The OHL Podcast

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...

It's a new OHL season full of promise, unless you're dumb enough to try and predict the finishing order of all ten teams in the Eastern Conference. Why should you do that, though, when Dan and Farwell are plenty dumb enough to do it for you? The guys give it the ol' college try in predicting this year's Eastern Conference and, speaking of college, that NCAA rule change is still making waves. Plus, there's a potential that more play...

As expected, the OHL had a dominant showing at the NHL draft, with five of the first eight selections coming from the league and an overall showing that was the best the OHL has had in almost a decade. Farwell and Dan break it down and also clean a few other things out of the notebook as we head into summer, including the trade of a two-time OHL champion and a new market to emerge as a Memorial Cup bidder. Plus, just for fun in our...

Fans of the Ontario Hockey League won't have to wait long this weekend to hear the names of their favourite players called at the NHL draft. Farwell and Dan dive in on a couple of top defence prospects and look at a first round that could see a handful of OHL'ers picked in the Top 10. And speaking of the NHL, could the new CBA further impact the OHL and its older players? The guys have some answers. Plus, the Niagara Ice Dogs hire ...

We've been wanting to do this for awhile, and this week is the week. Farwell and Dan cross over with Brandon Caputo, Reece Doumani, and Colin Ward of the Armchair GM's Sports Network for a podcast experience you won't want to miss. This episode includes an in-depth analysis of a couple of the Ontario Hockey League's most interesting markets, some background on the origins of an OHL-focused podcast, and it makes an attempt to answer...

It's been famously said in Canada that if you don't like your weather out the front door, just take a look out the back door instead, where you're sure to find something more to your liking. Similar phrasing might be appropriate when discussing the NCAA rule change that has shifted the ground beneath junior hockey in Canada: if you don't like how the rule change is impacting the CHL this week, just wait a week and your feelings are...

It's hard not to admire greatness and the London Knights put on a show for the ages this season, starting the campaign on a mission to win a Memorial Cup and becoming just the fourth team in the past 53 years to win three (joining Windsor, Cornwall, and Kamloops). London's trio of trophies have all come since 2005, while Windsor won their three in a 9-year span (discuss amongst yourselves). No matter how you slice it, it's impressi...

It's never been a secret that the London Knights were on a mission this season. And, despite some early resistance at the Memorial Cup, the mission remains on track. The guys talk about why the big prize is still in the Knights' sights. Then, it's off to Rimouski to join one of the most seasoned OHL voices. Terry Doyle has been to 24 straight Memorial Cups and he gives us the inside track on how a smaller market like Rimouski is ha...

Do you feel bad for Oshawa or are you in awe of London? Probably depends where you live, eh? But Farwell and Dan break down how the Knights did what they did -- again -- and analyze their chances in Rimouski. Plus, with the OHL season done for 19 teams, the guys have their eyes on a team from each conference that is likely to have an interesting off-season or season ahead. Meanwhile, the NCAA rule change continues to make waves (an...

First of all, you read that right. We have a conversation with the guy who visited every OHL rink and decided to rank the hot dogs. This episode contains your definitive answer, while also providing some raw insight into the impact an OHL career has on a hockey family.

On a more serious note, maybe the emotional story you'll hear in this episode is something the OHL will want to lean into when it comes to recruiting and retaining t...

It sounds like the NCAA is getting serious about hockey programs, which means the battle to recruit and retain the best players has some increased competition. Still, Farwell and Dan think the CHL maintains a decided advantage -- for now. Complacency could change that in a hurry, though, and speaking of change, what are the chances the CHL model changes to one where players are being paid? The ice continues to shift beneath the ska...

Strange days in Brantford where new ownership makes a bold move and one that risks the goodwill that's been built with the city since the Bulldogs' return. Farwell and Dan dive into Matt Turek's departure and why it's raising some red flags. Plus, the OHL now stands alone when it comes to the playoff format and the league would do well to follow the lead of the WHL and QMJHL. And who's ready for an extra overager? Teams might be ab...

We can continue the debate about whether this was the best OHL second round in a decade, but we can do it after we enjoy two Game 7's. That's right, half of the OHL's second round series' are going the distance and, in the case of Windsor-Kitchener, one team is trying to come back from 0-3 down. It's going to be a great day for the league and its fans. London, which still hasn't dropped a game in these playoffs, awaits the West win...

As the OHL's second round of the playoffs gets underway, there's a lot going on behind-the-scenes, including some league "housekeeping" as it prepares for what appears to be an all-out recruiting war to come. Meantime, the league shows what's possible with its coverage of the draft, some construction in Cornwall has Farwell calling (again) for the return of the Royals, and the NHL sends signals that it wants to support am...

Two wrongs don't make a right in Niagara and the league's decision to punish the IceDogs by making them sit players during a playoff game is an insult to paying customers. In order to restore its own integrity and save an excellent junior market, the OHL has only one option now in Niagara. And there's no time to waste. This might be the perfect time to deal with it because all eyes will be on a second round of the playoffs that off...