The Ontario Hockey League was well represented at the 2026 NHL Awards, with OHL alumni taking home six of the league’s most prestigious honours following standout performances throughout the 2025-26 season.
Leading the way was Erie Otters alumnus Matthew Schaefer, who made history by becoming the youngest player ever to unanimously win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.
Schaefer enjoyed a record-breaking rookie campaign with the New York Islanders, recording 59 points (23-36–59) in 82 games. His 23 goals tied Brian Leetch’s NHL record for goals by a rookie defenceman, while his 59 points established a new NHL record for an 18-year-old blueliner, surpassing a mark that had stood since 1982-83. He also became the youngest defenceman in NHL history to record a point in his debut, the youngest defenceman to reach 50 career points, and the first defenceman in nearly a century to lead all NHL rookies in goals scored. Schaefer’s rookie season also saw him break the Islanders franchise record for goals by a rookie defenceman, previously held by OHL alumnus Denis Potvin.
Fellow Erie Otters alumnus Connor McDavid continued to add to his legendary resume, earning both the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer and the Ted Lindsay Award as the league’s most outstanding player, as voted by the NHLPA.
McDavid captured his sixth career Art Ross Trophy after finishing atop the NHL scoring race with 138 points (48-90–138) in 82 regular-season games. He also etched his name further into the record books by recording a point in all 41 of Edmonton’s victories, becoming just the third player in NHL history to accomplish the feat.
The Ted Lindsay Award marked the fifth time McDavid has received the honour, tying Wayne Gretzky for the all-time record. During the season, he became the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach 1,200 career points, doing so in only 784 games. He also recorded his eighth career season with at least 70 assists.
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, who starred with both the Owen Sound Attack and Guelph Storm, earned the first Selke Trophy of his career as the NHL’s top defensive forward.
Suzuki claimed the award following a commanding victory in the voting after recording 101 points (29-72–101) in 82 games while posting a plus-37 rating. The London, Ont., native reached both the 100-point and 70-assist milestones for the first time in his NHL career, producing the third-highest point total by a centreman in franchise history. Renowned for his two-way play, Suzuki consistently drew assignments against the opposition’s top offensive threats while remaining one of the league’s most productive forwards.
The Colorado Avalanche tandem of Barrie Colts alumnus Mackenzie Blackwood and Plymouth Whalers graduate Scott Wedgewood captured the William M. Jennings Trophy after helping Colorado allow a league-low 203 goals during the regular season.
The Avalanche surrendered 25 fewer goals than the next closest NHL club en route to capturing the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top regular-season team. Wedgewood appeared in 45 games, posting a 2.02 goals-against average, .921 save percentage, and four shutouts, while Blackwood suited up for 39 contests, recording a 2.51 goals-against average, .904 save percentage, and three shutouts. Together, the duo formed one of the NHL’s most effective goaltending tandems throughout the 2025-26 campaign.
Rounding out the list of OHL award winners was Kitchener Rangers alumnus Gabriel Landeskog, who received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Landeskog completed one of the sport’s most inspiring comeback stories, returning to play a full NHL season after missing three years due to a series of knee injuries and surgeries. The veteran forward underwent four separate procedures, including a cartilage transplant, before successfully returning to the Colorado lineup for the first full season since 2021-22.
