April 18, 2026 - 158 Games Today

5 Bears and 3 Attack Prospects Included on NHL Central Scouting's Final 2026 NHL Draft Rankings

Published on April 17, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Owen Sound Attack News Release

TORONTO - A total of 76 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) players have been included in NHL Central Scouting's Final Draft Rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft, underscoring the league's depth heading into June.

The list features 65 skaters and 11 goaltenders from across the OHL, spanning all 20 member clubs. In total, 197 players developed across the Canadian Hockey League's (CHL) three member leagues (OHL, WHL, and QMJHL) were included in the final rankings. The Western Hockey League (WHL) leads the way with 78 current players (69 skaters, 9 goaltenders), while the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) features 41 (35 skaters, 6 goaltenders).

Of the 224 North American skaters ranked, 65 hail from the OHL, accounting for approximately 29% of the list.

Defenceman Chase Reid of the Soo Greyhounds leads the way among OHL prospects, ranked second overall on the North American Skater list. He is one of four OHL players inside the top 10, joined by Caleb Malhotra of the Brantford Bulldogs (6), Nikita Klepov (8), and Ethan Belchetz of the Windsor Spitfires (9).

"It was difficult to come up with this order, and there is strong consensus that all four of these defencemen are going to be franchise builders," said Dan Marr, Vice President and Director of NHL Central Scouting, on the latest edition of the NHL Draft Class podcast. "[Chase] Reid was the new kid on the block, but at every level and in every situation he was put in, he didn't just perform - he excelled with the puck. He also has a very strong defensive game, which I don't think he gets enough credit for."

Malhotra, who arrived in the OHL after a season in the BCHL, quickly established himself as one of the league's most complete forwards. The 17-year-old recorded 84 points (29-55-84) in 67 games, setting a new single-season mark for most points by a Brantford Bulldogs rookie. He also posted a plus-33 rating, added eight game-winning goals, and produced 30 points on the power play, proving he could thrive alongside older, skilled players on a deep roster.

"Caleb had a more well-rounded game for us. Going into the season, he was a bit more unknown after coming from the BCHL, but right from the first game, we knew we had to move him to an A-rated prospect," Marr said. "He has a complete game - he plays with composure and compete, and makes plays where there is no play. He's very well respected within his team and around the league."

Klepov's offensive instincts have also stood out among this year's class, as he emerged as one of the most dangerous scorers in the OHL. The Saginaw Spirit forward led the league with 97 points (37-60-97) in 67 games, capturing the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the OHL's top point producer while also being named the recipient of the Emms Family Award as OHL Rookie of the Year.

In doing so, Klepov became the first player since Patrick Kane in 2007 to win both honours in the same season. He also tied a Saginaw franchise rookie record with 37 goals, adding 38 power-play points and three shorthanded markers to showcase his all-situations impact.

"He reminds me of Ilya Kovalchuk - always open, always dangerous with the one-timer," Marr said. "He's that type of scorer, but he's also a hard-working two-way player who understands the game very well. When he's ready, he's going to hit the NHL in a big way."

Belchetz, meanwhile, has taken notable strides in rounding out his game, emerging as a physically imposing presence with a growing offensive toolkit. He remained at No. 9 despite being sidelined since late February after sustaining a season-ending injury.

"Ethan filled the holes in his game this past season, and any doubt people may have had, he erased," Marr added. "He's a power forward with good hands, strong puck skills, and high hockey sense. Sometimes it takes bigger players longer to reach their peak, but he's already performing at a high level - and he hasn't even reached that peak yet. He's a huge physical presence, but also one of the more humble players you'll meet."

In total, 10 OHL players are ranked among the top 32 North American skaters, signalling strong first-round potential across the league.

By position, the OHL's contribution to the list includes 14 centres, 17 left-wingers, 11 right-wingers, and 23 defencemen, along with 11 goaltenders.

All 20 OHL member teams are represented in the final rankings, led by the London Knights with seven players included - the highest total in the OHL. CHL-wide, that mark is matched by the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders, while the Medicine Hat Tigers lead all CHL clubs with nine players ranked.

The 2026 NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, marking the fourth time the Buffalo Sabres have hosted the event. The NHL will once again use a decentralized format, with prospects and their families attending in person while team executives make selections remotely from their home markets. Buffalo has also hosted the NHL's annual Scouting Combine since 2015 and will welcome the league's top draft-eligible prospects again this spring.

2026 NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings - OHL

NORTH AMERICAN SKATERS

RANK PLAYER POS. TEAM

2 Chase Reid D Soo Greyhounds

6 Caleb Malhotra C Brantford Bulldogs

8 Nikita Klepov RW Saginaw Spirit

9 Ethan Belchetz LW Windsor Spitfires

14 Adam Novotny LW Peterborough Petes

21 Brooks Rogowski C Oshawa Generals

25 Ryder Cali C North Bay Battalion

27 Adam Nemec LW Sudbury Wolves

28 Ryan Roobroeck LW Niagara IceDogs

29 Jaxon Cover RW London Knights

35 Thomas Vandenberg C Ottawa 67's

40 Maksim Sokolovskii D London Knights

41 Alessandro Di Iorio C Sarnia Sting

43 Egor Barabanov C Saginaw Spirit

47 Vladimir Dravecky D Brantford Bulldogs

49 Alexander Bilecki D Kitchener Rangers

56 Pierce Mbuyi LW Owen Sound Attack

59 Cole Zurawski RW Owen Sound Attack

68 Eric Frossard D Guelph Storm

69 Beckham Edwards C Sarnia Sting

71 Ben Wilmott C Barrie Colts

73 Alex Kostov RW Flint Firebirds

75 Spencer Bowes LW Ottawa 67's

80 Wesley Royston RW Owen Sound Attack

82 Colin Fitzgerald C Soo Greyhounds

83 Parker Vaughan RW North Bay Battalion

85 Carter Stevens RW Guelph Storm

91 Lucas Ambrosio D Erie Otters

95 Jasper Kuhta C Ottawa 67's

97 Adam Levac C Peterborough Petes

103 Jean-Cristoph Lemieux LW Sudbury Wolves

105 Braidy Wassilyn LW London Knights

110 Callum Croskery D Soo Greyhounds

118 Aiden O'Donnell LW Oshawa Generals

119 Layne Gallacher C Guelph Storm

124 Brody Pepoy RW Saginaw Spirit

141 Brady Murnane D Oshawa Generals

142 Andre Mondoux D Kingston Frontenacs

143 Cohen Bidgood RW London Knights

148 Nathan Amidovski LW Brampton Steelheads

152 Joe Salandra RW Barrie Colts

157 Ondrej Ruml D Ottawa 67's

159 Harris Pangretitsch D Soo Greyhounds

169 Julian Brown D Owen Sound Attack

171 Dryden Allen D Flint Firebirds

175 Leo Laschon D Oshawa Generals

181 Illia Shybinskyi LW Guelph Storm

182 Leon Kolarik LW Peterborough Petes

184 Ryan Brown LW London Knights

186 Darian Anderson RW Flint Firebirds

188 Caden Harvey C Windsor Spitfires

190 Jacob Vandeven D London Knights

194 Rowan Henderson LW Sudbury Wolves

196 Weston Cameron LW Kitchener Rangers

201 Rylan Singh LW Guelph Storm

202 Colin Feeley D Oshawa Generals

205 Andrew Robinson D Windsor Spitfires

207 Justin Handsor D Barrie Colts

212 Grady Spicer D Windsor Spitfires

214 Alexander Karmanov D North Bay Battalion

217 Alex McLean C Kingston Frontenacs

218 Julius Saari D Erie Otters

219 Cody Wood D London Knights

220 Elliot Arnett D Owen Sound Attack

223 Aiden Young LW Peterborough Petes

Honourable mention of Attack prospect Jet Kwajah (213 overall, Round 7) from the USHL also making his way onto the North American Skaters list.

Located in the International Skaters are Attack Prospects Simas Ignatavicius labeled at 10th overall in the Round 1, as well as Lucian Bernat at 39th overall in the Second Round.

GOALTENDERS

RANK PLAYER TEAM

11 Ryder Fetterolf Ottawa 67's

12 Zachary Jovanovski Guelph Storm

13 Stepan Shurygin Saginaw Spirit

15 Matthew Minchak Kingston Frontenacs

17 Vladislav Yermolenko Niagara IceDogs

18 Arvin Jaswal Barrie Colts

23 Matthew Humphries Oshawa Generals

24 Gavin Betts Kingston Frontenacs

31 Ben Hrebik Barrie Colts

32 Maksim Corovic Brantford Bulldogs

36 Jason Schaubel Kitchener Rangers

Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 17, 2026

Rangers Punch Their Ticket to the Western Conference Finals with a 5-1 Game 5 Victory - Kitchener Rangers
Colts Well Represented in NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings - Barrie Colts
Spitfires Sweep the Firebirds Advance to Western Conference Finals - Windsor Spitfires
Four Kitchener Rangers Featured on NHL Central Scouting Final Draft Rankings - Kitchener Rangers
67's' Ryder Fetterolf Named OHL Goaltender of the Year - OHL
Rookie Goaltender Ryder Fetterolf Named OHL Goaltender of the Year - Ottawa 67's
5 Bears and 3 Attack Prospects Included on NHL Central Scouting's Final 2026 NHL Draft Rankings - Owen Sound Attack
Two IceDogs Named to NHLcs Final Draft Rankings - Niagara IceDogs
Kieren Dervin Commits to the University of Michigan - Kingston Frontenacs
Round Two Game Five: Kitchener Rangers vs. Soo Greyhounds - Kitchener Rangers
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

5 Bears and 3 Attack Prospects Included on NHL Central Scouting's Final 2026 NHL Draft Rankings

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