With the Ontario Hockey League kicking off its regular season in just a few days, the league rolled out its first preseason power rankings on Monday afternoon.
The OHL has been littered with Chicago Blackhawks’ draft picks in recent years, such as Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga/Sarnia), Gavin Hayes (Flint/Soo), Nick Lardis (Brantford), and Martin Misiak (Erie). The 2025-26 season isn’t going to be any different, with five Blackhawks’ prospects skating in the league.
Let’s break down where each of those prospects is playing, and where their respective teams are slotted in the power rankings.
(1) – Brantford Bulldogs
While Lardis has now turned professional, the Blackhawks once again have two prospects playing for Brantford this season. Expected to be a key piece of the squad is 2024 first-round pick Marek Vanacker, who’s entering his fourth year with the Bulldogs. Vanacker missed the start of last season while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and played in just 45 games, recording a modest 42 points (24G, 18A). Now fully healthy and a year older, Vanacker should be in store for a big season. After all, he led the team in both goals (36) and points (82) as a 17-year-old during his draft year.
Vanacker likely plays on the first line and top power-play unit along with Seattle Kraken 2025 first-round pick Jake O’Brien. That duo is a big reason why Brantford tops the OHL preseason power rankings.
Also on the team is 2025 fourth-round pick Parker Holmes, who was limited to only 21 games with the Bulldogs last season. Holmes actually underwent the same shoulder surgery as Vanacker last November, but he’s now fully healed and ready to go for the 2025-26 campaign. Best known for his fighting, Holmes had no goals and just one assist in his 21 appearances in 2024-25.
(2) – Windsor Spitfires
Los Angeles Kings’ 2024 first-round pick Liam Greentree returns to Windsor after finishing third in the OHL in points last season. Joining him is Blackhawks’ 2024 third-round pick A.J. Spellacy, who’s coming off an eventful week at rookie camp. Spellacy has played with the Spitfires for the last three years, recording 38 points in 2023-24 and 37 points in 2024-25. The point totals never tell the full story about Spellacy’s game though, as he makes contributions in many ways.
Spellacy has played mostly in the middle six with Windsor, and I expect that’s where he’ll be again this season. One of the deepest teams in the league, Spellacy’s jack-of-all-trades ability will come in handy for the Spitfires.
(3) – Kitchener Rangers
Another third-round selection for Chicago in 2024, Jack Pridham joined Kitchener after an OHL rule change in November and made the most of his opportunity. Pridham ended up third on the Rangers in scoring with 54 points (27G, 27A) after only playing in 47 of the team’s 68 games. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound forward also added 13 points in 16 OHL postseason contests.
Pridham was expected to transition to college hockey with Boston University this fall for his freshman season, but he changed his mind over the summer. Now remaining with the Rangers, Pridham is locked into a key offensive role for one of the top teams in the league. I’m excited to see what he does with a full 68-game workload in his final year of junior hockey.
(15) – Erie Otters
Coming much further down in the rankings with the Otters is 2024 sixth-round pick Ty Henry, who suffered an ankle injury at rookie camp and was forced to miss the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase. Henry’s status remains unknown, as there wasn’t an update from the Blackhawks’ coaching staff over the weekend. Hoping for the best.
Henry, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound defenseman, tallied one goal and 16 assists for 17 points in 63 games for Erie in 2024-25. He’ll return to the team for his third full season, where he could be due for a bump up in the lineup after playing mostly on the third pairing. Especially if 2025 top overall pick Matthew Schaefer winds up in Long Island.
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Here’s a look at all the current members of the Blackhawks’ organization with an OHL background.
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