OHL Announces Top Performers of the Week for April 6-12, 2026
OHL Ontario Hockey League

OHL Announces Top Performers of the Week for April 6-12, 2026

Published on April 13, 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 games ending Sunday, April 12, 2026.

Bulldogs' Adam Jiricek Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week

St. Louis Blues prospect Adam Jiricek is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, producing two goals, five assists and seven points over three wins in their second round playoff series.

Jiricek started the series with a bang, producing a goal and three assists in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the North Bay Battalion. He added a goal and an assist in Game 2 as Brantford won by a score of 4-1. Jiricek chipped in with an assist in Sunday's 3-2 double-overtime road win as the Bulldogs established a 3-0 series lead.

A 19-year-old from Plzen, Czechia, Jiricek leads OHL blueliners with 12 points (4-8--12) over seven games in these playoffs. He finished his second OHL campaign with 59 points (19-40-59) over 55 games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-31. The 6-foot-3, 185Ib. defender helped the Bulldogs put together the OHL's top-ranked power play, scoring nine of his 19 goals on the man advantage. Jiricek was selected by St. Louis in the first round (16th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, and was chosen by the Bulldogs with the 19th overall pick of the 2023 CHL Import Draft. Jiricek was a World Junior silver medalist with Czechia this past January after winning bronze medals in both 2024 and 2025.

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)

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)

Bulldogs' Ryerson Leenders Named Mary Brown's Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week

Buffalo Sabres prospect Ryerson Leenders of the Brantford Bulldogs is the Mary Brown's Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week, going 3-0 with a 1.12 goals-against average and .949 save percentage.

Leenders was in the crease for all three Brantford wins in their second round series against North Bay, stopping 31-of-32 in Wednesday's 8-1 triumph in Game 1. He turned aside 20 shots in Friday's 4-1 victory and made 24 saves across 94 minutes of action in Sunday's 3-2 double-overtime road win.

A 19-year-old from Nanticoke, ON, Leenders is 7-0 in these playoffs with a 1.84 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. He comes off a successful fourth OHL season, playing to a 27-5-4-2 record with a 2.69 goals-against average and .910 save percentage over 39 games, backstopping the Bulldogs to the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as regular season champions. The 6-foot-1, 179Ib. Leenders has split his OHL tenure between Brantford and Mississauga, playing to an overall mark of 94-51-14-2 with a 3.09 goals-against average and .904 save percentage with six shutouts. He was Buffalo's seventh round (219th overall) pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Mississauga Steelheads drafted Leenders in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection.

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)

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

2026 NHL Draft prospect Caleb Malhotra of the Brantford Bulldogs is the OHL Rookie of the Week for the second time in these playoffs, producing three goals and an assist over three wins in their second round series.

Malhotra continued his strong postseason, scoring twice while adding an assist in an 8-1 win over North Bay in Game 1 on Wednesday. He lit the lamp again in Game 2 as the Bulldogs skated to a 4-1 victory. They now lead their Eastern Conference Semi-Final series against North Bay 3-0.

A 17-year-old from Toronto, Malhotra leads rookies with 13 points (8-5--13) over seven 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 fifth among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings, Malhotra scored eight game-winning goals during the season, and was voted a finalist in the best stickhandler in the Eastern Conference portion of the OHL Coaches Poll. 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)

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)

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 13, 2026


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