The Ontario Hockey League has provided some of the top talent in professional leagues across the globe and has had an especially strong presence in North America. Plenty of names from past NHL drafts have made their own unique, indelible marks on professional hockey, but what lies ahead for this already prestigious league?
While the OHL is expected to have a few day-one picks of their own in the upcoming NHL draft, it remains one of the deepest junior leagues in all of hockey.
This season, the OHL looks to send more and more of its players into the NHL, even after the first night of drafting. Here are some of those names that may not receive all the fanfare of a first-round pick, but could become relevant in the following seasons.
Spencer Stova – Brampton Steelheads
After being drafted in the first round by the Erie Otters in 2020, Spencer Stova has shown nothing but improvement throughout his four-year OHL career. Stova was named an alternate captain of a struggling Otters team during the 2022-2023 season where the Otters finished second to last in the league.
Despite the team’s struggles, Stova recorded 16 goals and 23 assists in 68 games for the Otters. Stova was named the captain in the following season where he tallied 14 goals and 17 assists in a season where Erie finished third in the division and made the playoffs.
Although Stova’s point totals dropped slightly in the 2023-2024 season, he also played 10 fewer games than the season prior and managed to drop his plus-minus from a staggering -37 in 2022-2023 to minus-five in 2023-2024. This season Stova remains a team leader but with a different team as he was moved to the Brampton Steelheads in the offseason where he serves as an alternate captain this season. So far this season, Stova is averaging over a point per game with 16 points 13 games played and a much stronger plus-minus of plus-15.
Stova has nearly the same build as Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey who had a similar path to Stova, spending multiple seasons in the CHL before earning a first-round selection for himself in 2013. Whether or not Stova’s potential will be recognized this year or the next is still up in the air, but if he can keep up this pace, NHL GMs will have no choice but to take notice.
Beau Jelsma – Barrie Colts
Jelsma is another 2004 player who somehow hasn’t gotten the right looks at the pro level yet despite a successful OHL career. Jelsma burst onto the scene in the 2021-2022 season racking up 47 points in 68 games for the Barrie Colts.
The following season, Jelsma recorded 61 points in 67 games before finally breaking the point-per-game benchmark in the 2023-2024 season. Last season, Jelsma buried 37 goals and put up 81 points while once again playing 67 games in the season.
Despite his 1.21 point per game average and an even plus-minus rating, it wasn’t enough to attract any pro clubs. This season, Jelsma is once again averaging over the point-per-game mark with six points in five games. While it is still early in the season, if he can at least match last year’s production, or even improve on it, Jelsma could make it difficult for teams to look past him for yet another season.
Mike McIvor – North Bay Battalion
Being a goaltender in a league as high-scoring as the OHL is no easy task. McIvor struggled in his rookie season with the North Bay Battalion posting a win-loss record of 8-9-0 across his 18 appearances during the regular season.
After proving himself in the offseason however, McIvor has earned the starting spot for the Battalion, and he has seemed to benefit from a steadier playing schedule. McIvor has a win-loss record of 5-2-1 this season with a .920 save percentage, a dramatic upgrade from his .876 save percentage the season prior. McIvor has also been able to cut down his goals-against average by almost a full goal, going from 3.78 last year to 2.90 this year.
McIvor has already earned a couple of goalie of the week and saves of the week honours in his career and will look to get as much exposure as possible this season. The main concern with McIvor this year is that he claims five of the team’s seven wins this season as they currently sit last in the division with a win-loss record of 7-7-2.
The trend for most junior goalies is that their stats will ultimately match the team’s success by the end of the season. Despite McIvor’s talent, if the team can not defend well around him and they stay at the bottom of the division, McIvor could be at risk of starting next season still looking for a pro deal.
Ondrej Molnar – Sudbury Wolves
Another 2005 player, Molnar was a 2022 first-round pick starting a pivotal year towards his professional aspirations. After only managing to appear in 34 games in his first season with the Erie Otters, and only posting 19 points, Molnar came back much stronger last season.
Olmar went from 19 points in 2022-2023 to 19 goals and 52 points in 64 games in 2023-2024. Molnar tallied three points in as many games for Slovakia at the U20 and will look to crack the World Juniors roster with a strong OHL campaign this season.
Molnar’s biggest draft concern is his health as he only appeared in about half of the Otters’ games in his first season, and has only appeared in three games this season, granted he has two goals in that stretch. If Molnar can stay healthy, appear in more or even an equal amount of games to last season, and continue to bolster his stats, he could get some looks in the new year.
Nate Krawchuk – Sudbury Wolves
This could be a make-or-break season for Nate Krawchuk. After appearing in 25 games in his first season with a win-loss record of 13-7-1, he’s already posted a .891 save percentage, Krawchuk saw his usage drop in the following year.
Last season, Krawchuk broke even with a 6-6-0 record, appeared in 16 games and saw his save percentage decrease while his goals against increased slightly. However, Krawchuk is posting over a .900 save percentage for the first time in his career this season at .922 and has dramatically dropped his goals-against average from last season’s 3.25 to this season’s 2.73. However, he still is below .500 with his win-loss record currently at 3-4-1 to start the season.
Krawchuk is likely to split time this season with his goaltending counterpart in Sudbury, Finn Marshall. If the team can defend better around Krawchuk, and he can maintain or even build on his current stats, this could be one of his last years in the OHL.
Alexis Daviault – Erie Otters
Daviault is entering his fifth season in the OHL where he’s played for both the Erie Otters and the Sarnia Sting, alternating teams just about every other season.
Daviault was drafted by Sarnia in the third round of the 2021 OHL draft. He appeared in 59 games and tallied 21 points in his rookie season before heading over to Erie where he saw a decrease in both minutes and production. The next season, Daviault was sent back to Sarnia where he saw even less time, appearing in 30 games and posting just seven points in that span. However, things began to turn around when he began his second stint with the Otters last season where he appeared in 65 games and racked up 37 points.
This season has proven to be much of the same as he’s off to a hot start with three goals and eight assists in 14 games this season. Daviault’s biggest concern at the pro level statistically is his plus-minus which has been in the negatives his entire career.
On the other hand, his ability to adjust to the OHL may concern scouts looking to bring him to the next level. However, his upside has shown that he could be a potential solid bottom-four defender at the next level and could be worth taking the risk on for GMs across the league.
Jack Brauti – Niagara Ice Dogs
It’s important to note that Brauti is on the younger side of NHL draft eligibility and for that reason, could remain in the OHL for at least another season after this one. However, from what he’s shown this season, Brauti’s stock could continue to rise and place him into some GMs’ radars come April.
Brauti had a respectable 21 points in 62 games as an OHL rookie last season. This season, Brauti started with four points in four games in preseason and already has 10 assists in 16 games alongside one goal.
Another important distinction for this newfound success could be the change of scenery for Brauti who began his OHL career last season with the Barrie Colts and has started this season with his new club, the Ice Dogs.
It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of this season unfolds for Brauti, if he can continue with his playmaking success, this could be his last season without a pro contract in the OHL.
Nick DeAngelis – Sudbury Wolves
DeAngelis can continue to make his name through the OHL by the motto that a goal and an assist are equal in the points category. DeAngelis has only managed to score 13 goals as he is now in the midst of his fourth season, however, he has 107 points across that span.
He has seen a steady increase in his point totals from year to year going from 13 points in his first year to 26, then 55 points last season. This year, DeAngelis is already off to a hot start with 13 points in 16 games. While the goal scorers from the OHL may go off the board earlier than a player like DeAngelis, he’ll have plenty of value in the spring if he can keep up the pace he’s been on for the last season and change.
Max Namestnikov – Guelph Storm
The NHL is a family affair for the Namestnikovs, with Max’s father Evgeny appearing in 43 games across five seasons, and his brother Vladislav who has already recorded over 300 NHL points and appeared in over 700 games.
As younger brother Max enters his fifth OHL season after being selected third overall in the 2020 OHL draft, this could finally be the year where he graduates to his brother’s league. Namestnikov potted 35 goals in 47 games during the 2022-2023 campaign before only appearing in 18 games the following season.
Just last year, Namestnikov bounced back in a big way with 24 goals and 50 points and played practically the whole season. As time ticks down on his draft eligibility, Namestnikov will have to continue to build off his already solid start where he has nine points in 15 games this season if he looks to attract some teams in 2025.
Jacob Oster – Oshawa Generals
Oster is looking to build off a huge season last year with the hopes of this potentially being his last OHL season. As a fifth-round pick in the 2020 OHL draft, Oster saw a decent amount of ice time appearing in 34 games as a rookie in his first stint with the Guelph Storm.
Oster’s early success continued as he went to Oshawa the following season, maintaining a save percentage of over .890 in his first two years. He returned to the Guelph Storm the following season where he struggled in his 26 games with a goals-against average of 4.63 and a .847 save percentage. However, when he returned to Oshawa last season, things began to fall into place. Oster appeared in 60 games for the Generals going 35-16-7 in that stretch with a 2.82 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.
So far this season, his numbers lie in the same neighbourhood, although his record is a bit closer to .500. What’s most impressive about Oster’s 2023-2024 campaign is a look at his longevity and his ability to potentially go out and start 35+ games as a rookie at the pro level. His numbers and record improved when he was simply given the chance, whether or not an NHL GM will do so depends on how the rest of the season goes.
