The OHL season begins Thursday night with a pair of games leading into a full weekend of contests as we hit the ground running. It will be the first season for the OHL on FloHockey and we can’t wait to bring you all of the action throughout the season.

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• Top NHL Draft Prospects To Watch In The OHL
• NHL Affiliated Prospects To Watch In The OHL This Season

We’ve run down some of the top NHL Draft eligibles as well as some of the drafted prospects you need to track. Now here’s a look at some of the teams that will bring plenty of intrigue as the 2025-26 campaign begins.

Brantford Bulldogs

The Bulldogs sit atop the first edition of the OHL’s power rankings and were ranked second in the CHL preseason power rankings with good reason. Led by captain Jake O’Brien, Brantford is expected to own one of the more potent offenses in the league. The team made some key additions over the offseason to bolster the team many believe will be gunning for the J. Ross Robertson Cup come spring.

Import Adam Benák, who was picked by the Minnesota Wild last June, was one of the splashier adds of the summer, bringing an experienced scorer into the fold from the USHL. Winnipeg Jets pick Edison Engle also signed on with the club this offseason.

In addition to O’Brien, who went eighth overall at the 2025 NHL Draft, Brantford is expected to have Chicago Blackhawks first-rounder Marek Vanacker back for his final junior campaign, and St. Louis Blues first-rounder Adam Jiříček in the fold once again. Veteran goalie Ryerson Leenders (BUF) is also back after posting consistent numbers last season.

Windsor Spitfires

If you want stars, Windsor’s got ‘em. The question is going to be if Liam Greentree (LAK) is back with the club or if he can make the LA Kings out of camp. If he returns, however, that’s only a little more fuel for the high-powered offense that the Spits will be able to bring out next season.

Philadelphia Flyers first-rounder Jack Nesbitt is due back in Windsor this year and will be a big piece of the season ahead. Meanwhile, a lot of attention is going to top NHL Draft prospect Ethan Belchetz, who has the size teams covet and has shown an ability to play the game rather loudly with physicality and skill. The Spitfires have size up front and experience on the back end, which is a good combination that will make them pretty tough to play against.

Everyone's favourite: #OHL Power Rankings

Breakdown ➡️ https://t.co/3FnEUczfKP pic.twitter.com/FKaqRtYg1o

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) September 15, 2025

Kitchener Rangers

The Rangers are full of intrigue even amid an offseason – particularly late in the offseason – that has left a little roster uncertainty. There are still a few things pending for the club, but focusing on what’s in front of them, there’s nothing but opportunity.

With a veteran core that will be led by newly-minted first-round pick Cameron Reid on the back end and Chicago Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham up front, there’s plenty to be excited about for a Kitchener team with high expectations. Should they get potential 2026 first-round pick Oscar Hemming’s transfer situation figured out, that will only create more scoring depth for a team that is expected to produce.

Head coach Jussi Ahokas has a number of NHL draft picks at his disposal, plus a mesh of some new faces including import goalie Christian Kirsch (SJS), to push the Rangers into contender status.

Niagara IceDogs

Starting the season at No. 10 on the CHL preseason power rankings, everyone already knew the scout room would be well traveled in St. Catharines this year. Boasting two projected first-round talents in Ryan Roobroeck and Braidy Wassilyn, NHL teams will be keeping especially close tabs on the IceDogs this season.

Roobroeck had 41 goals last season, which was tops among all 2026 NHL Draft-eligible players coming into the season. Then you add in some key veterans like the high-scoring Kevin He (WPG) and recent second-round NHL Draft pick Ethan Czata (TBL) there should be some legitimate scoring depth.

After a first-round exit last season, the expectations on the IceDogs will be to at least extend their season.

It's the @CHLHockey Top 10 Rankings!

2️⃣ @BulldogsOHL
5️⃣ @SpitsHockey
7️⃣ @OHLRangers
🔟 @OHLIceDogs

DETAILS 🗞️: https://t.co/eIrRrRfCOZ pic.twitter.com/G1A9VW8aEQ

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) September 16, 2025

London Knights

It wouldn't be a teams to watch list without the defending OHL and Memorial Cup champions. The Knights will raise their banners Friday night in a game that will be available free on FloHockey's social media platforms as part of the OHL's weekly Friday Night Faceoff. 

The perennial contenders will have some new faces this season and will be awaiting word on if San Jose Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson will be coming back for one more go with the Knights. That is far from a guarantee, but what they will have is a number of players with good junior experience, plus some key prospects that will be looking to grow their games this season.

Among the most intriguing players on the roster will be goalie Alexei Medvedev, who showed enough last season to be picked in the second round by the Vancouver Canucks. But Medvedev didn't play in the most critical time of year and you know he'll be champing at the bit to show what he can do. There's a lot of belief in his overall upside and he could be one of the very best in the league this season between the pipes.

When you add in other NHL prospects like LA Kings first-rounder Henry Brzustewicz, Sam O'Reilly (TBL), Jared Woolley (LAK), Linus Funck (COL), Noah Read (ANA), Will Nicholl (EDM), you have to figure that the dropoff -- even amid key losses to players that have moved on to pro hockey -- will not be as severe. Perhaps London won't be the favorite, but you always have to consider them a threat.

Peterborough Petes

Peterborough may not be looked at as one of the top teams this year, but I find them interesting to watch nonetheless. 

After finishing dead last in the league in 2024-25, the Petes will enter the 2025-26 campaign with two potential top-20 picks for this year’s NHL Draft in import Adam Novotný and big center Colin Fitzgerald. That will make the Petes more intriguing this year and should allow them to bounce back from the disappointing 41-loss season.

Novotný in particular is going to bring a lot of intrigue to this roster. He spent all of last season in the pro ranks in Czechia. Getting a chance to go head-to-head with his age peers after that experience should be a breath of fresh air for a player that has gotten legitimate top-15 buzz for the NHL Draft this season. Expectations are high he can help propel this team’s offense.

The last-place spot also gave the Petes a chance to get the No. 1 pick in the OHL Draft, which they used on Kaden McGregor. The Braeside, Ontario native had an incredible showing at last year’s OHL Cup with 11 points in five games with the Ottawa Valley Titans. 

The only way to go from here is up, so we’ll see if the Petes can effectively start that march here in the early goings of the season.

How To Watch The OHL This Season

FloHockey is the exclusive global streaming provider of the Ontario Hockey League. Every single game from the regular season to the playoffs will air live on FloHockey. Fans can watch the games via FloHockey.tv, or the FloSports mobile and connected TV apps. For the best value, get an annual subscription to FloHockey so you never miss a moment of the action!

2025 OHL Opening Weekend Schedule

Thursday, September 18

• Oshawa Generals at North Bay Battalion, 7:00 p.m.
• Brampton Steelheads at Peterborough Petes, 7:05p.m.

Friday, September 19

• Niagara IceDogs at Brampton Steelheads, 7:00pm
• Brantford Bulldogs at Kitchener Rangers, 7:00pm
• Owen Sound Attack at London Knights, 7:00pm
• Ottawa 67’s at Kingston Frontenacs, 7:05pm
• North Bay Battalion at Sudbury Wolves, 7:05pm
• Windsor Spitfires at Sarnia Sting, 7:05pm
• Saginaw Spirit at Soo Greyhounds, 7:07pm
• Erie Otters at Guelph Storm, 7:07pm

Saturday, September 20

• Peterborough Petes at Brantford Bulldogs, 7:00pm
• Kitchener Rangers at Erie Otters, 7:00pm
• London Knights at Windsor Spitfires, 7:05pm
• Flint Firebirds at Saginaw Spirit, 7:05pm
• Guelph Storm at Barrie Colts, 7:30pm

Sunday, September 21

• Sudbury Wolves at Niagara IceDogs, 2:00pm
• Sarnia Sting at Soo Greyhounds, 2:07pm
• Kingston Frontenacs at Oshawa Generals, 6:05pm

NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

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