Changing ways of the OHL
The game has unquestionably undergone major forms of change since I began covering the Ontario Hockey League back in 1975. I was just out of community college — and still wet behind the ears — when I first sat in the main press box, which was within inches of the rickety rafters of venerable Memorial Gardens in Sault Ste. Marie.
…[read more]Seattle pick has a Sault side
Towering defenseman Finn Kearns became property of the Seattle Kraken at the recent 2026 National Hockey League Draft. And the 6 foot 3, 210 pound defender who played most of the past two seasons with St. Andrew’s College of Aurora before finishing the ’25-26 campaign with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League, has Sault Ste. Marie roots through his dad, Martin.
…[read more]OHL shines at NHL Draft
So much for the critics saying that the talent pool in the Ontario Hockey League is getting shallow. Rather, 47 OHL players were selected through the seven rounds of the recent 2026 National Hockey League Draft. To be sure, the 47 OHL players picked is just one less than the league’s modern-era record of 48, which was established in 2012 and equalled in 2016.
…[read more]Hounds head coach a winner
The Greyhounds have gone from a mid grade head coach to a high grade one. It will be a hockey homecoming for Drew Bannister as he takes over from the ousted John Dean as the bench boss of the Red and White of Sault Ste. Marie.
…[read more]Was not keen on John Dean
As Drew Bannister will be returning to the Soo Greyhounds for a second go around as their head coach, let it be firmly stated here that the incoming bench boss is a clear cut, significant upgrade over the departed John Dean.
…[read more]Erie feeling for Sault boys
A pair of high performance forwards who were born in Sault Ste. Marie are primed to play a prominent part in the resurgence of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League. They are character kids Evan Headrick and Colin Kennedy.
…[read more]A few OHL draft notes
Results for the 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft — which was held in Kingston — are officially in the books. A total of 301 players were taken by the 20 teams of the OHL as the league returned to an in person format for the first time since the year 2000. (For that, we say, better late than never.) At any rate, following is a small sample of one writer’s focal points from this year’s draft.
…[read more]Sault Major gets shut out
It was not a good showing for the Northern Ontario Hockey Association — or in particular the Sault Major Hockey Association — at the annual Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]Cole Guizzetti to Flint
He is a 5 foot 6 spark plug with skill and strength who can score and skate with the best of them. And Sault Ste. Marie product Cole Guizzetti was today picked by the Flint Firebirds in the third round of the 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]OHL draft 1st round recap
We have a nod to the north. That is, the top three picks in the first round of the 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft all have a strong northeastern Ontario side to them.
…[read more]Colin Kennedy … 2nd overall
Wow! Sault Ste. Marie product Colin Kennedy has become a first round pick in the 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. A hard working, productive forward with good speed, Kennedy was taken with the second pick of the first round by the Erie Otters.
…[read more]Hounds ink American duo
They are headed this way. Soo Greyhounds have gone south of the border to sign a pair of American born skaters ahead of the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season.
…[read more]Kennedy, Guizzetti et al
A dandy duo of 2010 birth year forwards who departed the ranks of the Sault Major Hockey Association two years ago to play elsewhere have earned prime projections ahead of the upcoming June 12-13 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]Flint has building blocks
They took a shot and made a good run of it. While it is naturally disappointing when a championship goal is not achieved, the Flint Firebirds attained plenty over the course of the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League season. And now, with so many key players having graduated, the Firebirds are in a retool stage ahead of the ’26-27 season.
…[read more]What’s next for the Hounds?
Greyhound fans are starved for a winner. Not since 2018 — when the Greyhounds, led by their head coach at the time, Drew Bannister, lost in the finals to the Hamilton (now Brantford) Bulldogs — has the Red and White truly contended for an Ontario Hockey League championship.
…[read more]Dean out as Hounds coach
The long serving head coach in the Ontario Hockey League history of the Soo Greyhounds will not be returning for the ’26-27 season. The Greyhounds confirmed that “the organization and head coach John Dean have mutually agreed to part ways.”
…[read more]Martone a rising sensation
He has a family link to Sault Ste. Marie and has become a clear cut playing sensation — and both a fan and media favourite — beginning late in the ’25-26 National Hockey League regular season and now into the playoffs. He is 19-year old Porter Martone and he has burst onto the NHL scene like few others in a long time.
…[read more]Flint Firebirds GM a winner
The cast of prominent, high end general managers in the Ontario Hockey League who have been in their position for a good number of years includes — alphabetically — Billy Bowler of the Windsor Spitfires, Dave Drinkill of the Saginaw Spirit, Mark Hunter of the London Knights, Kyle Raftis of the Soo Greyhounds and Marty Williamson of the Barrie Colts. Which makes the selection of Dave McParlan of the Flint Firebirds as the winner of the OHL general manager of the year award for the ’25-26 season all that more impressive and meaningful.
…[read more]Second round halts Hounds
At the end of the day, actions spoke louder than words. Soo Greyhounds talked a good game, about how they were the best comeback team in the Ontario Hockey League and how the Kitchener Rangers were “shivering” after dropping Game 4 of their Western Conference semi-final series in Sault Ste. Marie.
…[read more]Hounds running on empty
Twice they were within an extra attacker goal of sending the game into overtime. Twice however the visiting Soo Greyhounds lost to the Kitchener Rangers and now trail the second round Ontario Hockey League Western Conference semi final playoff series two games to none.
…[read more]Greyhounds over Rangers?
They are the underdogs in the eyes of most. But it says here that the Soo Greyhounds are more than capable of upending the Kitchener Rangers in the second round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
…[read more]Hounds take two in London
Road Dogs! Soo Greyhounds are back home with a two games to none lead on the London Knights in their opening round Ontario Hockey League playoff series.
…[read more]OHL playoff matchups
Now we know who will play who in the first round of the upcoming Ontario Hockey League playoffs, which are slated to begin this week. Following is our collection of quick hits as to what to possibly expect from the matchups.
…[read more]Of Greyhounds and Knights
Soo Greyhounds have a chance to achieve a franchise first when they meet the London Knights in the first round of the upcoming Ontario Hockey League playoffs. Despite being OHL rivals for close to 55 years, the Greyhounds and Knights have only faced off three times before in a best of seven series. And the Greyhounds have lost all three previous playoff sets.
…[read more]300 OHL games for Mignosa
Marco Mignosa has achieved a regular season milestone that only one other player in the 54 year Ontario Hockey League history of the Soo Greyhounds has managed to do.
…[read more]Legends of Hounds Hockey
Soo Greyhounds have confirmed a new program that pays tribute to individuals who have had a major impact on the Ontario Hockey League franchise since its 1972 inception.
…[read more]Knight time for the Hounds?
There are three weeks left to play on the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League regular season schedule and it is setting up as a likely opening round playoff series between the Soo Greyhounds and London Knights.
…[read more]Scouting Sault boys in Windsor
Forward Eli Chapman and defenseman Mateo Muto from Sault Ste. Marie are part of a host of players performing at the AAA Under 16 level in Windsor who have the attention of general managers and scouts ahead of the 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]Hockey legend Dave Draper
He could be cranky and crusty and somewhat aloof. But to me as a hockey writer, he was mostly friendly, gentlemanly, accommodating and rather easy to deal with, win or lose. An Ontario Hockey League legend as a player, coach and general manager who went on to a lengthy career as a National Hockey League scout, Dave Draper recently passed away at the age of 85.
…[read more]High on Headrick in Erie
Kitchener Rangers didn’t give him much of a chance to develop. But the Erie Otters have. And Evan Headrick is now showing flashes of the promise that made him a first round pick (15th overall) by Kitchener at the 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]OHL Western world war
There is no question that among the eight teams that will make the playoffs in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League, five of them are not just good — they are very good. Which means that looking ahead, at least one of the Kitchener Rangers, Windsor Spitfires, Flint Firebirds, Soo Greyhounds or London Knights will definitely be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
…[read more]Those wild Hounds of ’75-76
Um, could this really have been a half a century ago? As in the 1975-1976 season? Yep, it truly was 50 years ago this season that the Soo Greyhounds first made the playoffs as members of the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]Bloodlines of Colin Kennedy
He is poised to become a first or second round pick at this year’s 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. And while Sault Ste. Marie product Colin Kennedy — a 2010 birth year forward who is in his second season as a productive two points per game skater with the famed Little Caesars program of Detroit — is a rising star in his own right, he also holds the bonus of having high end hockey bloodlines.
…[read more]Brantford pipeline via Sault
They are a well assembled, finely tuned Ontario Hockey League machine with championship aspirations for this season. And while the Brantford Bulldogs are flush with 2006 and 2007 birth year forwards that include National Hockey League first round draft picks Jett Luchanko, Marek Vanacker and Jake O’Brien, their general manager has not lost sight of the future and younger players such as 2008 birth year right winger Nik Rossetto.
…[read more]Picture perfect Carter George
As debuts go, it could not have gone any better. Team Canada bronze medal winning goalie Carter George fashioned a 20 save shutout in his opening performance as a member of the Soo Greyhounds.
…[read more]Hounds gain Carter George
Soo Greyhounds have brought in world class goalie Carter George from the Owen Sound Attack in exchange for seven future Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft picks.
…[read more]Raftis is a high ranking GM
There are reasons why — year in and year out — teams in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League combine for much better win-loss records than those clubs that make up the Eastern Conference.
…[read more]Brantford Alexanders: ’78-84
They were here for a good time, not a long time. To be sure, their history is one of modest length yet the Brantford Alexanders remain an iconic Ontario Hockey League franchise mainly because of the number of high performance players who wore their red-white-and-black jersey from 1978 to 1984.
…[read more]OHL Western world is wild
Buckle up. It is setting up to be a wild ride in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League in the 2026 portion of this season’s schedule. No less than five teams are vying for any one of the top four spots — which means home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Following are my three favourites in the Western Conference, with due respect to the Kitchener Rangers and London Knights.
…[read more]Evan Headrick traded to Erie
Garden River First Nation product Evan Headrick is getting a fresh start to his Ontario Hockey League career. Kitchener Rangers have dealt the 2008 birth year forward to the Erie Otters in exchange for overage (2005 birth year) forward Dylan Edwards.
…[read more]Paul Gagne was a good one
He was playing juvenile hockey in his small, remote northeastern Ontario home town of Iroquois Falls when the head coach and general manager of the Windsor Spitfires happened to take note of his skills. And Wayne Maxner thought so much of Paul Gagne that the Spitfires coach and GM took the 5 foot 10, 180 pound forward with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 1978 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]Wheeler dealer GM Raftis
Relative to Ontario Hockey League general managers who are being noteworthy operative in the exchange market, Kyle Raftis of the Soo Greyhounds continues to make major moves ahead of the looming January 10 trade deadline. Raftis may not be quite as immersed as Spencer Hyman — the bustling rookie GM of the Eastern Conference powerhouse Brantford Bulldogs who has already acquired a pair of first round National Hockey League draft picks via the OHL trade route this season — but the Greyhound hockey boss has not been sitting idle either.
…[read more]NHL scout likes new Hound
A seasoned National Hockey League scout with ties to Sault Ste. Marie has good things to say about sizeable centre Colin Fitzgerald, who the Soo Greyhounds recently acquired in a major Ontario Hockey League trade with the Peterborough Petes.
…[read more]Ex-Hound fired up in Flint
Alex Kostov is clicking at the most productive rate of his Ontario Hockey League career. The fourth year forward, who has a 2006 birth date, recently scored no less than seven goals in two games to power the Flint Firebirds to successive wins over the North Bay Battalion and Guelph Storm.
…[read more]Greyhounds, Firebirds deal
Soo Greyhounds and Flint Firebirds have finalized a one for one trade involving two forwards who are former first round Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft picks.
…[read more]Seventeen for Canada U17
Seventeen players from the Ontario Hockey League are among the 44 from across the Canadian Hockey League who will represent two Team Canada squads at the upcoming 2025 Under 17 World Challenge. The event will take place in Truro, Nova Scotia from November 2-8.
…[read more]Early season impressions
Three or so weeks into the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League regular season have led to a writer’s collection of noteworthy scribbles.
…[read more]Flint is fired up for a reason
At times, a win can be just a win. But when the win comes against a team’s arch rival — and on the road in their barn, in front of more than 4.900 fans — then the win has extra meaning. Take the Flint Firebirds, for example.
…[read more]Okay, so here we go in the ‘O’
For those who have any sort of play or say or way or pay or hey relative to the 20 teams of the Ontario Hockey League, the OHL is seemingly set up for a ’25-26 season of hope and nope.
…[read more]