Who gets it this year? (Photo: Mike Hensen, The London Free Press)

Ryan Pyette, this newsletter’s namesake, has published his comprehensive preview of the Ontario Hockey League season in the London Free Press. He offers one glimmer of hope to fans living outside the 519 area code: The Knights might not be as dominant this year.  

But then again, they might still be good. They’re the defending Memorial Cup champions, having defeated Gavin McKenna and the Medicine Hat Tigers in June.  

“The Brantford Bulldogs and Windsor Spitfires rank among the top teams in major junior hockey and will have the rest of the league chasing them on the road to the Memorial Cup at Kelowna in 2026," Pyette writes. “The Kitchener Rangers should also be strong, though they have to weigh going for it against the chance to hold the 2027 Cup at the Memorial Auditorium.” 

And what of the Knights, who have emerged as the evil empire of the OHL?  

“Not rebuilding,” Pyette writes, “just reloading.” 

Here are some of his other predictions:  

Windsor: “Best in the West.” 
Kitchener: “Good but also gearing up for the 2027 Memorial Cup.” 
Sault Ste. Marie: “Back in business.” 
Flint: “Flying higher.” 
Saginaw: “Better than expected.” 
Guelph: “Hard to handle this year.” 
Sarnia: “Hive will be hopping with new ownership.” 
Owen Sound: “Another battle for playoffs.” 
Erie: “A step back.” 
Brantford: “Top Dogs.” 
Niagara: “On the rise.” 
Barrie: “In the mix again.” 
Kingston: “Still a force.” 
North Bay: “Marching in the right direction.” 
Sudbury: “Running with the pack.” 
Peterborough: “Grinding away.” 
Ottawa: “Not there yet.” 
Brampton: “Bummer summer leads to lean winter.” 
Oshawa: “Rebuild time. 

You can read the rest of the OHL preview right here.

Reporter Janson Duench will be covering the Greyhounds for the Sault Star this season. In this piece, he profiles Chase Reid, a young defenceman quickly rising through the ranks of the NHL’s potential 2026 draft class.  

The 17-year-old had 40 points through 39 games as a rookie last season.  

“We expect him to be a huge contributor for us, offensively and defensively,” Greyhounds defence coach Brendan Taylor tells Duench. “We believe he’s a player who can thrive and play in all situations. That’s not something new for Chase. He wants to be a complete defenceman." 

It’s an interesting story about a kid from Michigan who has put in the work to get here, and who is starting to understand what it might take to take that next step. You can read the whole thing right here.

OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford. (Photo: Supplied)

Former Peterborough Petes president Dave Pogue raised eyebrows throughout the junior hockey world earlier this month when, in conversation with his local newspaper reporter, he mused the franchise would not survive much longer without a new arena.  

“If it doesn’t happen, the Petes are in trouble because we won’t be in the league," he told The Peterborough Examiner. "Not here anyways.”   

The Petes have lived inside the Peterborough Memorial Centre for 70 years, and despite a series of upgrades, their facilities have not kept pace with rival franchises. Pogue’s words reverberated across social media.  

Bryan Crawford, the OHL commissioner, has sought to quell those concerns. For now.  

He told the Examiner: “The league and certainly the ownership group have no intentions of moving the team at all in the short term." 

As Peterborough city council grinds through the process of potentially building a new rink, it is worth noting Crawford did not rule out the possibility entirely. As anyone who has seen sports officials lobbying for new facilities would know, the words “in the short term” were included for a reason.  

You can read the full story right here.

Ted Nichol got his jersey on time in 2017. The same cannot be said for the players on this year's team. (Photo:  Ian MacAlpine, The Whig-Standard)

Due to manufacturing delays, the Kingston Frontenacs were among the teams expecting to start the season without any of their game jerseys.  

Are jerseys important? They feel important, at least when it comes to playing games.  

Gare Joyce, writing in the Kingston Whig-Standard, has the details.

“According to those who work behind the scenes but aren’t authorized to speak for the team, the sweaters were supposed to arrive at latest in mid-August, because they’re not game-ready, but rather require involved preparation," Joyce writes. "At this late date, it would be a mighty challenge to assemble the sweaters in time for the season opener, the stitching of numbers and name plates in addition to the sponsors patches.” 

Why not just wear the jerseys from last year?  

“That’s a non-starter for the simple reason that the team no longer possesses them — they were auctioned off at the end of the season," writes Joyce. "In the meantime, members of the equipment staff have started to salvage what they can from previous seasons’ remnants. 

“For the Frontenacs, it will not make for a memorable opening game sartorially — it’s akin to going in for the first day of school wearing hand-me-downs.” 

You can read the full story right here.

(Photo: Brian Smiley, The Brantford Expositor)

Nick Lardis, the 20-year-old prospect who scored 71 goals for the Brantford Bulldogs last season, is trying to make an NHL roster. The Chicago Blackhawks drafted him two years ago, with the 67th overall pick.  

He just might not make that NHL roster this year.  

You can read the full story right here.