For Brock Chitaroni, the Ontario Hockey League has never felt like unfamiliar territory.
Long before the Ottawa 67’s selected him third overall in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection, Chitaroni had already spent years learning what life in the league looked like. His father, Terry, captained the Sudbury Wolves before being selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1991 NHL Draft, while older brothers Mason (Sudbury Wolves, 2023-34) and Hudson (Sudbury Wolves, 2023-current) each followed their own junior hockey paths.
By the time the winger arrived in Ottawa for his rookie season, he already had a pretty good idea of what awaited him.
“It’s definitely helped me out a lot,” Chitaroni said. “I kind of had a cheat sheet coming into the OHL with my dad having played in the league and my brother still playing in it now. I knew what to expect and what would be expected of me, so I tried my hardest to prepare for that. I think that really helped me.”
The Soo native enjoyed a productive rookie campaign, recording 24 points (10-14–24) in 60 games while establishing himself as an important piece of a young Ottawa lineup that exceeded plenty of expectations and earned valuable playoff experience.
“It was really fun. Our team became like a family really quickly. Everyone was involved, and I couldn’t have asked for better teammates to start my OHL career with. Winning was a big part of that season. We came out hot early because we developed chemistry so quickly while other teams were still trying to figure things out.
“It was a brotherhood. I’ll remember those guys for life, especially the ones who have moved on. We still have a couple of guys back, and it’s been nice to keep those relationships going.”
Before arriving in Ottawa, Chitaroni captured back-to-back NOHA championships with the Soo Greyhounds U16 AAA program, won an OMHA title while playing up a year with the Barrie Jr. Colts, earned OMHA U16 AAA Player of the Year honours in 2025, and helped Canada White capture a silver medal at the 2025 U17 World Challenge with six points in five games.
Representing his country stands among the proudest moments of Chitaroni’s young career. Now, after being named to Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team training camp, he’ll look to earn a spot on the roster for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
“Representing Canada was something I never thought I’d get the chance to do. It was such an honour to wear the maple leaf – you really can’t describe that feeling. It was an incredible experience playing on that team.”
The jump to the OHL, however, quickly reminded him that every level presents new challenges.
“The biggest adjustment coming to the OHL was the strength of the league. You’re playing against older guys who are bigger, stronger, and smarter because they’ve already spent a few years developing here. This offseason, I’ve really focused on getting stronger so I’m ready to compete with those bigger players next season.”
That work has already become a major focus of his summer. Skating alongside professional players in the Soo has given Chitaroni an opportunity to test himself against older competition while refining key parts of his game.
“I’ve been skating with pro players in Sault Ste. Marie, and going up against guys who are 10 years older than me has really helped my game. It’s improved my offensive-zone play in tight areas and my one-on-one defensive game as well.”
With much of Ottawa’s young core returning, optimism is building heading into the 2026-27 season. After gaining valuable playoff experience as one of the league’s youngest and hottest teams, Chitaroni believes the lessons learned during his rookie campaign have positioned the 67’s to take another step forward.
“I think we’re going to have a great team. One of the best things about our group last year was that we were so young, which is probably why expectations weren’t that high. Our older guys taught us a lot, but our younger players also made a huge impact. A lot of those guys are coming back, and now we have playoff experience, so we’re excited about what we can build this season.”
Armed with the perspective of a lifelong hockey family and the confidence gained from a successful rookie season, Chitaroni enters his sophomore campaign looking to build on a strong foundation – both individually and as part of one of the OHL’s most promising young teams.
