OHL drives the NHL Draft
There is this league. There is that league. There is this school. There is that school. Blah, blah, blah. But one league continues to lead the way when it comes to National Hockey League draft picks.
That would be the Ontario Hockey League.
The 47 OHL players taken at the recent 2026 NHL Draft represents 20.9 per cent of all players taken, which is the league’s highest share in 10 years.
Notably, a draft-leading seven players from the OHL were chosen in the first round.
The OHL’s 47 draft picks were part of a Canadian Hockey League total of 106 players chosen. Impressively, the 106 players is the most the CHL has produced at a single NHL Draft since way back in 2010.
The numbers don’t lie. The facts are in the books.
Meanwhile, select OHL teams such as the Windsor Spitfires, London Knights, Soo Greyhounds and Brantford Bulldogs continue to turn out first round picks to the NHL every year.
Short and sweet and say no more, it is the OHL who selects and develops the majority of the NHL Draft picks.
Period.
Photo: Brantford Bulldogs centre Caleb Malhotra — with (left to right) former head coach Jay McKee, general manager Spencer Hyman and assistant general manager Justin Ismael — was selected third overall by the Vancouver Canucks at the recent 2026 NHL Draft.
