2025 OHL Draft Makes History

17 Americans Selected in the 1st 3 rounds of 2025 OHL Draft

Bob Turow and Dan K Show staff.

4/12/25

In the last 5 years of the OHL draft, 12 Americans were selected in the first 3 rounds (2024-2, 2023-3, 2022-2, 2021-2, 2020-3). The OHL busted through that number with gusto yesterday, with 17 Americans selected in the first 3 rounds on Friday night of the 2025 draft.

What’s changed? OHL players are now eligible to play NCAA Hockey if they play in the CHL starting in 2025-2026. Plus, there are still 12 rounds to be completed on Saturday, so a true count is not yet known. What’s the significance of the 1st 3 rounds? OHL teams usually don’t take Americans unless they are sure the player will report.

Included in the 17 are Kane Barch and Trevor Daley Jr., whose fathers played in the OHL and recently were announced to the USNDTP. Expect the same results for Americans in the WHL and QMJHL when their drafts are conducted. Word is also leaking that NCAA commits for the 2025-2026 who left the USHL and BCHL to play in the CHL are not going to report to their college teams and will stay in the CHL until they turn pro.

Further, the rumor mill is churning that older USHL players will be walking, or shall we say running, to the CHL for 2025-2026.

Meanwhile D1 keeps committing to CHL Over-ages who, if history is any indication, have virtually no chance of playing in the NHL.