TORONTO (Monday, February 16, 2026) – The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, February 15, 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 after leading the League with 10 points, including four goals and six assists, in three games.
Barabanov’s standout week was highlighted by a season-high six-point performance on Friday night in Sarnia. The 19-year-old recorded a goal and five assists as the Spirit powered past the Sarnia Sting 11-3. Earlier in the week, Barabanov continued to impress NHL scouts by scoring twice in a 5-4 road victory over the Flint Firebirds on Wednesday. He concluded his productive stretch with a goal and an assist on Saturday against the Windsor Spitfires.
A 6-foot, 175-lb. centreman from Basking Ridge, NJ, Barabanov currently sits third in OHL scoring with 72 points (25-47–72) through 54 games. He joined the Spirit as a free agent last summer following a successful 2024-25 campaign with the USHL’s Madison Capitols, where he recorded 38 points.
Despite being 19-years-old, Barabanov has established himself as a top prospect for the upcoming NHL Draft, currently ranked 39th among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings.
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)
Jan. 5-11: Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 12-18: Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit)
Jan. 19-25: Jake O’Brien (Brantford Bulldogs)
Jan. 26-Feb. 1: Kevin He (Flint Firebirds)
Feb. 2-8: Ben Wilmott (Barrie Colts)
Feb. 9-15: Egor Barabanov (Saginaw Spirit)
Rangers’ Christian Kirsch Named Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week
San Jose Sharks prospect Christian Kirsch of the Kitchener Rangers is the Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week.
Kirsch played to a perfect 2-0 record with a 1.00 goals-against average, .957 save percentage, and one shutout, backstopping the Rangers to victories over the London Knights and Ottawa 67’s.
Kirsch turned aside 21 shots on Tuesday night at The Aud, earning his 20th win of the season as the Rangers defeated the rival Knights 5-2. He followed that performance with a perfect outing on Saturday in the nation’s capital, making 24 saves to record his second shutout of the campaign in a 2-0 blanking of the Ottawa 67’s.
Selected by San Jose in the fourth round (116th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, Kirsch has been dominant since returning from representing Switzerland at the 2026 World Juniors, playing to a 9-1-1-0 record in the new year. The 19-year-old from Basel, Switzerland was Kitchener’s first round (44th overall) pick in the 2025 CHL Import Draft from the NAHL’s Janesville Jets. Kirsch is committed to Quinnipiac University (NCAA).
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)
Jan. 5-11: Zachary Jovanovski (Guelph Storm)
Jan. 12-18: Matthew Humphries (Oshawa Generals)
Jan. 19-25: Carter George (Soo Greyhounds)
Jan. 26-Feb. 1: Zach Bowen (Brampton Steelheads)
Feb. 2-8: Easton Rye (Peterborough Petes)
Feb. 9-15: Christian Kirsch (Kitchener Rangers)
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, claiming the honour for the fourth time this season after recording two goals, seven assists, and nine points in three games.
Klepov helped power the Spirit to a pair of victories, beginning with a four-point performance on Wednesday. He registered a goal and three assists in a 5-4 win over the rival Flint Firebirds, with his 30th goal of the season standing as the game-winner. He matched that output on Friday, tallying another goal and three assists as the Spirit defeated the Sarnia Sting in a decisive 11-3 victory. Klepov made history on Saturday against the Windsor Spitfires. Despite a 4-2 loss, Klepov recorded an assist to register his 75th point of the campaign, setting a new Saginaw Spirit franchise record for points by a rookie in a single season, eclipsing the prior mark held by Cole Perfetti (2018-19).
A 17-year-old from Deerfield Beach, Florida, Klepov’s 75 points (31-44–75) in 53 games currently place him just one point back of the OHL scoring lead. The standout rookie continues an impressive second half of the season, having recently been named the OHL Rookie of the Month for January and claiming MVP honours at the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game. He was Saginaw’s first round (35th overall) pick in the 2025 CHL Import Draft. Klepov, who is committed to Michigan State University (NCAA), is the 16th ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings.
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)
Jan. 5-11: Charlie Murata (Flint Firebirds)
Jan. 12-18: Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit)
Jan. 19-25: Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs)
Jan. 26-Feb. 1: Keaton Ardagh (Brampton Steelheads)
Feb. 2-8: Kale Osipenko (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 9-15: Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit)
Bulldogs’ David Buchman Named GOHL Prospect of the Week
Brantford Bulldogs prospect David Buchman has been named the GOHL Prospect of the Week for the second time this season.
Buchman, a 16-year-old defenceman for the Brantford Titans, recorded a goal and six assists for seven points in a pair of victories last week. The 2025 first-round selection played the hero on Thursday, scoring the overtime winner to lift the Titans to a 3-2 victory over the Caledonia Corvairs. He followed that performance with a dynamic playmaking display on Saturday, registering six assists in a lopsided win over the Caledon Bombers.
Buchman has been a standout in his first season of junior hockey, recording 23 points (6-17–23) over 21 games. The Stittsville, ON native was selected by the Bulldogs in the first round (20th overall) of the 2025 OHL Priority Selection from the HEO champion Ottawa Valley Titans AAA program.
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)
Jan. 5-11: Vaughn Barr (St. Marys Lincolns/Erie Otters)
Jan. 12-18: David Buchman (Brantford Titans/Brantford Bulldogs)
Jan. 19-25: Myles Dunn (St. Thomas Stars/Sarnia Sting)
Jan. 26-Feb. 1: Sammy DiBlasi (Chatham Maroons/Saginaw Spirit)
Feb. 2-8: Jake Windbiel (LaSalle Vipers/Windsor Spitfires)
Feb. 9-15: David Buchman (Brantford Titans/Brantford Bulldogs)
OHL Writers 