The OHL Podcast

The most exciting time of the year in the OHL did not disappoint as there were swaps aplenty after the Christmas trade freeze lifted. Farwell and Dan have a full breakdown, and like you, they're mildly surprised at the number of teams in the mix. It will take another three months to determine which teams were the real contenders and which turned out to be pretenders, but there are at least eight highly energized fan bases right now...

The guys are back from the Christmas break just in time to start breaking down a flurry of trades, and the deals have only just begun with the deadline still 72 hours away. The question is, how many teams in the Western Conference think they can win this year? Dan and Farwell break down what we know so far, what they think might happen, and make a promise to explain everything next week. Plus, the sudden passing of former Commissio...

We've arrived at the midway mark of the OHL season, and the Ottawa 67's sit atop the standing. No one, and we mean NO ONE saw that coming. Farwell and Dan look at surprises and concerns from the first half, they take a Wraparound straight from the Inbox, and they pay tribute to the "glue guys" (and gals) around this league. Plus, you won't want to miss the first appearance of Danta Claus (TM).

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It's the most wonderful time of the year to be an OHL fan! Unless you're worried about seeing a player you love traded to another team. But if you're hoping your team enters the trade market and strengthens the line-up for the second half, this is the time of year for you. Farwell and Dan look at the teams setting the pace and others that are expected to join the mix. Who might go where is anybody's guess, but this is the season fo...

There was a clear conflict of interest on the Memorial Cup selection committee. Some argue there was even more than one conflict on the committee. And while the fans argue about sour grapes or undeserving hosts, Dan and Mike are trying to tell the real story. Guelph prepared a great bid and deserves every one of the perks that come with hosting the Memorial Cup. But we can't lose sight of the problem that's been unearthed here by s...

James Boyd has basically done it all. He's played in the OHL, coached, been a general manager, and now he's the league's new Vice-President of Hockey Operations. In this feature interview, we talk to Boyd about what led him to this role, what it will take for the OHL to remain competitive in the new junior hockey landscape, and what a healthy league looks like to him. As a guy who used to complain to the league office, he may alrea...

Sarnia's new coach gets his first win in fine fashion, while a hometown player flees the Petes to try his luck in the Soo. Meantime, Farwell and Dan are pulling no punches in building the case for a second part to the Jett Luchanko trade, but they keep hitting road blocks along the way. Learn a little more about your favourite team in the weekly Wraparound, find out why the guys have different perspectives on a recent video review ...

It's been a week of surprises in the OHL, starting with the biggest of them all -- the Guelph Storm will host the 2027 Memorial Cup. And they've already traded away a key asset to start building for next year, but how many expected Jett Luchanko to land with the Brantford Bulldogs? We're only a third of the way into this season and 19 teams might be waving a white flag in Brantford's direction.

Dan and Farwell take a deep dive into...

Coaches are hired to be fired and this week it was Al Letang's turn to be fired. But what next for the Sarnia Sting? Farwell and Dan also have updates on previous stories, and a look at which market -- Guelph or Kitchener -- has the best shot at being named host of the 2027 Memorial Cup. Along with your weekly Wraparound and its look at every OHL team, there's also the big story the league wishes we weren't talking about. But the e...

Is it too soon to start having the conversation about the 2025-26 Brantford Bulldogs and the best CHL teams ever? At least one guy on this podcast doesn't think so. And for anyone who does think it's too soon, how many more wins before you start?? The 'Dogs are dominant as we pass the quarter-mark of this season, the Ottawa 67's can no longer be called a surprise ... and they're getting a fancy new arena to boot! The weekly Wraparo...

Yes, it's true. Coaches are hired to be fired. But the decisions to fire one guy just because you can't fire 20 sometimes leave us scratching our heads, and that may never be more evident than now, as we find Mathieu Turcotte on the free agent market. He's got a decade-plus experience in the Q, a Coach of the Year trophy with a U18 AAA team, a Telus Cup, and a silver medal from the Canada Winter Games. He also spent last summer coa...

If last weekend's crowds were any indication, some people like free candy (or baseball) more than junior hockey. But there's an easy fix for this.

The OHL's trade winds seem to be blowing early, and they're blowing strong in Brantford. Which begs the question, how good is this Bulldogs team? Is it historically good??

Farwell and Dan also have a look at every team in the league, and the picture isn't rosy in every market as we reach...

A nightmare scenario plays out in Saginaw, where the OHL's new video review system gets one wrong. Like, way wrong. But now what? Then there's the ongoing Oscar Hemming saga in Kitchener, and what it means to a Rangers team that has hopes of hosting a Memorial Cup next year. Plus, there are problems in Barrie and the return of Emil Hemming ain't one.

Farwell and Dan are also reviewing NHL Central Scouting's list of players to watch...

We're still coming down from the high that was Rivalry Week, which turns out to have been the idea OHL fans didn't know they needed. And as we come down from Cloud 9, the league's disciplinarians drop the hammer on a repeat offender. It's also starting to sound like the league is going to return to a live draft, and we're all for it.

Plus, the weekly Wraparound takes a look at every market around the OHL, a few swaps have us callin...

Are the Ottawa 67's for real? Farwell and Dan discussing the surprising 6-0 start for the 67's, who were the last team to suffer a regulation loss this season. Plus, it's more than fans now upset with the league's new jersey partner. And do you remember bag skates? Or practices without pucks? Or getting off the bus to carry your equipment back to the rink? Things sure have changed in the way coaches can hold players accountable for...

It may still be early, but a couple of perennial Western Conference heavyweights are headed in opposite directions as the Windsor Spitfires surge and the London Knights struggle. Speaking of Western Conference heavyweights, what's going on back in Finland that's keeping Oscar Hemming from playing with the Kitchener Rangers? Farwell and Dan also do a deep dive into the CHL Team of the Century, giving you the scoop on a new documenta...

Critics claimed we'd never see the day, but ground has been broken on a new arena for Sudbury. The guys have a discussion and offer a condition for the move to new digs in the Nickel City. Meantime, an arena just as old as Sudbury's is going to get some new additions as the Kitchener Rangers install a "Level of Legacy." And if you thought the USHL was going down with a whimper as the OHL talks about "aggressive expan...

We heard your complaints and the absences were noticeable at the games we watched. The OHL season launched with some big-time match-ups while big-name players were still away at pro camps. But could this year be the worst year we've seen it? The guys have a hopeful answer. Plus, Commissioner Crawford makes it clear that while we've all been distracted by the NCAA rule change, OHL expansion is still very much on the table. You'll al...

If you like the small-town feel of junior hockey and the "charm" of some of those older, character-filled arenas, it's time to brace for a new reality. The OHL is asking current markets to step up, or other markets will be happy to take on a franchise. Also this week, the GOJHL becomes the OHL's first official development league and the ongoing recruitment war between the CHL and the NCAA gets a little petty. Plus, as the...