TORONTO (Monday, January 5, 2026) – The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games spanning Sunday, December 28, 2025 through Sunday, January 4, 2026.
Spirit’s Egor Barabanov Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week
Saginaw Spirit forward Egor Barabanov is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording two goals, seven assists and nine points over five games dating back to Dec. 28th.
Barabanov has helped the Spirit turn things around of late with wins in five of their last six outings. He chalked up a goal and two assists coming out of the break on Dec. 28th in Sault Ste. Marie as the Spirit beat the Greyhounds 5-1. Barabanov started the new year off the right way with three primary assists in a 5-3 home win against the same Greyhounds on Jan. 3rd. He helped spearhead Saginaw’s 4-3 win over the Brampton Steelheads on Sunday with a goal and an assist, giving him a club-leading 49 points (17-32–49) over 38 games this season. He has points in 10 of his last 12 games.
A 19-year-old from Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Barabanov is playing a frontline role in his first OHL season after being signed by the Spirit as a free agent over the summer. The 6-foot, 175Ib. centre spent 2024-25 with the USHL’s Madison Capitols, producing 39 points (15-24–39) over 53 games. Despite being passed over for the NHL Draft in each of the past two years, Barabanov is a B-rated prospect by NHL Central Scouting for the 2026 NHL Draft.
2025-26 Cogeco OHL Player of the Week
Sept. 18-21: Cole Davis (Windsor Spitfires)
Sept. 22-28: Ethan Czata (Niagara IceDogs)
Sept. 29-Oct. 5: Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie Colts)
Oct. 6-12: Jake O’Brien (Brantford Bulldogs)
Oct. 13-19: Adam Benak (Brantford Bulldogs)
Oct. 20-26: Kieron Walton (Sudbury Wolves)
Oct. 27-Nov. 2: Harry Nansi (Owen Sound Attack)
Nov. 3-9: Alex Kostov (Flint Firebirds)
Nov. 10-16: Nathan Aspinall (Flint Firebirds)
Nov. 17-23: Marek Vanacker (Brantford Bulldogs)
Nov. 24-30: Kieron Walton (Sudbury Wolves)
Dec. 1-7: Alex McLean (Guelph Storm)
Dec. 8-14: Christopher Brown (Soo Greyhounds)
Dec. 15-21: Alex Pharand (Sudbury Wolves)
Dec. 28-Jan. 4: Egor Barabanov (Saginaw Spirit)
Petes’ Easton Rye Named Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week
Easton Rye of the Peterborough Petes is the Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season, going 3-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average, .962 save percentage, one shutout and 102 saves.
One of the OHL’s busiest netminders, Rye turned in his first career OHL shutout coming out of the break, making 25 saves in a 2-0 win over the Oshawa Generals on Dec. 28th. He was back in the crease on New Year’s Day, stopping 36-of-37 as the Petes beat the Kingston Frontenacs 3-1. Rye backstopped the Petes to victory in Owen Sound on Saturday, making 41 saves as Peterborough prevailed 5-3 despite being outshot 44-29.
An 19-year-old local product from Peterborough, Rye is 20-8-1-1 on the season with a 2.86 goals-against average and .916 save percentage over 30 games. His 922 saves are the third-most in the league this season. A former fifth round (89th overall) pick by the Petes in 2022, Rye has played to a career mark of 31-26-3-2 with a 3.52 goals-against average and .902 save percentage through 68 games.
2025-26 Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week
Sept. 18-21: Jason Schaubel (Kitchener Rangers)
Sept. 22-28: Joey Costanzo (Windsor Spitfires)
Sept. 29-Oct. 5: Gavin Betts (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 6-12: Mason Vaccari (Flint Firebirds)
Oct. 13-19: Patrick Quinlan (Sarnia Sting)
Oct. 20-26: Ryerson Leenders (Brantford Bulldogs)
Oct. 27-Nov. 2: Aleksei Medvedev (London Knights)
Nov. 3-9: Matthew Minchak (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 10-16: Ben Hrebik (Barrie Colts)
Nov. 17-23: Easton Rye (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 24-30: Zach Bowen (Brampton Steelheads)
Dec. 1-7: Vladislav Yermolenko (Niagara IceDogs)
Dec. 8-14: Mason Vaccari (Flint Firebirds)
Dec. 15-21: Ryder Fetterolf (Ottawa 67’s)
Dec. 28-Jan. 4: Easton Rye (Peterborough Petes)
Spirit’s Nikita Klepov Named OHL Rookie of the Week
2026 NHL Draft prospect Nikita Klepov of the Saginaw Spirit is the OHL Rookie of the Week for the second time this season, producing seven points (3-4–7) over five games dating back to Dec. 28th.
Klepov picked up a pair of assists as the Spirit beat the Soo Greyhounds 5-1 on the road coming out of the holiday break. He found the back of the net for his 20th goal of the season on Dec. 30th as Saginaw topped the Sarnia Sting 5-1. Klepov pumped out four points on Sunday, scoring his second goal of the afternoon with just 53 seconds left in the third period as Saginaw defeated the Brampton Steelheads 4-3. Both of his assists were primary as Klepov earned first star recognition in Sunday’s win, helping the Spirit win their fifth in the last six games.
A 17-year-old from Deerfield Beach, Florida, Klepov leads OHL rookies with 22 goals and 151 shots on goal. His 47 points (22-25–47) over 37 games are the second-most in the league. The 6-foot, 180Ib. left wing was selected by the Spirit in the first round (35th overall) of the 2025 CHL Import Draft after spending last season with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers where he registered 31 points (12-19–31) over 59 games. Klepov is slated to suit up for the Western Conference in the 2026 Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game on Jan. 14th in Peterborough. He’s an A-rated prospect by NHL Central Scouting for the 2026 NHL Draft.
2025-26 OHL Rookie of the Week
Sept. 18-21: Thomas Vandenberg (Ottawa 67’s)
Sept. 22-28: Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs)
Sept. 29-Oct. 5: Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit)
Oct. 6-12: Jaxon Cover (London Knights)
Oct. 13-19: Ryder Cali (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 20-26: Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 27-Nov. 2: Ryder Fetterolf (Ottawa 67’s)
Nov. 3-9: Easton Walos (Sarnia Sting)
Nov. 10-16: Ryder Fetterolf (Ottawa 67’s)
Nov. 17-23: Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs)
Nov. 24-30: Levi Harper (Saginaw Spirit)
Dec. 1-7: Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs)
Dec. 8-14: Robin Kuzma (Kingston Frontenacs
Dec. 15-21: Caleb Mitchell (London Knights)
Dec. 28-Jan. 4: Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit)
Greyhounds Prospect James Elliott Named GOHL Prospect of the Week
Soo Greyhounds prospect James Elliott of the St. Catharines Falcons is the GOHL Prospect of the Week, recording a goal and four assists over a pair of victories.
Elliott played an instrumental role in the Falcons stunning the first place Cambridge RedHawks on the road Friday night, scoring while adding three assists in a 4-3 victory. St. Catharines handed Cambridge just its third loss in the process. Elliott was back on the scoresheet on Saturday night in Pelham, providing an assist as the Falcons beat the Panthers 5-4 to improve to 27-2-2, six points back of first place Cambridge in the Eastern Conference.
A 17-year-old from Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Elliott has 30 points (12-18–30) through 31 games in his first GOHL season. He’s posted four points on three different occasions, scoring three game-winning goals on the season. Elliott was Sault Ste. Marie’s seventh round (137th overall) pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection from the Barrie Colts AAA program. He spent last season with the NOJHL’s Soo Thunderbirds, recoding 31 points (14-17–31) over 47 games. Elliott is committed to Lake Superior State University (NCAA).
2025-26 GOHL Prospect of the Week
Sept. 10-21: Brendan Gerber (Elmira Sugar Kings/London Knights)
Sept. 22-28: Alex Forrest (Cambridge RedHawks/Kitchener Rangers)
Sept. 29-Oct. 5: Liam Edgcumbe (Pelham Panthers/Flint Firebirds)
Oct. 6-12: Caden Bell (St. Catharines Falcons/Niagara IceDogs)
Oct. 13-19: Reed Straus (Elmira Sugar Kings/Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 20-26: Gensen Geldart (Chatham Maroons/Saginaw Spirit)
Oct. 27-Nov. 2: Lyndon Cabral (Listowel Cyclones/Erie Otters)
Nov. 2-9: Jake Ritson (Strathroy Rockets/London Knights)
Nov. 10-16: Ulysses Lombardi (Waterloo Siskins/Flint Firebirds)
Nov. 17-23: Alex Campeau (London Nationals/London Knights)
Nov. 24-30: William Camputaro (St. Thomas Stars/Soo Greyhounds)
Dec. 1-7: Ian Robinson (Port Colborne Sailors/Kitchener Rangers)
Dec. 8-14: Kalyn McQueen (Cambridge RedHawks/Soo Greyhounds)
Dec. 15-21: Alexander Lisi (Chatham Maroons/Owen Sound Attack)
Dec. 29- Jan. 4: James Elliott (St. Catharines Falcons/Soo Greyhounds)
OHL Writers 