The 2026 OHL Draft season is here, with U16 teams hitting the ice this month, a fresh wave of talent is about to take center stage. Because the nature of this process brings in a new audience each year, I always like to begin with a quick introduction. This piece is meant to get you up to speed on what goes into my coverage, what you can expect from a subscription over the course of the season, and highlight some of the top names on my radar entering the year.
About Me
I want to start by sharing a bit about my background to give you a sense of the person behind the rankings and reports.
I grew up playing competitive hockey, I certainly wasn’t on the elite path that many of these U16 players are on, but I played. After my playing days, I moved into coaching, spending six seasons as an assistant and video coach with the Ottawa Jr. Senators U18 program. Since this was before the league shifted back to the U16 model, it gave me a valuable window into the OHL Draft process, working with players in their draft year, and a unique perspective on the whole process.
During the pandemic, I dove into the world of scouting, initially focusing on the NHL Draft. That journey led me to PuckPreps, where I launched their OHL Draft coverage beginning with the 2023 class. That makes this my fourth season covering the draft in-depth.
One final note: I'm always open to questions and conversations. Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram or Twitter anytime.
My Process
I’ll be honest, scouting for the OHL Draft as a one-person operation is no small task. With over 50 U16 teams across Ontario, it takes a ton of work and hours to put together a list that I am happy to put my name on. Of course, there are limitations, players I may miss or I may be slow to react to a player trending upwards, but
At the start of each season, I aim to watch every team a handful of times, regardless of their spot in the standings. This helps me build out an initial long list of players who catch my eye, essentially saying “yes” or “no” to every player in Ontario U16 AAA. While I can’t watch every team 10+ times, this approach gives everyone a fair shake and helps minimize the risk of missing someone who deserves attention for the OHL Draft.
Around the halfway mark, I usually have a list of 200+ players. From there, I begin refining my focus, watching key matchups, analyzing the tape of individual players more, and just overall narrowing my attention to those with a real shot at landing in my final top 100. Naturally, this means I might see a top team like the Mississauga Senators 20+ times, while a lower-end team may only get 5 viewings, but it’s all about prioritizing time to reach the finish line with as much confidence as possible.
It’s also important to note: my rankings aren’t predictions of what will happen on draft day. Every OHL team has its own philosophy, criteria, and scouting lens. My job isn’t to mirror that, it’s to offer an independent perspective based on what I value in a prospect. There will be similarities between my list and what happens on draft, but everyone sees things differently and I fully expect there to be some outliers and deviations every year.
Articles and Rankings
Here’s what you can expect from my content over the season:
Tournament Coverage:
After each major tournament, I’ll be posting recap articles highlighting my takeaways and standout performances. These pieces are meant to give a high-level overview, talk about the key themes, top players, and trends I noticed over the weekend.
League Check-Ins:
My plan is for my primary evaluation reports to be league-focused check-ins, rotating around the various leagues on some sort of schedule. These “check-ins” involve watching every team in a circuit and providing my thoughts on what I’m seeing, player progressions, risers, and notes on players who are catching my eye more and more as the year goes on.
Rankings Schedule:
The first rankings usually drop in November, starting with a Top 20. From there, the list gradually expands with each update, typically every 4–6 weeks, as I build confidence in how players stack up.
By season’s end, post-OHL Cup, the final product is a Top 100 ranking. At that point, I often find the talent pool begins to flatten out, making 100 a logical cutoff. Of course, there are always more than 100 deserving players, so I also include a longer list of “Honourable Mentions & Watchlist” prospects of players who just missed the cut but are still worth considering come draft day.
Top Players to Watch
I start every season with the same caveat: I’m just getting started, and I’ll almost certainly be missing someone at this stage. Still, after spending a decent chunk of time getting to know this incoming crop, I can toss out some early names worth jotting down. My first impression is that this is an intriguing group without a clear-cut No. 1 or defined top tier, which should make untangling the puzzle over the year a lot of fun.
As is often the case, the GTHL looks especially strong. Vaughan Kings defender Adrian Sgro has impressed me every viewing so far, showing all the tools you’d hope for in a high-end blueline prospect. Arjun Nanubhai (Sens) is a dynamic, explosive forward who consistently drives play shift after shift. Of this trio of early GTHL standouts, I’ve seen Jaden Licastro (TML) the least, but in those viewings, he’s showcased a highly mobile, always-involved style that’s easy to get excited about. Beyond those three, Kash Kwajah (JRC), Landon Roulston (VK), Kane Cloutier (VK), Jakub Kuklinski (Sens), Matthew Zilinski (Sens), and Declan McNally (DMF) are all names I’d say belong in the opening group of GTHLers to keep an eye on.
From the Alliance, Roman Vanacker (Brantford) and London’s Drew Bate and Quinn Roberts have earned early spots high on my watchlist. A few notable Alliance players have moved to other leagues, so this year’s depth may be thinner than usual, but we’ll see how things evolve.
The OMHA is where I have the biggest blind spots at this stage, but I’ve still gotten an early feel for some top names. Quinte’s Lauchlan Whelan & Austin Ottenhof and Hannu Packalen (Peterborough) have stood out so far as a cut above, though I’ll need more viewings across the circuit before feeling confident about the full picture across the many teams on both sides of the OMHA.
After watching a good chunk of HEO games on opening weekend, I didn’t see anyone I’d firmly place in this “top of the class” tier just yet. However, Logan Prud’homme, an Ottawa native now with Upper Canada College, is an obvious name to track. At 6'6", he undoubtedly draws attention with his frame, but his booming shot, sharp playmaking, and overall hockey sense make him a particularly exciting prospect.
Finally, while there aren’t Northern Ontario–based players high on my list yet, the region is well-represented by skaters who’ve moved to other circuits. Colin Kennedy, Brady Nash, and Dacey Dupuis are three Northern Ontario products that all belong somewhere in or just outside this top group of skaters.
Whether you're a returning reader or checking out my work for the first time, thanks for being here. I’m excited for another season of scouting, analysis, and covering the OHL Draft!