The OHL Podcast

Forget the regular season and even the Memorial Cup, what we're really playing for in major junior is the chance to climb the professional sports ladder. As fans, we also like to test our own personal scouting skills and see where our favourite players get selected in the OHL. So, with the draft now just hours away, here's your preview. Plus, coaches climbing the pro sports ladder, the OHL develop...

He was a "too-small" forward who went in the 9th round to the Soo. But he impressed the Hounds enough at rookie camp that he was signed by the following Christmas before embarking on a 300-plus point OHL career. Rob Hisey would go on to play for the Erie Otters and the Barrie Colts en route to a 14-year pro career that included a championship in Austria. And Hisey's legend lives on, online. Just p...

Finally, some intelligence on this podcast! Dan and Mike has some fun with AI but not before talking about a slick coaching move for Saginaw, celebrating Stanley Cup winners, and listing our favourite NHL draft eligible prospects of this past season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An OHL captain who played for legends like Larry Mavety and Lou Crawford. A 2nd rounder to the LA Kings. And, most importantly, a member of the only championship team in Belleville Bulls history ... even though he was never supposed to play for the team. While his pro career didn't turn out the way he expected, Justin Papineau has no regrets. He's also got a hockey bag full of stories to share thi...

The OHL trade window opens and the first team to jump through should surprise no one. Plus, Dan and Mike discuss the pipeline to the pros that goes beyond players and coaches and also debate the goals of a major junior hockey team -- is it winning championships, or feeding the NHL and Hockey Canada with talent? Then, it's our four top performers of the season (forward, defence, goaltender, and roo...

Former radio executive. Family man. OHL owner. We get our first view from the owner's box on The OHL Podcast, as current Otters owner Jim Waters joins us for a chat. From his bloodied introduction to the team to his competitive streak and his philosophy on running a hockey team, we cover all the ground with Waters, including a look back on one of Canada's greatest broadcasting legacies. Anyone who...

The drought in The Dub continues, the captain of the Petes gives us the interview we've all been waiting for, Dan and Mike climb onto their soapboxes, and did things actually just get worse in Niagara? We've got you covered on this post-championship podcast. The OHL Podcast is presented by Matt Smith Goaltending . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...

From inside the league offices to on the road to create the film that captures a century of Memorial Cup, few have seen junior hockey from as many angles as Aaron Bell. He was a big part in getting the OHL's draft online, even staging his own apartment as the back-up connection in case things went sideways. He helped to establish OHL Images and, to this day, many photos from the game will still ha...

It's been a tough go for the Peterborough Petes so far at the Memorial Cup. The guys talk about that, plus a perceived Western bias that may make some think the WHL is a stronger league than it truly is, why the NHL Department of Player Safety has its nose in major junior hockey, and how close we came to nearly two dozen former OHL'ers in the Stanley Cup Final. The OHL Podcast is presented by Matt...

It's not often that you get such a candid conversation with someone so recently removed from the game. But that's what you get with Connor Crisp, who was forced due to injury to retire from hockey at 24 (just six years ago). We talk about that injury (a concussion), his still-unapologetic love for fighting, the challenge of moving to another country at just 16 years old, and the most infamous nigh...

For the 10th time in franchise history, the Peterborough Petes are OHL champs. They've got a pretty solid track record of making it to the Memorial Cup Final when they do make the tournament, but winning the championship is another story. As much fun as this Petes playoff run has been, we can't overlook the team that Peterborough beat because if you think London was a pain this year, just wait. Al...

Do you like winning? Then you'll like Ryan Lindsay. He won an OHL championship and followed it up with a USports title, an international prize, and a pro trophy. Oh, and he did it all in five years. Lindsay also played for a laundry list of legendary coaches and he once was part of a Memorial Cup prank played on -- of all people -- Commissioner David Branch. The OHL Podcast is presented by Matt Sm...

Two things have already happened to the London Knights in the OHL Final that had not yet happened to them in the playoffs -- they've lost a game on home ice, and they're trailing a series. We've got ourselves a dandy going, so naturally we break it down a bit. Plus, can an abundance of caution negatively impact a championship series? We'll also go deep into the Inbox to respond to your flood of em...

He's got one of the most fascinating Hockey DB pages in the game. He won a Memorial Cup with Oshawa, coached with Guelph, won a championship in the IHL, and played more than 100 NHL games with eight NHL teams. That's right, eight. He's okay being tagged as a "suitcase" because he doesn't have a single regret for a single move. Well, except maybe the one out of Oshawa when he just couldn't bear the...

We're feeling like stern parents who have to give the OHL a proper scolding but, well, when a scolding is warranted, it should be delivered. Farwell is particularly frustrated this week, for reasons you'll hear. And it's too bad the cloud of controversy overshadows two very good championship series' ... but we'll talk about those as well. Plus, our unanimous choice for OHL champ and our Performers...

A quick stop in Kitchener before a trade to North Bay. Bert Templeton. The Punch-up in Piestany. A 7-game OHL final versus Oshawa. And all of that before a pro career that saw him play more than 500 NHL games, including a wild season where he played for a team in every division in the league. The well-travelled Dave McLlwain joins the show. The OHL Podcast is presented by Matt Smith Goaltending ....

And then there were four. One of us is crushing this year's playoff predictions, one of us is a little behind. Plus, several OHL'ers stand up to be counted at the U18's, it's London vs The World, and we've got some surprising Performers of the Week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

He played in the Soo. He coached in the Soo. And in between those milestones, he skated in almost 600 NHL games, was one of the longest-serving captains in Minnesota North Stars history, and picked up a couple of gold medals with Team Canada at the World Juniors. Enjoy this episode with Craig Hartsburg, which includes one of the greatest references to Gordon Lightfoot you're ever likely to hear. H...

Another OHL draft is in the books, a Coach of the Year is named, the West is set, and the East adds some excitement. We're almost down to the final four, which promises some of the best hockey we've seen all season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

He scored one of the biggest goals in Peterborough Petes history. He was a part of, arguably, the best OHL championship ever, a 7-game thriller that ended in overtime. And everywhere he's played -- junior, USports, and pro -- he's won a championship. Now, Mike Martone is watching his son come through the OHL, and he still makes his home in the community that adopted him when he was a Pete. Hop abo...

The deeper into the playoffs we go, the greater the focus on officiating. We have fines! But were they justified? Saginaw has a hill to climb, the Colts and Petes steal home ice, and our Performers of the Week. The OHL Podcast is presented by Matt Smith Goaltending . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adve...

From his home in the Maritimes to the Ontario Hockey League and the start of a promising hockey career that was only cut short by injury (that didn't stop him from playing against Joe Sakic at the old Colisee, though). If you ask him now, Jake Grimes will tell you that coaching is the next best thing to being on the ice. Grimes is well-known for spending considerable time alongside George Burnett,...

A first round of predictions that was almost as successful as the 8th seeded Kitchener Rangers were in Round One. Okay, maybe not that successful but, along with our predictions, the Rangers gave us an historic storyline. So did the OHL's Office of Discipline. We've got one more Prospect of the Week for you as we look ahead to June's NHL draft and, yes, of course we're now predicting the winners i...

Second overall into the O. Sixth overall into The Show. And former Sudbury Wolves defenceman Adam Bennett has a boatload of stories from the OHL's Lindros era, the D partner that made him successful, playing in the old Chicago stadium, and the knee injury that derailed his promising career. Today, Bennett draws on all of that experience to help players with the mental side of the game. It will be...

The first weekend of the playoffs is in the books and we're all clear on the clear surprise so far, right? We talk about that, playoff discipline, a bizarre decision from the Commissioner's office, pay-to-play, the 2024 Memorial Cup hosts and, yes, even our Prospects of the Week. There's a lot to cover and a lot more fun before this first round is finished. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company...