Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League’s oldest continuously operating franchise will be picking first overall in the OHL Priority Selection for the very first time this spring.
The Peterborough Petes were the big winners of the 2025 OHL Draft Lottery held Wednesday evening, with results streamed live on OHL Live as well as the league’s YouTube, X and Facebook channels.
Each of the four non-playoff teams participating in the Priority Selection Lottery, the 20th place Peterborough Petes (40 percent chance), 19th place Guelph Storm (30 percent chance), 18th place Sarnia Sting (20 percent chance) and 17th place Ottawa 67’s (10 percent chance), had adjusted proportionate odds of drawing the first overall selection. The final results were determined by a computerized random number generator, with the process overseen and certified by Mr. Robert Bayne, partner with the law firm Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP.
The coveted first overall selection came down to a big reveal between the Petes and the Guelph Storm, who will be selecting second overall.
The Petes played to a mark of 18-41-4-5 this past season, two years after hoisting the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions in 2023.
The OHL Priority Selection will once again be held over the course of two days, with Rounds 1-3 taking place beginning at 7:00pm on Friday, April 11th. The proceedings continue on Saturday, April 12th starting at 9:00am with Rounds 4-15. The Priority Selection will be produced by YourTV, and streamed for free in its entirety on OHL Live and across the league’s YouTube, X and Facebook accounts.
2025 OHL Priority Selection First Round Order of Selection:
1. Peterborough Petes
2. Guelph Storm
3. Ottawa 67’s
4. Sarnia Sting
5. Owen Sound Attack
6. North Bay Battalion
7. Soo Greyhounds
8. Flint Firebirds
9. Kingston Frontenacs*
10. Niagara IceDogs
11. Sudbury Wolves
12. Erie Otters
13. Saginaw Spirit
14. Brampton Steelheads
15. Brampton Steelheads*
16. Oshawa Generals
17. Kingston Frontenacs
18. Barrie Colts
19. Soo Greyhounds*
20. Brantford Bulldogs
21. Windsor Spitfires
22. Kitchener Rangers
23. London Knights
*- indicates compensatory pick
The 2025 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore will see the top players born in 2009 within OHL jurisdiction eligible to be selected on April 11-12.
In addition to live streaming on OHL Live, the Priority Selection will also be covered extensively on the OHL’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts, as well as on the web at ontariohockeyleague.com.
About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has long been regarded as the number one development league in the world, continuing to serve as a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League. The OHL consists of 20 teams, with 17 located in Ontario, two in the state of Michigan and one in the state of Pennsylvania. A proud member of the Canadian Hockey League, the OHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships, with over 330 graduates receiving OHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice in 2023-24, resulting in a collective investment of over $3.9 million by OHL member teams.
