OHL Announces Top Performers of the Week for April 20-26, 2026
Published on April 27, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release
TORONTO - The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of playoff matchups ending Sunday, April 26, 2026.
Bulldogs' Jake O'Brien Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week
Seattle Kraken prospect Jake O'Brien of the Brantford Bulldogs is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, recording two goals, four assists and six points over three games.
O'Brien was the hero of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Championship Series on Wednesday, with his second goal of the night coming as the game-winner with 1:35 remaining in the third period of a 4-3 win. He added two assists in a 5-3 loss on Friday before setting-up Jett Luchanko's deciding goal in Sunday's Game 3 as Brantford won a 2-0 contest.
An 18-year-old from Toronto, O'Brien has 21 points (5-16--21) over 11 games in these playoffs. He finished the season with a league-leading 65 assists and 1.75 points-per-game derived from 93 points (28-65-93) over 53 contests in his third OHL season. The 6-foot-2, 177Ib. centre was originally Brantford's first round (8th overall) pick in 2023 from the OHL Cup champion Toronto Jr. Canadiens AAA program, coming to the OHL to earn Rookie of the Year honours in his first season. O'Brien was Seattle's first round (8th overall) pick last summer, and signed a three-year entry-level NHL contract with the Kraken on Jul. 3, 2025. He won Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold with Canada in 2024.
2025-26 Cogeco OHL Player of the Week - Playoffs
Mar. 23-29: Jacob Battaglia (Flint Firebirds)
Mar. 30-Apr. 5: Ben Wilmott (Barrie Colts)
Apr. 6-12: Adam Jiricek (Brantford Bulldogs)
Apr. 13-19: Dylan Edwards (Kitchener Rangers)
Apr. 20-26: Jake O'Brien (Brantford Bulldogs)
2025-26 Cogeco OHL Player of the Week - Regular Season
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)
Nov. 24-30: Kieron Walton (Sudbury Wolves)
Dec. 1-7: Alex McLean (Guelph Storm)
Dec. 8-14: Christopher Brown (Soo Greyhounds)
Dec. 15-21: Alex Pharand (Sudbury Wolves)
Dec. 28-Jan. 4: Egor Barabanov (Saginaw Spirit)
Jan. 5-11: Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 12-18: Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit)
Jan. 19-25: Jake O'Brien (Brantford Bulldogs)
Jan. 26-Feb. 1: Kevin He (Flint Firebirds)
Feb. 2-8: Ben Wilmott (Barrie Colts)
Feb. 9-15: Egor Barabanov (Saginaw Spirit)
Feb. 16-22: Quinn Beauchesne (Guelph Storm)
Feb. 23-Mar. 1: Liam Greentree (Windsor Spitfires)
Mar. 2-8: Sam O'Reilly (Kitchener Rangers)
Mar. 9-15: Cooper Foster (Ottawa 67's)
Mar. 16-22: Jake O'Brien (Brantford Bulldogs)
Rangers' Christian Kirsch Named Mary Brown's Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week
San Jose Sharks prospect Christian Kirsch of the Kitchener Rangers is the Mary Brown's Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week, going 2-0 with a 1.74 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.
Kirsch backstopped the Rangers to a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Championship Series, making 20 saves on Friday as the Blueshirts defeated the Windsor Spitfires 4-3 on Sam O'Reilly's overtime winner. He was the first star of Sunday's 2-1 victory, making 27 saves to improve to 10-1 in the 2026 OHL Playoffs.
A 19-year-old from Basel, Switzerland, Kirsch was selected by San Jose in the fourth round (116th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-4, 193Ib. netminder owns a 2.20 goals-against average and .901 save percentage over 11 games in these playoffs after going 27-10-2-1 with a 2.42 goals-against average, .899 save percentage and four shutouts in his first OHL season. Kirsch represented Switzerland at each of the past two World Junior tournaments and is committed to Quinnipiac University (NCAA).
2025-26 Mary Brown's Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week - Playoffs
Mar. 23-30: Joey Costanzo (Windsor Spitfires)
Mar. 31-Apr. 5: Jack Lisson (North Bay Battalion)
Apr. 6-12: Ryerson Leenders (Brantford Bulldogs)
Apr. 13-19: Ben Hrebik (Barrie Colts)
Apr. 20-26: Christian Kirsch (Kitchener Rangers)
2025-26 Mary Brown's Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week - Regular Season
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)
Nov. 24-30: Zach Bowen (Brampton Steelheads)
Dec. 1-7: Vladislav Yermolenko (Niagara IceDogs)
Dec. 8-14: Mason Vaccari (Flint Firebirds)
Dec. 15-21: Ryder Fetterolf (Ottawa 67's)
Dec. 28-Jan. 4: Easton Rye (Peterborough Petes)
Jan. 5-11: Zachary Jovanovski (Guelph Storm)
Jan. 12-18: Matthew Humphries (Oshawa Generals)
Jan. 19-25: Carter George (Soo Greyhounds)
Jan. 26-Feb. 1: Zach Bowen (Brampton Steelheads)
Feb. 2-8: Easton Rye (Peterborough Petes)
Feb. 9-15: Christian Kirsch (Kitchener Rangers)
Feb. 16-22: Gavin Betts (Kingston Frontenacs)
Feb. 23-Mar. 1: Ryder Fetterolf (Ottawa 67's)
Mar. 2-8: Arvin Jaswal (Barrie Colts)
Mar. 9-15: David Egorov (Brantford Bulldogs)
Mar. 16-22: Mike McIvor (North Bay Battalion)
Bulldogs' Caleb Malhotra Named OHL Rookie of the Week
NHL Draft prospect Caleb Malhotra of the Brantford Bulldogs is the OHL Rookie of the Week, producing two goals, four assists and six points over three games.
Malhotra helped the Bulldogs take out a 2-1 series lead on the Barrie Colts in the Eastern Conference Championship Series, providing three points (2-1--3) in Wednesday's 4-3 win to kick-off the series. He added two assists on Friday as the Bulldogs dropped Game 2 by a score of 5-3 and helped them rebound on the road Sunday night with an assist in a 2-0 victory.
A 17-year-old from Toronto, Malhotra leads rookies with 19 points (10-9-19) over 11 games in the 2026 OHL Playoffs. The 6-foot-2, 182Ib. centre enjoyed a productive season with 84 points (29-55-84) over 67 games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-33. Ranked sixth among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, Malhotra scored eight game-winning goals during the season, and was a finalist for the OHL Rookie of the Year Award. He was originally Kingston's first round (8th overall) pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. Malhotra is committed to Boston University (NCAA).
2025-26 OHL Rookie of the Week - Playoffs
Mar. 23-29: Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs)
Mar. 30-Apr. 5: John McLaughlin (Windsor Spitfires)
Apr. 6-12: Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs)
Apr. 13-19: Ryder Fetterolf (Ottawa 67's)
Apr. 20-26: Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs)
2025-26 OHL Rookie of the Week - Regular Season
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)
Nov. 24-30: Levi Harper (Saginaw Spirit)
Dec. 1-7: Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs)
Dec. 8-14: Robin Kuzma (Kingston Frontenacs
Dec. 15-21: Caleb Mitchell (London Knights)
Dec. 28-Jan. 4: Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit)
Jan. 5-11: Charlie Murata (Flint Firebirds)
Jan. 12-18: Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit)
Jan. 19-25: Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs)
Jan. 26-Feb. 1: Keaton Ardagh (Brampton Steelheads)
Feb. 2-8: Kale Osipenko (Sarnia Sting)
Feb. 9-15: Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit)
Feb. 16-22: Joe Salandra (Barrie Colts)
Feb. 23-Mar. 1: Evgeny Dubrovtsev (North Bay Battalion)
Mar. 2-8: Nolan Snyder (Kingston Frontenacs)
Mar. 9-15: Ryder Fetterolf (Ottawa 67's)
Mar. 16-22: Cam Warren (North Bay Battalion)
Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 27, 2026
- Spitfires Double up Rangers 4-2 to Take Game 3 - Kitchener Rangers
- IceDogs Alumni Cole Cooksey Part of Backlund Cup Victory - Niagara IceDogs
- OHL Announces Top Performers of the Week for April 20-26, 2026 - OHL
- Rangers' Christian Kirsch Named Mary Brown's Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week - Kitchener Rangers
- Aitcheson Named OHL Defenceman of the Year, Wins Max Kaminsky Trophy - Barrie Colts
- Storm Players Attend Local Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign Kick-Off Event - Guelph Storm
- Former Frontenacs Forward Vitali Pinchuk Signs with the Nashville Predators - Kingston Frontenacs
- Colts' Kashawn Aitcheson Named OHL Defenceman of the Year - OHL
- Round Three Game Three: Kitchener Rangers vs. Windsor Spitfires - Kitchener Rangers
- Bulldogs Take Game 3 Despite Hrebik's Heroics - Barrie Colts
- Luchanko Strikes, Leenders Shuts out Colts in Game 3 - Brantford Bulldogs
- Rangers Edge Spitfires 2-1 in Game 2 of Western Conference Finals - Windsor Spitfires
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