TORONTO, Ont. (WNEM) – Michael Misa, the second-ranked North American skater for the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft™, is the 2024-25 recipient of the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence, the National Hockey League announced today.
First awarded in 2015, the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence is presented annually by the League to a candidate who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness, and athleticism.
Misa, who was born in Oakville, Ont., served as captain of the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2024-25 and became the franchise’s first player ever to lead the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in scoring with 62-72—134 in 65 games. Misa set Spirit single-season records for both points and goals thanks, in part, to 46 multi-point outings, 16 multi-goal performances and a 28-game point streak – the third-longest across the CHL.
“Michael Misa is the candidate most deserving of the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence as he demonstrated the athleticism, compete and character that defines this award in his pursuit to be the best player he could be,” said Dan Marr, Director of NHL Central Scouting. “Receiving exceptional status to play as a 15-year-old in the OHL is a distinctive honor that comes with high expectations and Michael excelled in navigating his way forward with an impressive level of humility, consistency, and record-breaking play as one of the top prospects in this year’s draft class.”
Misa was presented with an engraved NHL crystal on the set of Sportsnet’s pregame show alongside Sportsnet host Ron MacLean and fellow top prospect Matthew Schaefer at Amerant Bank Arena before Game 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
For more NHL Awards celebrations tune-in to the 2025 NHL Awards, a one-hour special that will premiere on Thursday, June 12, at 6 p.m. ET on TNT in the U.S. and Sportsnet in Canada, before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. The NHL will stage the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft™ at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater over two days: Friday, June 27, at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET (Round 1, live on ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet, TVA Sports) and Saturday, June 28, at 9 a.m. PT / noon ET (Rounds 2-7, live on NHL Network, ESPN+, Sportsnet and SN1).
For more information:
E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence (including past winners)
2025 NHL Awards Information Guide
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