The province's biggest junior hockey league announced a new partnership with the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL), one that it says will elevate the development and growth of young players.
On Tuesday, the Ontario Hockey League said that beginning this season, the GOJHL would become its first official development league.
The 23-team league has long been a feeder system to the OHL, with names like Joe Thornton and Jeff Carter getting their starts there, as well as more recent prospects like Easton Cowan.
"The GOJHL has long been a proven pathway for players advancing to the OHL, with consistent success year after year," said GOJHL Commissioner Craig Spada. “The numbers speak for themselves – more than 15 players from this past season’s Memorial Cup-winning London Knights began their development in our league. With this new OHL Development League partnership, we’re excited to further enhance the player experience and provide even greater opportunities for young athletes to flourish."
The leagues say the new partnership will create a cohesive framework to support the growth and development of OHL prospects, ensuring the long-term success for athletes while strengthening the GOJHL.
"From the outset, our goal has been to establish clearer pathways and abundant development opportunities for OHL prospects following their draft year," said OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford. "We’re very excited about this new GOJHL partnership. Expanding development relationships more broadly with the various Junior A leagues across the province remains a priority moving into the 2025-26 season. There’s an outstanding junior hockey system here in Ontario, one with a lot of potential for collaboration across our respective leagues."
The first year of the partnership will include the development of a showcase event that will be integrated into the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game on January 14, 2026. The OHL will also place a greater emphasis on prospect coverage from across the GOJHL this coming season, with the integration of a new Prospect of the Week feature alongside other collaborative marketing, communications and branding efforts.
Long-term goals include the development of elevated standard operating procedures for all GOJHL teams.
The GOJHL season opens Wednesday, as the London Nationals visit the LaSalle Vipers.