It was an emotional moment for Matthew Schaefer and his family when Gary Bettman announced Matthew Schaefer as the first-overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft. Despite injury and personal hardship, the Erie Otters' defender proved he was the top prospect in this draft class. 

In February of 2024, Schaefer lost his mother, Jennifer, to breast cancer. The young defender was visibly in tears as he stood on the stage wearing the blue, orange and white of the New York Islanders.

Schaefer was the first-overall pick at the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. The 6-foot-2 defender scored 10 goals and added 29 assists in 73 games with Erie over the course of the last two years. This past season, he only played 17 games for Erie due to a combination of injury and illness. 

He was named to Canada's World Junior roster and scored a goal and added an assist in the two games he played at the tournament before succumbing to an upper-body injury. Just making the team was an accomplishment for the 17-year-old defender as Canada's roster normally consists of 19 and 20-year-old players.

 Schaefer impressed in the two games he played for Canada, showcasing his elite skating abilities and offensive instincts. His performance in those two games was so impressive that he became the consensus first-overall pick for the entire second half of the season despite being unable to play for the remainder of the season.

Bulldogs Acquire Two Time OHL Champion Ryder BoultonEarlier today, the London Knights sent 2006-born forward Ryder Boulton to the Brantford Bulldogs in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick. 

He's the first OHL player since Connor McDavid to be a first-overall pick in his OHL Draft year and NHL draft year. 

Schaefer is a fantastic add for the Islanders who just traded away Noah Dobson earlier today. He profiles as a strong two-way defender who can not only score big goals and contribute offensively but also lock down defensively. 

It is entirely possibly that Schaefer could join the Islanders as soon as next season based on his skillset and accomplishments. However, it may be more prudent for the Islanders to give their young prospect a bit more time to develop. This seems especially true given the amount of time he missed this past season. 

Whether he joins the NHL next season or not it seems like Schaefer has a bright future ahead of him with his new NHL franchise. 

Yesterday, Brantford Bulldogs GM Spencer Hyman, the brother of Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman, announced the extension of Head Coach Jay McKee through the 2027-28 season. 

"I'm deeply grateful for the trust and responsibility the Brantford Bulldogs' owners have afforded me," said McKee. "I'm thrilled to continue working alongside such talented players and equally excited for what we'll achieve together with our amazing fans in the city of Brantford."

McKee has led the Bulldogs since being hired by the organization in 2021. That season, he coached the team to the best record in franchise history on the way to winning an OHL championship. 

Next season will mark McKee's ninth season coaching in the OHL. Before joining Brantford, he worked as the Head Coach for the Kitchener Rangers between 2016 and 2020.

During his playing days, McKee was a 6-foot-4 defender who played for both the Sudbury Wolves and Niagara Falls Thunder.

Rangers Sign University of Michigan CommitYesterday, the Kitchener Rangers announced the signing of Adam Valentini to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Valentini played in the USHL last season after being pick in the first round of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. 

The Buffalo Sabres ended up drafting McKee with the 14th-overall pick in the 1995 NHL Draft. He went on to play more than 800 OHL games over the course of 14 seasons. 

The Bulldogs find themselves in an interesting situation this offseason. They will more than likely be without Chicago Blackhawks prospect and star forward Nick Lardis, as it seems likely he will join the AHL. They will also be without overage players Thomas Patrick, Ottawa Senators prospect Thomas Hamara and Thomas Budnick, who are ineligible to return. 

Last year's team also featured five other 2005-born players besides Lardis. Due to the overage rules in the OHL, they will have to shed at least one of those players, and are more than likely to move two. 

19 OHL Players Invited To NHL Scouting CombineThe 2025 NHL Scouting Combine started on Monday. A total of 19 of the OHL's top draft eligible players were invited to the combine ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft. 

With that said, they have a very solid core that includes Chicago Blackhawks prospect Marek Vanacker, 2025 NHL Draft eligible forward Jake O'Brien, St. Louis Blues prospect Adam Jiricek, Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Protz and Buffalo Sabres prospect Ryerson Leenders. 

There is also room for younger players and depth players to grab a bigger role higher up the lineup based on those players who are leaving.

If the team adds a few more big hitters, they will likely be a top team in the Eastern Conference once again next year. 

With McKee at the helm, the Bulldogs have solidified the Head Coaching position for the next three seasons. He bring stability and expertise that will help the Bulldogs continue to compete with the other top teams in the OHL.

"We're thrilled to extend Jay McKee for three more years," said Hyman. "Jay is the best coach in the CHL, and make no mistake, he chose the Bulldogs. Our players, staff and community will be thrilled to know Jay is our Head Coach. We're grateful for his commitment and are excited for what's ahead."

The 2025 NHL Scouting Combine started on Monday. A total of 19 of the OHL's top draft eligible players were invited to the combine ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft. 

"The NHL Combine is the final showcase event before the NHL Draft," said Director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr. "It's a week full of interviews, medicals and fitness testing where the players get to interact with NHL personnel and the NHL clubs get to learn as much as possible about the future stars of our game."

In total, 90 players were invited to the combine. That means that the OHL made up just over 20 percent of the players invited to the event. 

At the end of the day, the combine is another event where players have an opportunity to impress NHL teams and show why they should be selected on draft day. 

IceDogs Name Frank Evola General ManagerYesterday, the Niagara IceDogs announced that longtime Windsor Spitfires' Director of Scouting and Hockey Operations Frank Evola will become the sixth GM in franchise history. 

The 19 players invited to the combine, in no particular order, are as follows. 

Kashawn Aitcheson (BAR)

Henry Brzustewicz (LDN)

David Bedkowski (OS)

Kieren Dervin (KGN)

Ethan Czata (NIAG

Kristian Epperson (SAG)

Tyler Hopkins (KGN)

Jack Ivankovic (BRAM)

Aleksei Medvedev (LDN)

Brady Martin (SOO)

Porter Martone (BRAM)

Michael Misa (SAG)

Jack Nesbitt (WSR)

Jake O'Brien (BFD)

Cameron Reid (KIT)

Malcolm Spence (ER)

Simon Wang (OSH)

Matthew Schaefer (ER)

Luca Romano (KIT)

Knights Take Care Of Business At Memorial CupTwo words followed the London Knights throughout the 2024-25 season: unfinished business. 

The 2025 NHL Draft will take place on June 27 and 28 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The New York Islanders have the first-overall pick in the draft, followed by the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks. 

There has been a lot of discussion online about whether the Isles will take Schaefer or James Hagens with the first-overall pick. NHL Central Scouting ranked Schaefer at the top of their list of North American skaters, however, Hagens is from Long Island. There is a segment of hockey fans who believe drafting the local boy could come ahead of taking the top prospect in the draft. 

Based on the rankings, the OHL will have a heavy presence in the top-five picks at the 2025 NHL Draft. We will see whether that is the case come draft night. For now, the players will continue to prove themselves at the combine.

Two words followed the London Knights throughout the 2024-25 season: unfinished business. 

At first, those two words were whispered behind closed doors in conversations about how the Knights had come up short when they were the favourites to win the 2024 Memorial Cup. 

"We went through the whole process last year and came up short with 20 seconds to go in a hockey game," said Flyers prospect Denver Barkey after the game. "We remembered that all summer and talked about it all year - that's been our motivator,"

Slowly, the drumbeat grew. First, it was announced that most of the team would return to London for the 2024-25 season. Next, the Knights dominated the OHL, losing only 13 games during the regular season to finish at the top of the OHL. 

London stomped their way through the playoffs not losing a single game until the OHL Playoff Finals. After dropping game one of the finals, London won four straight games to take down Oshawa and book their tickets to Rimouski for the 2025 Memorial Cup. 

Steelheads Sign 2025 First-Round PickYesterday, the Brampton Steelheads announced the signing of 2025 OHL Priority Selection first-round pick Keaton Ardagh to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. 

At that point, the question was asked point blank. Is there unfinished business for this group? A resounding yes was the response. This season would not be complete without a Memorial Cup victory. 

On Sunday night, the London Knights took care of business, defeating the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1 to secure the Memorial Cup for the third time in franchise history.

Make no mistake, this was a special group of players, the majority of whom came together two seasons ago. They won back-to-back OHL titles and set OHL and franchise records. To cap that off with a Memorial Cup victory must be perfection for a team that seems so close. 

"This is my family, these guys are my brothers," said San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson. "It feels like it's the perfect ending for this core ... it's how it should have gone out."

This time around, the Knights had to walk the hard road to the Memorial Cup Final after they lost their first encounter with the Tigers 3-1. Medicine Hat went down early in that game before scoring three unanswered goals to seal their place in the final. 

Knights Heading To Memorial Cup Semi-Finals Following Loss To Medicine HatThe London Knights missed out on the opportunity to go straight to the Memorial Cup Finals due to a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Medicine Hat Tigers on Tuesday night. 

London made it through the semi-final in dominant fashion beating Moncton 5-2 while outshooting their opponent 37-23. 

In the rematch against Medicine Hat, it was once again the Knights who struck first. Winnipeg Jets prospect Jacob Julien scored halfway through the first to give London the early lead. The score would remain 1-0 heading into the second. 

As they did so often in the OHL Playoffs, the Knights took over in the second period, opening up a four-goal lead within the opening 12 minutes of the period thanks to a goal from Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan and a pair scored by Barkey. 

Former Colt To Take Up Head Coaching Reins In BarrieEarlier today, the Barrie Colts announced that Assistant Coach Dylan Smoskowitz will take over as Head Coach effective immediately. He replaces Marty Williamson, who will stay on with the club as Vice President and GM of Hockey Operations moving forward. 

The Tigers pushed back in the third with star forward Gavin McKenna scoring a goal early in the period to give the team hope. With minutes to go McKenna put another puck into the net before the goal was called back upon review. 

The Knights fought the Tigers off for the rest of the period leading to the final score of 4-1. The win gave Head Coach Dale Hunter his third Memorial Cup trophy, tying him for the most ever won by  single coach. Early in the tournament he took the title of most wins in Memorial Cup history. 

This London team will go down in the history books as one of the best rosters ever iced by an OHL team. Their accomplishments are impressive, and many of these players will make their way into the NHL in the very near future. While this team will never play together again, their names will sit next to each other on the Memorial Cup.