Caleb Malhotra Named OHL Rookie of the Year Finalist
OHL Brantford Bulldogs

Caleb Malhotra Named OHL Rookie of the Year Finalist

Published on April 6, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release


On Monday afternoon the Ontario Hockey League announced that Bulldogs star centre and multi-rookie record holder Caleb Malhotra has been named a finalist for OHL Rookie of the Year.

Malhotra, the Etobicoke native, was originally the 8th overall selection in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection Draft by the Kingston Frontenacs before having his rights acquired by the Bulldogs on September 12th, 2024, and signed with the club on June 5th, 2025. The potential was apparent from the very beginning but the results blew even the loftiest expectations away. Malhotra showed exactly what was to come immediately by recording his first OHL point in his first OHL game in Kitchener on September 19th and followed that by scoring his first OHL goal on September 20th on home ice in his first game at TD Civic Centre.

Immediately forming a prolific partnership with fellow newcomer Cooper Dennis, helping Dennis to set a new mark for goals by a first year Bulldog, Malhotra racked up 29 goals & 55 assists for 84 points while skating to a plus-33 rating over 67 games. Malhotra has excelled in every situation for the Bulldogs on the season, becoming a trusted member of both the power-play, where he was part of the top unit in the Ontario Hockey League, and a key member of the penalty kill while being entrusted to take important faceoffs as a rookie.

Malhotra continued to be a dominant force in the opening round of the 2026 Playoffs, leading the Bulldogs with 5 goals & 4 assists for 9 points in the 4 game sweep of the Sudbury Wolves.

Widely expected to surpass Jake O'Brien (8th overall by Seattle in 2025) as the highest selected Bulldog in the NHL Draft, Caleb Malhotra has been an impact player from the very beginning and looks to continue that dominance as the Bulldogs chase their 3rd OHL Championship and a Memorial Cup.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 6, 2026


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