.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Player Spotlight: <\/b>Ben Hrebik<\/b><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Profile: <\/b>6\u20193\u201d, 204lbs, goaltender<\/span><\/p>\n

Hometown: <\/b>Milton, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Birthdate: <\/b>April 4, 2006<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired: <\/b>Aug 4, 2026<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2025-26 Stats (Barrie Colts): <\/b>43 GP, 2.81 GAA, .920 SV%<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired in one of the first trades following the reopening of the OHL trade window, Ben Hrebik joins the Storm after establishing himself as one of the league\u2019s top netminders over the past two seasons. The Milton, Ont. native posted a .920 save percentage in each of his past two regular seasons and has compiled 47 victories across 77 career appearances. Last season, Hrebik helped backstop Barrie to the OHL Championship Series, posting a 12-6-2 playoff record with a 2.66 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in 20 postseason appearances. Originally selected by Barrie in the ninth round (173rd overall) of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, Hrebik elected to continue his junior career in the OHL after deciding not to attend his committed NCAA program.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Additional new faces include:\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
PLAYER<\/b><\/td>\nPOSITION<\/b><\/td>\nHOMETOWN<\/b><\/td>\nDOB<\/b><\/td>\n2025-26 TEAM<\/b><\/td>\nDRAFTED\/ACQUIRED<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Charlie Sullivan<\/span><\/td>\nLD<\/span><\/td>\nToronto, ON<\/span><\/td>\nMar 21, 2009<\/span><\/td>\nSt. Andrew’s College<\/span><\/td>\n3rd round, 47th overall (2025)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hayden Martin<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nRD<\/span><\/td>\nBarrie, ON<\/span><\/td>\nFeb 27, 2009<\/span><\/td>\nCollingwood Blues + Guelph (2 GP)<\/span><\/td>\n4th round, 65th overall (2025)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Robert Matson<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nC<\/span><\/td>\nBinghamton, NY<\/span><\/td>\nMar 10, 2009<\/span><\/td>\nBishop Kearney Selects 16U AAA + Guelph (1 GP)<\/span><\/td>\n15th round, 285th overall (2025)\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

With the 2027 Memorial Cup on the horizon, the Storm have added a significant mix of size, skill, experience and leadership to complement their returning group. Between an intriguing 2026 draft class and several established OHL veterans joining the roster, there will be plenty of new faces to watch in Guelph as the club prepares for training camp and a highly anticipated season.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

____________________________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n

FloHockey<\/b><\/a> remains the exclusive streaming home of the Ontario Hockey League, delivering more than 680 regular-season games throughout the year, plus complete coverage of the OHL playoffs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Subscribers can stream games live or watch on demand from anywhere, ensuring they never miss a goal, save, or highlight during the 2026-27 season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re following your hometown team or tracking prospects across the league, <\/span>FloHockey<\/b><\/a> provides comprehensive coverage of every OHL club all season long.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the 2026-27 OHL season approaches, the Guelph Storm are preparing for a highly anticipated campaign that will culminate with the club hosting the 2027 Memorial Cup. We spoke with the organization about its 2026 draft class and the new faces fans should keep an eye on heading into the upcoming season.   2026 Draft…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":575,"featured_media":299980,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":3875,"name":"2026 Futures Watch","slug":"2026-futures-watch","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3875,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":8,"filter":"raw","term_order":"33"},{"term_id":88,"name":"Guelph Storm","slug":"guelph-storm","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":88,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1542,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1486"},{"term_id":2673,"name":"OHL News","slug":"ohl-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2689,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4020,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2864"}],"class_list":["post-299979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-2026-futures-watch","tag-guelph-storm","tag-ohl-news","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/11141156\/FuturesWatchWeb-1.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/575"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299979"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299979\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299981,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299979\/revisions\/299981"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":299967,"date":"2026-08-11T11:19:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T15:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=299967"},"modified":"2026-08-11T11:19:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T15:19:36","slug":"storm-sign-forward-finley-butler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/storm-sign-forward-finley-butler","title":{"rendered":"Storm sign forward Finley Butler"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guelph, ON \u2013<\/strong> Guelph Storm General Manager George Burnett announced that 2026 second-round pick Finley Butler has signed an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the hockey club.<\/p>\n

The 6\u20195, 215 lbs forward from London, Ontario was selected 29th overall in this summer\u2019s OHL Priority Selection in Kingston.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cFinley has a unique combination of high skill and physicality along with his tremendous size,\u201d said General Manager George Burnett. \u201cHe has worked extremely hard this summer to improve his game and we are excited to welcome Fin and his family to the Storm organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

The right winger had an excellent 2025-2026 season with the London Junior Knights U16 AAA squad. The 2010-born forward ranked second on his team in scoring, recording 23 goals and 37 assists for 60 points in 30 regular season games. Butler culminated his U16 campaign with four goals and three assists in six OHL Cup games and suited up in three junior hockey games for the GOHL\u2019s Komoka Kings.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m honoured and excited to be a part of such an amazing organization,\u201d said Butler. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to get started, meet the guys, and have a great season.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Guelph, ON \u2013 Guelph Storm General Manager George Burnett announced that 2026 second-round pick Finley Butler has signed an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the hockey club. The 6\u20195, 215 lbs forward from London, Ontario was selected 29th overall in this summer\u2019s OHL Priority Selection in Kingston. \u00a0\u201cFinley has a unique combination of high…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":575,"featured_media":299974,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":3711,"name":"Finley Butler","slug":"finley-butler","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3711,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1370"},{"term_id":88,"name":"Guelph Storm","slug":"guelph-storm","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":88,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1542,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1486"},{"term_id":2673,"name":"OHL News","slug":"ohl-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2689,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4020,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2864"},{"term_id":890,"name":"Prospects","slug":"prospects","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":901,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1754,"filter":"raw","term_order":"3065"}],"class_list":["post-299967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-finley-butler","tag-guelph-storm","tag-ohl-news","tag-prospects","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/11111912\/Butler-Web.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/575"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299967"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299967\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299969,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299967\/revisions\/299969"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":299975,"date":"2026-08-11T11:00:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T15:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=299975"},"modified":"2026-08-12T09:33:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T13:33:01","slug":"spirit-announce-additions-returning-members-of-hockey-operations-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/spirit-announce-additions-returning-members-of-hockey-operations-staff","title":{"rendered":"Spirit announce additions, returning members of hockey operations staff"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Saginaw Spirit have announced a series of additions and returning members of their hockey operations staff ahead of the 2026-27 Ontario Hockey League season.<\/p>\n

Saverio Posa returns for his second season with the Spirit as an assistant coach, taking on an expanded role that will see him oversee Saginaw’s penalty kill and work primarily with the club’s defencemen.<\/p>\n

“I’m extremely grateful and excited to return to this organization,” said Posa. “I want to thank our ownership group, Dave Drinkill, and Brendan Taylor for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to continue pursuing my dream of working in the best development league in the world. I’m looking forward to working alongside Brendan and the rest of our staff to create an environment where our players can develop, compete, and reach their full potential.”<\/p>\n

A native of Grand Blanc, MI, Posa spent two seasons as an assistant and skill development coach with the Flint Firebirds before joining Saginaw for the 2025-26 campaign. He entered the OHL coaching ranks as Flint’s video coach in 2022-23 after previously serving as head coach of the Little Caesars 19U women’s team.<\/p>\n

Posa also brings OHL playing experience to the Spirit bench, having appeared in 232 regular-season games between the Windsor Spitfires and Guelph Storm. He captained Windsor during the 2012-13 season and was a member of the Spitfires’ 2010 Memorial Cup championship team.<\/p>\n

Joining Posa on incoming head coach Brendan Taylor’s staff is Aron Augustitus, who comes to Saginaw following five seasons with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. Augustitus served as Columbus’ video coach in 2025-26 after spending the previous four seasons as an assistant video coach.<\/p>\n

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to work for such a well-respected and storied franchise like Saginaw,” said Augustitus. “I want to thank Brendan, Dave, and all of management and ownership for bringing me on to the team. Between the players, staff, and the fan base as a whole, I’m really looking forward to the success we are going to have on and off the ice.”<\/p>\n

Augustitus will primarily work with the Spirit’s forwards while bringing his extensive video background to Taylor’s coaching staff.<\/p>\n

“I am really excited to announce our bench staff for the upcoming season,” said Taylor. “Saverio Posa had all positive reviews from both players and staff and has earned an elevated role where he’ll be responsible for the overall development of the defensemen. Aron Augustitus will assist in working with the forwards and has extensive video experience that will help all players and coaches. I’m looking forward to both of them taking the next steps in their coaching careers.”<\/p>\n

The Spirit have also added Josh Romano to their scouting staff, where he will be responsible for the Eastern United States. Romano spent last season scouting with the Niagara IceDogs after previously working with OHL Central Scouting.<\/p>\n

Several members of Saginaw’s hockey operations staff will return for the upcoming season. Kevin Delamarter enters his third season as goaltending coach, while Austin Sadler returns for a fifth season as Director of Strength & Conditioning.<\/p>\n

Athletic Therapist Andrew Plate returns for his eighth season with the Spirit after joining the organization in 2019-20, while Saginaw native Aden Gohm enters his second season as Head Equipment Manager.<\/p>\n

Posa and Augustitus will join Taylor behind the Spirit bench as Saginaw opens its 2026-27 regular season on September 18 against the Soo Greyhounds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Saginaw adds Aron Augustitus and Josh Romano while Saverio Posa returns with an expanded role on Brendan Taylor’s staff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":299977,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":3905,"name":"Hockey Operations Updates","slug":"hockey-operations-updates","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3905,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2"},{"term_id":3901,"name":"Aron Augustitus","slug":"aron-augustitus","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3901,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"5"},{"term_id":3902,"name":"Josh Romano","slug":"josh-romano","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3902,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"6"},{"term_id":2605,"name":"Brendan Taylor","slug":"brendan-taylor","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2621,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":5,"filter":"raw","term_order":"583"},{"term_id":2673,"name":"OHL News","slug":"ohl-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2689,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4020,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2864"},{"term_id":66,"name":"Saginaw Spirit","slug":"saginaw-spirit","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":66,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1671,"filter":"raw","term_order":"3286"},{"term_id":2626,"name":"Saverio Posa","slug":"saverio-posa","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2642,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw","term_order":"3323"}],"class_list":["post-299975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-hockey-operations-updates","tag-aron-augustitus","tag-josh-romano","tag-brendan-taylor","tag-ohl-news","tag-saginaw-spirit","tag-saverio-posa","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/11114802\/Posa-Augustitus.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299975"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299978,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299975\/revisions\/299978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":299970,"date":"2026-08-11T10:28:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T14:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=299970"},"modified":"2026-08-11T10:28:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T14:28:48","slug":"saginaw-spirit-charitable-foundation-raised-over-668000-in-2025-2026-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/saginaw-spirit-charitable-foundation-raised-over-668000-in-2025-2026-season","title":{"rendered":"Saginaw Spirit Charitable Foundation raised over $668,000 in 2025-2026 season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saginaw, Mich. \u2013 <\/strong>Through its various jersey auctions, fundraising tickets, 50\/50 sales and other endeavors, the Saginaw Spirit Charitable Foundation raised $668,192 benefiting nonprofit organizations of the Great Lakes Bay Region during the 2025-2026 season.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFor 25 seasons, the Saginaw Spirit Charitable Foundation has been a pillar of hope for many of our region\u2019s charities,\u201d said President and Managing Partner Craig Goslin.\u00a0\u201cPartnering with the community is part of our mission statement. I\u2019m very proud of our staff, players, fans and ownership as they all work together to create amazing positive results in making Saginaw and the Great Lakes Bay Region better tomorrow than we are today.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Leading the way was the 14th annual Hockey for the Homeless Night with the Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan. Through donations from fans, the pregame broomball tournament, and specialty jersey auction, the event raised $113,090. The event\u2019s total impact dating all the way back its inception has now surpassed $780,000, equating to approximately 26,000 nights of shelter.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 18th annual Shocks and Saves charity game, in conjunction with Central Michigan University and the Pulse3 Endowment, raised $52,730 in the promotion of heart health awareness and the implementation of automated external defibrillators (AED\u2019s) in the surrounding communities.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

From 50\/50 drawings during the team\u2019s 36 regular season and playoff home games, the Saginaw Spirit Charitable Foundation sent $204,830 to local charitable institutions, and an additional $28,650 from cash donations.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Spirit also awarded $15,000 in scholarships through the Charitable Foundation via their Huntington Youth Hockey Scholarship and Memorial Cup Legacy Scholarship programs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Additional funds were raised through specialty nights such as Go Gus Go, raising awareness for children with Angelman syndrome, First Responders Night, and Superhero Night with the CAN (Child Abuse and Neglect) Council.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Saginaw\u2019s 2026 preseason begins Friday, August 28th as they embark on a trip to play the Newfoundland Regiment of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The Spirit being their 25th regular season on Friday, September 18th in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. against the Soo Greyhounds.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The team\u2019s 2026 home opener comes on Saturday, September 19th when they host the Flint Firebirds at 7:05pm at the Dow Event Center. Single game tickets<\/a> go on sale Monday, August 17th at 9:00am.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Saginaw, Mich. \u2013 Through its various jersey auctions, fundraising tickets, 50\/50 sales and other endeavors, the Saginaw Spirit Charitable Foundation raised $668,192 benefiting nonprofit organizations of the Great Lakes Bay Region during the 2025-2026 season.   \u201cFor 25 seasons, the Saginaw Spirit Charitable Foundation has been a pillar of hope for many of our region\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":586,"featured_media":299972,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":3305,"name":"OHL Assists","slug":"ohl-assists","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3305,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":12,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2834"},{"term_id":66,"name":"Saginaw Spirit","slug":"saginaw-spirit","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":66,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1671,"filter":"raw","term_order":"3286"}],"class_list":["post-299970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-ohl-assists","tag-saginaw-spirit","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/11102543\/Sag_OHL-Assists.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/586"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299970"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299973,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299970\/revisions\/299973"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":299962,"date":"2026-08-10T16:24:55","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T20:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/?p=299962"},"modified":"2026-08-10T16:25:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T20:25:08","slug":"firebirds-sign-goaltender-liam-edgcumbe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/article\/firebirds-sign-goaltender-liam-edgcumbe","title":{"rendered":"Firebirds sign goaltender Liam Edgcumbe"},"content":{"rendered":"

FLINT –<\/b> The Flint Firebirds announced that they have signed goaltender Liam Edgcumbe to a Standard Player Agreement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super excited to be signing with the Firebirds,\u201d Edgcumbe said. \u201cThis has been a dream of mine since draft day in 2024.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Edgcumbe was selected by Flint in the eighth round of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection Draft. He made the GOHL Eastern Conference All-Rookie team last season, playing in 20 games for the Pelham Panthers. Edgcumbe posted a 13-6-0 record, with a 2.53 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Edgcumbe, from Grimsby, Ontario, was named the GOHL Prospect of the Week on Oct. 6, 2025, after delivering back-to-back shutouts for the Panthers early in the season.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFlint is a historic hockey town,\u201d Edgcumbe said. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to get in front of the fans and play with the same grit and passion that this city brings to the rink every night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

SCOUTING REPORT FROM DIRECTOR OF GOALTENDING DEVELOPMENT LUC LOBSINGER<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cLiam has really good size for the position and plays with a ton of confidence in his game. He has exceptional range in his lower half and seals off the bottom part of the net from the ice up. Liam\u2019s strongest attributes are his hockey IQ and ability to read the play.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FLINT – The Flint Firebirds announced that they have signed goaltender Liam Edgcumbe to a Standard Player Agreement.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m super excited to be signing with the Firebirds,\u201d Edgcumbe said. \u201cThis has been a dream of mine since draft day in 2024.\u201d Edgcumbe was selected by Flint in the eighth round of the 2024 OHL Priority…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":575,"featured_media":299964,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[{"term_id":63,"name":"Flint Firebirds","slug":"flint-firebirds","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":63,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1355,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1381"},{"term_id":3532,"name":"Liam Edgcumbe","slug":"liam-edgcumbe","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3532,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2188"},{"term_id":2673,"name":"OHL News","slug":"ohl-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2689,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4020,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2864"},{"term_id":890,"name":"Prospects","slug":"prospects","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":901,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1754,"filter":"raw","term_order":"3065"}],"class_list":["post-299962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-flint-firebirds","tag-liam-edgcumbe","tag-ohl-news","tag-prospects","category-186","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/08\/10162443\/Edgcumbe-Web.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/575"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299962"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299966,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299962\/revisions\/299966"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]