OHL Announces Top Performers of the Week for March 23-29, 2026
Published on March 30, 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, March 29, 2026.
Firebirds' Jacob Battaglia Named Cogeco OHL Player of the Week
New York Rangers prospect Jacob Battaglia of the Flint Firebirds is the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week, leading the League with nine points including three goals and six assists over a pair of wins.
Battaglia helped the Firebirds combine for 19 goals in their Game 1 and 2 victories over the Owen Sound Attack, striking for a Firebirds single game playoff record six points (2-4--6) in Thursday's 8-1 victory on home ice. He built off that performance with a goal and two helpers in Saturday's lopsided 11-1 win as the Firebirds staked out a 2-0 series lead headed to Owen Sound for tonight's Game 3.
A 20-year-old from Toronto, Battaglia recorded 48 points (26-22--48) over 64 regular season games between Flint and Kingston. The fourth-year veteran has amassed 230 points (104-126--230) over 265 regular season games in his OHL career after entering the League as Kingston's second round (27th overall) pick in 2022. Recently acquired by the New York Rangers, Battaglia was originally Calgary's second round (62nd overall) pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-1, 202Ib. forward has spent most of his time at left-wing throughout his OHL career, but has seen a lot of time down the middle at centre for the Firebirds.
2025-26 Cogeco OHL Player of the Week - Playoffs
Mar. 23-29: Jacob Battaglia (Flint Firebirds)
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)
Spitfires' Joey Costanzo Named Mary Brown's Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week
Windsor Spitfires netminder Joey Costanzo is the Mary Brown's Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week, going 2-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average and .980 save percentage with one shutout.
Costanzo notched his first career OHL playoff shutout on Thursday, making 20 saves to backstop the Spitfires to a 4-0 win over the Guelph Storm in Game 1. He provided 28 more saves on Saturday as Windsor went up 2-0 in the series, defeating Guelph by a score of 4-1.
A 20-year-old from Toronto, Costanzo played to a mark of 32-11-4-1 with a Spitfires franchise record-setting 2.16 goals-against average along with a .908 save percentage and four shutouts over 50 games. He finished his regular season as one of the winningest goaltenders in OHL history with his 107 victories over five seasons, posting a 3.34 goals-against average and .887 save percentage with nine shutouts over 197 games between Windsor and Niagara. Costanzo was Niagara's second round (23rd overall) pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. He's now 9-5-2-0 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .912 save percentage over 16 career playoff matchups.
2025-26 Mary Brown's Chicken OHL Goaltender of the Week - Playoffs
Mar. 23-30: Joey Costanzo (Windsor Spitfires)
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 eligible Brantford Bulldogs forward Caleb Malhotra is the OHL Rookie of the Week, recording three goals and an assist to help his team take a 2-0 lead in their first round playoff series.
Malhotra came out firing in Brantford's playoff opener, scoring twice as the Bulldogs defeated the Sudbury Wolves 6-2 in Game 1 on Friday night. He added a goal and an assist in Sunday's 4-2 victory as the Bulldogs carry a 2-0 lead into Tuesday night's Game 3 in Sudbury.
A 17-year-old from Toronto, Malhotra comes-off an outstanding rookie season that included 84 points (29-55--84) over 67 games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-33. The 6-foot-2, 182Ib. centre enjoyed exposure at both the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November, as well as the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game in January. The son of OHL graduate and long-time NHL forward Manny Malhotra, Caleb is the fifth-ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. Selected by Kingston in the first round (8th overall) of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, Malhotra is a former GTHL U16 AAA champion and OHL Cup finalist. He's committed to Boston University (NCAA).
2025-26 OHL Rookie of the Week - Playoffs
Mar. 23-29: 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 March 30, 2026
- Spirit's Klepov Wins Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy - Saginaw Spirit
- OHL Announces Top Performers of the Week for March 23-29, 2026 - OHL
- Jacob Battaglia Named OHL Player of the Week - Flint Firebirds
- The Last Ride: Generals' OA's Moving On - Oshawa Generals
- The Last Ride: Generals' OA's Moving On - Oshawa Generals
- Twenty-Five Teams Competing at 2026 OHL Cup in Toronto - OHL
- Fronts this Week: Round One Shifts to Kingston for Games 3 and 4 - Kingston Frontenacs
- Game Day, Round 1, Game 3, Firebirds at Attack - 7 p.m. - Flint Firebirds
- Goaltender Dylan Durno Added to Playoff Roster on Emergency Recall - Owen Sound Attack
- Firebirds Weekly Roundup, 2026 OHL Playoffs, Week 1 - Flint Firebirds
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