OHL ANNOUNCES TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK FOR NOV. 17-23, 2025

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

TORONTO (Monday, November 24, 2025) -The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, November 23, 2025.


Bulldogs’ Marek Vanacker Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

Chicago Blackhawks prospect Marek Vanacker of the Brantford Bulldogs is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, producing three goals, three assists and six points in a pair of victories last week.

Vanacker had the Bulldogs firing on all cylinders Thursday night in Niagara, scoring three goals while adding an assist as Brantford prevailed by a score of 5-0. Vanacker followed-up his third four-point performance of the season with a pair of primary assists at home against Sarnia on Friday as the Bulldogs won by a score of 7-2, improving to 18-0-4-1.

A 19-year-old from Delhi, ON, Vanacker leads the OHL with 21 goals along with 11 assists and 32 points over 21 games. His plus-20 plus/minus rating is tied for second-best in the League. Chosen by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round (27th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, Vanacker owns a career OHL stat-line that includes 85 goals, 87 assists and 172 points over 189 regular season games. The Bulldogs selected him with their first round (23rd overall) pick in 2022. Internationally, Vanacker won gold with Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship.

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)


Petes’ Easton Rye Named Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week

Peterborough Petes netminder Easton Rye is the Mary Brown’s Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week, going 2-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .952 save percentage.

Rye turned aside 34-of-35 shots on Thursday night as the Petes were 7-1 winners over the Brampton Steelheads. He stopped 26 more shots on Saturday as Peterborough prevailed over visiting Kingston 6-2, improving to 14-8-1-1 for fourth in the Eastern Conference.

A 19-year-old hometown product from Peterborough, Rye sits tied for the OHL lead with 13 wins, owning a 2.77 goals-against average and .914 save percentage over 19 games. The 6-foot, 196Ib. goaltender owns a career mark of 24-22-3-2 with a 3.63 goals-against average and .898 save percentage through 57 career regular season games since the Petes selected him in the fifth round (89th overall) of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection.

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)


Bulldogs’ Caleb Malhotra Named OHL Rookie of the Week

2026 NHL Draft prospect Caleb Malhotra of the Brantford Bulldogs is the OHL Rookie of the Week, registering two goals and two assists over a pair of wins last week.

Malhotra put together a four-point performance in Friday’s 7-2 win over the Sarnia Sting, scoring twice while adding two assists as Brantford improved to 18-0-4-1 atop the OHL standings. It marks his second 4+ point performance of the season following a five-point (2-3–5) showing on Sept. 27th vs. Sudbury.

A 17-year-old from Toronto, Malhotra sits second in OHL rookie scoring with 29 points (10-19–29) over 23 games with a plus/minus rating of plus-8. The 6-foot-2, 182Ib. centreman is an A-rated prospect by NHL Central Scouting for the 2026 NHL Draft. The Bulldogs acquired Malhotra from the Kingston Frontenacs in Sept. 2024 after he was originally chosen eighth overall by the Fronts in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. This marks the second time this season that Malhotra, who is committed to Boston University (NCAA), has earned OHL Rookie of the Week honours.

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)


Knights Prospect Alex Campeau Named GOHL Prospect of the Week

London Knights prospect Alex Campeau of the London Nationals is the GOHL Prospect of the Week, recording two goals and two assists for four points over a pair of games.

Campeau chipped in an assist in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the Strathroy Rockets before connecting for two goals and an assist on Saturday as the Nationals defeated the visiting LaSalle Vipers 6-1.

A 6-foot-4, 172Ib. forward from Cornwall, ON, Campeau has recorded seven goals, 14 assists and 21 points over 19 games with the Nationals this season. The 16-year-old was selected by the Knights with their first round (23rd overall) pick from the Eastern Ontario Wild U16 AAA program last spring.

Campeau follows Jake Ritson and Brendan Gerber to become the third Knights prospect to claim GOHL Prospect of the Week honours this season.

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)

Marek Vanacker – Brantford Bulldogs – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano
Marek Vanacker of the Brantford Bulldogs. Photo by OHL Images.
HTWTDOBPOSSHOHL DRAFTNHLCSNAT
6’1”170Apr 12, 2006LWL23rd, 202225th, N.A.CANADA
SEASONLEAGUETEAMGPGAPTS
2021-2022Alliance U16Brantford 99ers23192645
2022-2023WHC U17Canada Black7033
2022-2023OHLHamilton Bulldogs5541216
2023-2024OHLBrantford Bulldogs68364682

Marek Vanacker has shown immense skill by increasing production fivefold over the last year. This dramatic improvement is no mere stroke of luck.

He is an elite skater and one of the quickest players in the draft class, excelling in edgework, first strides, and top speed. His ability to rapidly accelerate and decelerate on his blades throws off opponents. Leveraging his skating prowess, he attacks the net with and without the puck. Adding more lateral agility could make him even more dangerous, though his skating raises no major concerns.

Vanacker is an excellent puck handler. His skating allows him to dangle past defenders and drive the puck into space. With good vision and playmaking ability, he can find teammates for scoring chances. He also recognizes when to shoot himself, firing hard wrist shots that challenge goalies. Varying his release point and shot placement as well as improving his accuracy would make him even more dangerous.

Defensively, Vanacker leverages his speed and hockey IQ to his advantage. With quick reactions, he slides into passing lanes to stymie opponents’ chances. Wielding an active stick, he disrupts plays and swiftly turns defense to offense. Though presently a decent sized winger, he has the frame to add muscle and more physicality when he does so.

Vanacker currently projects as a reliable two-way forward who can contribute secondary scoring from a middle six position in the NHL. But don’t be surprised if there is more to come.

ROOBROECK AND IVANKOVIC NAMED OHL TOP PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, March 10, 2024.



Generals’ Dylan Roobroeck Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

New York Rangers prospect Dylan Roobroeck of the Oshawa Generals is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording three goals, four assists, and seven points over three contests to help the Generals earn six points last week.

Helping the Generals stretch their current winning streak to seven games last week, Roobroeck found the back of the net on Tuesday, scoring a goal in a 5-4 win over the Ottawa 67’s. Roobroeck hit the scoresheet again on Friday, registering a four-point night with a goal and three helpers to defeat the Brantford Bulldogs 6-4. The 6-foot-7, 195lb. forward extended his point streak to six games with a goal and an assist to earn first star honours on Sunday, as the Generals defeated the Barrie Colts 5-1 at home.

A 19-year-old from London, Ont., Roobroeck has recorded 63 points (21-42–63) through 63 outings this season. Originally selected in the third round (45th overall) by the Niagara IceDogs in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the London Jr. Knights AAA U16 program, Roobroeck has tallied 44 goals, 93 assists, and 137 points over 195 regular season games between the Generals and the IceDogs. Roobroeck was the New York Rangers’ sixth round (178th overall) pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Also considered for the award, Beau Jelsma of the Barrie Colts registered four goals and four assists to help the Colts earn five points last week. 2024 NHL Draft eligible Marek Vanacker of the Brantford Bulldogs also found success, tallying seven points (3-4-7) in three games played.

2023-24 Cogeco OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 4 – Mar. 10: Dylan Roobroeck (Oshawa Generals)
Feb. 26 – Mar. 3: Jacob Maillet (Ottawa 67’s)
Feb. 19 – Feb. 25: Carson Rehkopf (Kitchener Rangers)
Feb. 12 – Feb. 18: Rodwin Dionicio (Saginaw Spirit)
Feb. 5 – Feb. 11: David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 29 – Feb. 4: Gavin Bryant (Niagara IceDogs)
Jan. 22 – Jan. 28: Liam Greentree (Windsor Spitfires)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Oliver Bonk (London Knights)
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Anthony Romani (North Bay Battalion)
Dec. 28 – Dec. 31: Sam Dickinson (London Knights)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 18: Ruslan Gazizov (London Knights)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Nick Lardis (Brantford Bulldogs)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Pano Fimis (Erie Otters)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Matyas Sapovaliv (Saginaw Spirit)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Donovan McCoy (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 6 – Nov. 12: Denver Barkey (London Knights)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5: Braeden Kressler (Flint Firebirds)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Kirill Kudryavtsev (Soo Greyhounds)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Anthony Romani (North Bay Battalion)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Carson Rehkopf (Kitchener Rangers)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Jordan D’Intino (Soo Greyhounds)
Sep. 28 – Oct. 1: Jax Dubois (Peterborough Petes)
 



Steelheads’ Jack Ivankovic Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

First-year netminder Jack Ivankovic of the Mississauga Steelheads is the OHL Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season, playing to a 2-0 record along with a 1.50 goals-against average and .953 save percentage.

Making a total of 61 saves last week, Ivankovic stopped 28 of the 29 shots that came his way on Wednesday morning to earn second star honours as the Steelheads defeated the Brantford Bulldogs 5-1 at home. The 5-foot-11, 170lb. rookie closed out the weekend with a 33-save performance on Sunday in the nation’s capital, earning third star honours in a 4-2 win over the Ottawa 67’s.

Ivankovic has appeared in 22 games for the Steelheads this season, playing to a 12-4-4-0 record, along with a 2.68 goals-against-average and .918 save percentage. The hometown product was the Steelheads’ first round (seventh overall) pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection from the Mississauga Senators U16 program. Ivankovic represented Team Canada White at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in November, returning from Prince Edward Island with a gold medal.

Also in the running for the award this week, Charlie Schenkel of the Soo Greyhounds played to a 2-0 record with a 1.45 goals-against average, and .947 save percentage. Andrew Oke of the Saginaw Spirit was also solid in the crease, playing to a 1-0-1-0 mark including a shutout, along with a 1.45 goals-against average and .945 save percentage.

2023-24 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Mar. 4 – Mar. 10: Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga Steelheads)
Feb. 26 – Mar. 3: Liam Sztuska (Peterborough Petes)
Feb. 19 – Feb. 25: Michael Simpson (London Knights)
Feb. 12 – Feb. 18: Matteo Drobac (Brantford Bulldogs)
Feb. 5 – Feb. 11: Ben West (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 29 – Feb. 4: Owen Willmore (London Knights)
Jan. 22 – Jan. 28: Sam Hillebrandt (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 15 – Jan. 21: Matteo Drobac (Brantford Bulldogs)
Jan. 8 – Jan. 14: Michael Simpson (London Knights)
Jan. 1 – Jan. 7: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Dec. 28 – Dec. 31: Brayden Gillespie (Guelph Storm)
Dec. 11 – Dec. 18: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Dec. 4 – Dec. 10: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Nov. 27 – Dec. 3: Marcus Vandenberg (Niagara IceDogs)
Nov. 20 – Nov. 26: Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga Steelheads)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 19: Carter George (Owen Sound Attack)
Nov. 8 – Nov. 12: Jackson Parsons (Kitchener Rangers)
Oct. 30 – Nov. 7: Jacob Oster (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 23 – Oct. 29: Sam Hillebrandt (Barrie Colts)
Oct. 16 – Oct. 22: Brayden Gillespie (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 9 – Oct. 15: Collin MacKenzie (Ottawa 67’s)
Oct. 2 – Oct. 8: Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads)
Sep. 28 – Oct. 1: Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads)


About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Players of the Month: February

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Forward of the Month – Ryan Abraham – Windsor Spitfires

If you like offence then February was your month and for us Abraham stood out the most. He’s a draft re-entry who appeared in 12 games in February and scored 9 goals while assisting on 11. He had points in all but 1 game and had a 5-point game on the 23rd against the Guelph Storm.

Last months winner, Brantford’s Marek Vanacker was also considered. He had 5 goals and 12 assists in 12 games. Beau Jelsma of the Barrie Colts had 12 goals and 8 assists in 12 games. A trio of North Bay Battalion were also considered: Dalyn Wakely, Anthony Romani and Owen Van Steensel had 9 goals and 12 assists in 12 games.

Defenceman of the Month – Sam Dickinson -London Knights

Dickinson makes our cut for the second time this season after being our choice back in December. It was an excellent month of February where he scored 4 goals and added 16 assists in 12 games. He was held off the scoresheet just once, back in his first game of the month against the Erie Otters on February 2. He had seven 2-point games and one 3-point game in the month.

 Consideration was also given to Saginaw Spirit defenceman Zayne Parekh, who was our choice in November and January. He had 6 goals and 9 assists in 11 games during the month of February He was held off the scoresheet just twice and made highlight reels throughout the month.

Goaltender of the Month – Carter George – Owen Sound Attack

January was a banner month for goaltenders, February not so much but George stood out. He started all but one of the Attacks 10 games in February and posted a 3-3-2-1 record with a .910 save percentage and 3.25 goals against average. George is the top ranked goaltender on NHL Central Scouting’s North American rankings and it’s easy to see why.

Consideration was given to Jacob Brown of the Flint Firebirds (3 games) with a .926 saver percentage; Collin MacKenzie of the Ottawa 67’s (2 games) with a .952 save percentage; and Owen Willmore of the London Knights (4 games) with a .915 save percentage but we felt they didn’t play enough games.   

Our monthly choices:

Forward of the Month

Ryan Abraham – Windsor Spitfires – February

Marek Vanacker – Brantford Bulldogs – January

Ruslan Gazizov – London Knights – December

Liam Greentree – Windsor Spitfires – November

Adrian Misaljevic – Kitchener Rangers – October

Defenceman of the Month

Sam Dickinson – London Knights – February

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – January

Sam Dickinson – London Knights – December

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – November

Jacob LeBlanc – Sarnia Sting – October

Goaltender of the Month

Carter George – Owen Sound Attack – February

Jacob Oster – Oshawa Generals – January

Carter George – Owen Sound Attack – December

Jack Parsons – Kitchener Rangers – November

Brayden Gillespie – Guelph Storm – October

OHL Writers Draft Eligible Player of the Month: January

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

A new month is upon us and it’s time we look at our draft eligible players of the month at forward, defence and in the crease. January was not an easy month to make our selections because there were a few deserving players at each position, especially among goaltenders where it was a banner month for the draft eligible goaltenders. The is the best goalie class to come from the OHL in quite some time, so enjoy it while you can.

Forward of the Month: Marek Vanacker – Brantford Bulldogs

Vanacker appeared in 11 games for the Bulldogs in January scoring 11 goals and adding 7 assists that included 2 game winning goals. He had three multi goal games and was held off the scoresheet just once in the Bulldogs first game of January. He leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 26 goals and 52 points in 45 games.

Also considered were a pair of North Bay Battalion. Anthony Romani had 11 goals and 7 assists in 11 games that included three multi point games. He was held off the scoresheet in two games. Dalyn Wakely had 7 goals and 12 assists in those 11 games. He was held pointless just once in January.

Defenceman of the Month: Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit

There wasn’t much debate here or even Discussion: Parehk takes it by a landslide. In just 11 games (there was a 2-game suspension in there as well, Parekh scored 9 goals and assisted on 12. He also finished with a plus-12. Six of his 9 games were multi point games with 5, 4, 3, 2,2 and 2 points in those games. He was held pointless in just two games, once at the beginning of the month and once at the end.

There was no one else that really garnered consideration from us.

Goaltender of the Month: Jacob Oster – Oshawa Generals

We literally could have flipped a coin here but eventually settles on Oster. He appeared in 11 of the 13 Generals games in January and posted a 7-3-1-0 record while stopping 290 of the 312 shots faced for a .929 save percentage and 2.00 goals against average. He currently sits second in the OHL with a .905 save percentage and also second with 2.86 goals against average.

Also considered were: Ryerson Leenders of the Mississauga Steelheads who posted a 4-5-1-0 record with a .922 save percentage and 2.50 goals against average. Rookie Landon Miller of the Soo Greyhounds had a 4-1-0-0 record with a .925 save percentage, 1.60 goals against average and 1 shutout.

Our monthly choices:

Forward of the Month

Marek Vanacker – Brantford Bulldogs – January

Ruslan Gazizov – London Knights – December

Liam Greentree – Windsor Spitfires – November

Adrian Misaljevic – Kitchener Rangers – October

Defenceman of the Month

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – January

Sam Dickinson – London Knights – December

Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit – November

Jacob LeBlanc – Sarnia Sting – October

Goaltender of the Month

Jacob Oster – Oshawa Generals – January

Carter George – Owen Sound Attack – December

Jack Parsons – Kitchener Rangers – November

Brayden Gillespie – Guelph Storm – October