DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

Tag: OHL

  • Weekly 2026 Draft Eligible Three Stars

    The road towards the 2026 NHL draft continues to narrow as the season inches closer to the end. June will be here before we know it, and before that, prospects across the world will be proving they deserve to have their names called by an NHL team. This week’s three stars feature two Americans who powered their American Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team to a pair of wins this week and a Western Hockey League winger in the middle of a breakout.

    Egor Barabanov | C | Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

    Egor Barabanov is enjoying a banner rookie season in the OHL. The Anaheim, CA, native is third in league scoring with 72 points (25 goals, 47 assists), behind only teammate Nikita Klepov and New York Rangers prospect Nathan Aspinall. The 19-year-old, who spent part of four seasons in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Sioux Falls Stampede and the Madison Capitals, was the 39th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting on its Mid-Term Rankings.

    Barabanov opened the week with a two-goal game against the Flint Firebirds in a 5-4 win. He scored a power play goal in the second period to take a 3-2 lead. He doubled down in the third period, scoring his 23rd goal of the season to tie the game at 4.

    The 6-foot, 181-pound forward followed that up with a career-high six points (one goal, five assists) in an 11-3 drubbing of the Sarnia Sting. Barabanov had three assists in the first period as the Spirit jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first period. He added a pair of helpers in the second before notching the 11th goal for his squad in the third.

    The Anaheim Junior Ducks product polished off the week with a goal and assist in a 4-2 loss to the Windsor Spitfires.

    Nikita Klepov | RW | Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

    The Saginaw Spirit has one of the most dominant duos of draft-eligible players between Nikita Kelpov and Barabanov. The American OHL rookies sit at numbers two and three in league scoring. Klepov was a first-round pick of the Spirit in the 2025 CHL Import Draft after scoring 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists) in 59 games with the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL. The 6-foot, 181-pound winger is the 38th-ranked skater on Draft Prospect Hockey’s 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings.

    The Deerfield Beach, FL, native began the week potting a goal and three assists as the Spirit knocked off its American rival, the Flint Firebirds, 5-4. Klepov was all over the scoresheet again with another four-point outing against the Sarnia Sting. He finished the weekend with a lone assist in Saginaw’s 4-2 loss to the Windsor Spitfires.

    Beckett Hamilton | RW | Red Deer Rebels (WHL)

    Red Deer Rebels winger Beckett Hamilton loves to shoot the puck. The Humboldt, SK, native is averaging a team-high seven shots per game with an average of 3.9 shots on goal per game. Hamilton is on the smaller side at 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds, but that nose for the net should get fans and scouts excited. The 17-year-old has blown by his rookie point totals. After posting 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) in 67 games in 2024-25, Hamilton is already at 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 52 games in 2025-26.

    Hamilton led all draft-eligible players this week in shots on goal with 24 in three games. He opened up with seven shots on goal while picking up an assist in a 6-3 loss to the Everett Silvertips. The 75th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting had a pair of goals and assists for four points, including a helper on the overtime winner, as the Rebels eked out a 5-4 overtime win against the Medicine Hat Tigers. He wrapped up the weekend registering 10 shots on goal but not picking up any points in a 4-3 overtime win against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

  • Weekly 2026 Draft-Eligible Three Stars

    January is almost over, and the 2026 NHL Draft inches closer with every flip of the calendar. For draft-eligible players, the next few months will do a lot to decide the future for these guys. This week’s Draft Prospects Hockey weekly three stars feature two of the projected top defensemen in the class and a forward who is rising up the boards.

    Chase Reid | RHD | Soo Greyhounds (OHL)

    After a short stint in the NAHL with the Bismarck Bobcats, right-handed defenseman Chase Reid joined the Soo Greyhounds and started piling up points in the 2024-25 season. In 39 games, the smooth-skating rearguard had 40 points (seven goals, 33 assists). In the same number of games so far in 2025-26, the Chesterfield, MI, native is leading all OHL draft-eligible defensemen in points with 45 (18 goals, 27 assists).

    Reid, the number 10 ranked skater on Draft Prospect Hockey’s 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Ranking, continued his impressive offensive season with five points in three games. He started with three assists while taking five shots in a 5-3 win over the London Knights. Despite not finding the scoresheet, Reid played over 25 minutes in a 3-0 shutout of the North Bay Battalion for Los Angeles Kings prospect Carter George. He polished up the weekend with a pair of goals with five shots on goal in a 6-1 victory over the Battalion.

    Keaton Verhoeff | RHD | Univ. of North Dakota (NCAA)

    Keaton Verhoeff is one of five 17-year-old players in the NCAA this season but is the only defenseman. His 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 22 games place him third in draft-eligible scoring in college hockey behind Penn State’s Gavin McKenna and Michigan’s Adam Valentini. Verhoeff was a proven scorer at the junior level after scoring 21 goals and 45 points in 63 games as a 16-year-old with the Victoria Royals in 2024-25, but a move to the NCAA presented a potential challenge.

    The Fort Saskatchewan, AB, native has been up to the task and is showing why he is Draft Prospect Hockey’s third-best skater and top defender on the Draft Prospect Hockey 2026 NHL Draft Rankings. This week in a pair of matchups with Arizona State, he scored twice while adding three assists.

    Jaxon Cover | LW | London Knights (OHL)

    Jaxon Cover has one of the most unique paths to becoming a prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft. He didn’t start playing ice hockey until he was 13, and before that, he was a sensation at inline hockey. After playing with the St. Andrews prep school team, he joined the London Knights full-time for the 2025-26 season.

    In 45 games this season, Cover has 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists), which might not scream NHL top prospect, but remember he grew up in the Cayman Islands and has only been playing competitive ice hockey for four seasons.

    Cover was held off the scoresheet in his first game of the week against the Soo Greyhounds but scored four goals in his next two games. He tied the game at two against the Sarnia Sting with eight minutes left in regulation. After getting the puck from a scrum, he walked into the left faceoff circle and lifted a backhand up and over the Sting goaltender.

    To end the week, Cover potted his first career OHL hat trick in a dominant 10-2 shellacking of the Peterborough Petes.

  • Weekly 2026 NHL Draft-Eligible Three Stars

    The World Junior Championships are in the books now, and players have returned to action for their respective club teams. The trade deadline has passed across the CHL which puts the push for the postseason front and center for some teams, while others prepare for the future. As teams gear up for playoff races in the second half of the season, NHL staff and countless other draft observers will be eyeing talent for the 2026 NHL Draft. This week in the three stars, a Swedish forward gets some recognition for his strong work this season, a Finn has returned to the OHL with new life after his trip to Minnesota, and a Canadian center is already adjusting to new surroundings after being dealt.

    Wiggo Sörensson | C/LW | Boro/Vetlanda HC (SWE-DIV2)

    Swedish forward Wiggo Sörensson is having a very productive season, splitting his games between the U20 level and Division 2 hockey. He’s amassed 52 points (30 goals, 22 assists) in 12 games with the Boro/Vetlanda HC U20 program and another 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 20 Division 2 games. Sörenssen may lack a little in physical tools at just 5 feet 11 inches and 181 pounds, but the rest of his game more than makes up for it. When playing at the U20 junior level, the April 2008 born skater has dominated the competition and showcased his offensive gifts over the last two seasons.

    Splitting time between Division 2 hockey and U20 Division 1, Sörensson led all draft eligibles last week with six points in three games. After not registering a point in his first game of the week, the Vetlanda, Sweden, native had six goals in the next two games. His biggest performance of the week was scoring all four goals in a 5-4 loss to the U20 Division 1 Alvesta SK club.

    Jasper Kuhta | C | Ottawa 67’s (OHL)

    After missing out on being selected in the 2025 NHL Draft, Finnish center Jasper Kuhta is putting together a case to be drafted in 2026. The 6-foot-2, 198 pound forward was impressive with Finland, finishing second in team scoring with eight points at his first world junior tournament despite a disappointing finish for his country.

    He returned to Ottawa after his sojourn in Minnesota and hasn’t missed a beat. On a Northern Ontario road trip against the North Bay Battalion, Soo Greyhounds, and Sudbury Wolves, the Helsinki native had five points in three games.

    Kuhta capitalized on the power play against the Wolves with just over three minutes remaining in the second period. After finding some open space in the right-side faceoff circle, he took a pass from Carolina Hurricanes prospect Filip Ekberg and buried a wrist shot. With 1:45 remaining in the second period, Kuhta doubled up. After the newly acquired David Bedkowski fired a shot, Kuhta quickly flipped the rebound in past the keeper on the backhand.

    Jean-Cristoph Lemieux | C | Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

    17-year-old Jean-Cristoph Lemieux’s week started with a big change. The 2025 U17 World Hockey Challenge gold medalist was dealt from the Windsor Spitfires along with a package of eight draft picks to the Sudbury Wolves for Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Alex Pharand and Seattle Kraken prospect Nathan Villeneuve. Lemieux has had a pretty seamless transition after moving from the team at the most Southern point of the province to one of the furthest north, with five points (three goals, two assists) in three games.

    He opened the week with a goal and an assist against the Greyhounds in a 6-2 loss for the Wolves. He picked up another helper for his lone point in a 4-2 loss to the Niagara IceDogs.

    He saved his best for last with a two-goal outing against the high-flying Ottawa 67’s. With the Wolves on the power play in the first period, Lemieux wound up a one-timer to put the Wolves ahead by one. With just over three and a half minutes left in the second period, Lemieux went streaking down the left wing and took a breakaway pass to send him in alone. He made no mistake one-on-one with Ottawa goalie Jaeden Nelson, faking a shot and then flipping a backhand over the keeper.

  • Weekly 2026 Draft Eligible Three Stars

    As the 2026 NHL Draft picture continues to develop, a trio of emerging major-junior standouts are forcing scouts to take notice. Across the CHL, high-end skill, production, and poise are coming into focus—whether it’s the dynamic twin-driven surge in Medicine Hat, a Russian playmaker redefining “instant impact” in Victoriaville, or a towering OHL power forward bulldozing his way up draft boards. Liam Ruck, Yegor Shilov, and Ethan Belchetz aren’t just off to hot starts—they’re building cases to hear their names called early on draft night in June. Here’s a closer look at why all three are rapidly rising prospects to watch.

    Liam Ruck | RW | Medicine Hat Tigers

    Liam Ruck and his identical twin brother, Markus, have both had hot starts to their respective draft-eligible seasons in Medicine Hat. The twins are both producing at a point-per-game level with 21 points each. Liam has found a little bit more of a scoring touch with seven goals and 14 assists, while Markus is dishing the puck with just three goals to go with 18 assists.

    In a pair of games over the weekend, Liam showed off his offensive prowess, collecting six points. Early in the first period against the Regina Pats, Ruck settled into some open ice near the faceoff dot on the left side before taking a pass and ripping a wicked wrist shot that hit the crossbar and went in. With the game tied at two in the second, Ruck broke the tie. After taking a feed on his backhand, the Osoyoos, BC native tried to feed the puck across the slot, but his pass was redirected back to him, and he popped it in. Ruck added a secondary assist on the overtime winner to pick up points on all four Tigers goals.

    The 45th-ranked skater on the 2026 Draft Prospects Rankings added a goal and an assist to his weekend total in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings.

    Yegor Shilov | C | Victoriaville Tigres

    Russian center Yegor Shilov is leading the way for draft-eligible prospects in the QMJHL with 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 21 games. After lighting it up in minor hockey in Russia, he had 76 points in 30 U17 games in 2023-24; the crafty playmaker moved across the ocean to play for the Long Island Gulls 16U program. The transition to North American ice didn’t seem to faze him, as he scored 48 points in 31 games with the Gulls and another 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in 39 games with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers.

    The Boston University commit for next season was picked third overall by Victoriaville in the 2025 CHL Import Draft and acclimatized to major junior hockey extremely well. After picking up an assist in Victorville’s Wednesday tilt with Baie-Comeau, Shilov exploded for a hat trick and a five-point outing against Shawinigan. In on a three-on-two, Shilov used the Shawinigan defender as a screen and fired a wrist shot over the goalie’s glove-side shoulder. He added another marker on a shorthanded breakaway, slipping a backhand through the goalie’s pads. He capped the hat trick with a breakaway goal on an empty net. The 49th-ranked skater on the 2026 Draft Prospects Rankings was held off the scoresheet in a 4-1 win over Gatineau, but it wasn’t for lack of trying, as the pivot had six shots on goal.

    Ethan Belchetz | LW | Windsor Spitfires

    Ethan Belchetz has always had a nose for the net, and the monster power forward is currently leading the OHL draft-eligible group with 16 goals in 21 games. After potting 17 goals in his rookie season last year with the Spitfires, Belchetz is set to soar past that number in his sophomore campaign. The Oakville, ON, native, standing at 6-foot-5 and 227 pounds, has the kind of size NHL teams dream about and a toolkit of offensive skills to go with it.

    Belchetz opened the scoring for the Spitfires on Thursday night against the Soo Greyhounds. Finding some open ice in the slot, the gargantuan winger walked in uncovered and wired a wrist shot over the Greyhounds keeper’s blocker-side shoulder. Belchetz found the back of the net less than two minutes into the second period for the daily double. After gaining the zone, Belchetz dropped the puck off for Philadelphia Flyers prospect Jack Nesbitt and settled into some open ice in the left-side faceoff circle. As he drifted towards the Soo cage, Nesbitt fed him the puck. Despite not being able to get a clean shot off, the puck rattled around and found its way in.

    The 5th-ranked skater on the 2026 Draft Prospects Rankings had nine shot attempts with six on target during Saturday’s game against the Guelph Storm. He managed to find the back of the net off a play he created in his own zone. After blocking a point-to-point pass by the Storm, Belchetz took off and received a feed to give himself a breakaway. With all kinds of time and space, the 2024 first overall pick in the OHL Draft faked a shot to get the goalie to drop and then roofed a quick forehand wrist shot up and over.

  • Next-Level Defense: How Matthew Schaefer Is Rewriting the Role of a Blueliner

    Matthew Schaefer: The Future of NHL Blue Lines

    Matthew Schaefer is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting prospects heading into the 2025 NHL Draft. At 6’2″ and 175 pounds, he combines elite skating, high-end hockey IQ, and a complete two-way game that sets him apart from virtually every defenseman in his class. Ten out of ten scouts have him pegged as the projected No. 1 overall pick, and seven of those scouts believe the gap between Schaefer and the next tier—names like James Hagens, Michael Misa, and Porter Martone—is substantial.

    His trajectory this season has been electric. With 22 points in just 17 OHL games, he’s crushed last year’s totals, where he recorded 17 points in 56 games. His goal count has more than doubled—from 3 to 7 in a fraction of the games. And while a broken collarbone at the U20 World Juniors will sideline him for around three months, it has done nothing to diminish his stock. If anything, it only magnified his resilience.

    I had the privilege of speaking with Matthew for about 20 minutes, and in that time, it became abundantly clear that his maturity and mindset are just as elite as his on-ice play. When I asked him who his NHL comparison would be, he answered without hesitation: “It would probably be Cale Makar, that’s pretty easy. He is a great skater, really good hockey IQ, so I like to watch bits and parts of his game and try to put it in my game.”

    But what struck me even more came when I asked what the biggest lesson he’s learned during his recovery process was. He responded, “I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is when you lose someone you love you don’t really expect it and life can throw so much stuff at you. I am just happy to be here everyday… after I lost my mom it made me look at life so much differently.” That kind of perspective, from a 17-year-old, tells you everything you need to know about his character.

    On the ice, Schaefer’s skating defines his game. His stride is powerful, fluid, and efficient, letting him close gaps in the defensive zone or lead rushes up the ice. His edgework is elite—smooth pivots, agile turns, and the ability to evade pressure with ease make him a nightmare for forecheckers. This blend of speed and balance makes him dominant in transition.

    Offensively, he’s a weapon. Schaefer thinks the game at a high level, processes plays in real-time, and delivers pinpoint passes whether he’s springing a forward on a breakaway or navigating a tight power play setup. At the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he showcased his dynamic skill set, dancing through defenders before setting up a crucial goal. He also owns a heavy, accurate shot that he’s not afraid to unleash from the point or in transition.

    Defensively, Schaefer is as responsible as they come. He maintains strong positioning, closes gaps quickly, and uses his frame effectively to protect the front of the net. He blocks shots with conviction—a skill he credits to his older brother Johnny—and shows the kind of poise that usually belongs to veteran defensemen. He rarely overcommits, plays with a calm intensity, and brings a steadying presence in high-pressure moments.

    Physically, there’s still room to grow. But even now, Schaefer holds his own in puck battles, isn’t shy about contact, and knows when to deliver a timely hit. As he continues to add muscle, he’s going to become an even bigger problem for opposing forwards.

    When I asked him how he sees the role of a top-tier defenseman evolving, he said, “It could be a Cale Makar role or someone who shuts down… you’re gonna need your top line, hopefully if they are more offensive to create points and be able to shutdown, but I think you’re gonna have your top line that can do both then your second line is gonna be the shutdown line for sure.”

    On the topic of his own game, Schaefer said, “I want to be a two-way defenseman, I want to be known to go out on the PK, block shots, and save the lead… Whether it’s with a minute left to protect a lead or gain one, I want to be out there. I want to be a big two-way defenseman that’s not afraid to block shots, score goals, make big hits, make big plays. Just want to be an all-around player.”

    And that’s exactly what he is.

    Matthew Schaefer is the full package: a franchise-caliber defenseman who can lead a blue line, quarterback a power play, shut down opposing stars, and step up in the biggest moments. His elite skill, unmatched poise, and high character make him not only the safest pick in the draft—but potentially the most impactful one. Any team that lands Schaefer in 2025 isn’t just getting a top-pairing D-man. They’re getting a cornerstone for the next decade and beyond.