London is head and shoulders above the rest of the Western Conference heading into the season, and with several teams in contention to win the East, chances are that's where most of the older players being dealt head as the season progresses.
Erie looks ready to take a step closer to legit contender, but the bottom half of the west features five or six teams all at similar stages of rebuilds, including the Guelph Storm. You could pretty much pick fifth through ninth out of a hat.
Only Sarnia, still paying for an all-in playoff run two seasons ago, and the star-less Owen Sound Attack appear pre-ordained for missing the playoffs.
1. LONDON KNIGHTS
Last season: 50-14-1-3 (1st)
Fast fact: The Knights could have as many as 10 NHL drafted players on its roster. At worst seven or eight.
Player to watch: Overager Owen Willmore gets a chance to be the main man in net, but let’s face it, if London needs a goalie they’ll go get one of the best available.
The skinny: If notably first round NHL picks Easton Cowan, Oliver Bonk and Sam Dickinson, along with AHL-eligible Kasper Haltunnen, come back, it should be a cakewalk for the Knights.
In a nutshell: Best in country?
2. SAGINAW SPIRIT
Last season: 50-16-1-1 (2nd)
Fast fact: Michael Misa was second in pre-season scoring and should challenge for the league.
Player to watch: Zayne Parekh, because he may never leave the ice.
The skinny: There’s still plenty left in the Saginaw cupboard, with Michael Misa set to explode up front in his draft year getting support from Nashville second rounder Joey Willis and the always on-the-verge Ethan Hay. Throw in import forward Igor Chrnyshov, a second round pick of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks and the Spirit, with four NHL picks in the lineup and a solid overage goaltender, might have a core worth adding to.
In a nutshell: Add to the roster and ride the Memorial Cup wave.
3. ERIE OTTERS
Last season: 33-28-5-2 (5th)
Fast fact: TSN’s Bob McKenzie has two Firebirds ranked in the top 10 of his pre-season NHL draft rankings: defenceman Matt Schaeffer (2) and winger Malcolm Spence (8).
Player to watch: Will Malcolm Spence become the dominant winger everyone thinks he can be?
The skinny: Are Charlie Burns and Swedish import Noah Erliden provide good enough goaltending? If so, this should be the year the Otters start reaping the rewards of all those high draft picks. Wheel-spinners Malcolm Spence, Ondrej Molnar and Martin Misiak need to raise their games to meet previous expectations and Matt Shaeffer should start providing a lot more offence from the back end.
In a nutshell: A year away from first place?
4. FLINT FIREBIRDS
Last season: 30-33-4-1 (8th)
Fast fact: Coulson Petrie had 27 goals last season, but only one of them came on the power play..
Player to watch: 6’7” third-year centre Nathan Aspinall, a New York Rangers pick.
The skinny: Flint will have one of the bigger, more experienced defence groups in the conference no matter how the dust settles with a crowded overage picture in camp and the team brought in four veterans over the summer.
In a nutshell: No rebuild, but not quite contender.
5. SOO GREYHOUNDS
Last season: 45-18-3-2 (3rd)
Fast fact: Hounds lose six of their top eight scorers from last year,
Player to watch: Justin Cloutier. Former first rounder had 24 goals last year and will be expected to provide more than that as a top-line 19-year-old on a team that will likely have trouble scoring.
The skinny: Could be a tough couple of years in the Soo after last year’s thrilling playoff run that saw them fall just short of the conference final. They have five 19 year olds and just one import, who is 17. But they're an adaptable, well-coached team that always seems to be competitive.
In a nutshell: Could finish fourth, could finish ninth.
6. GUELPH STORM
Last season: 33-28-6-1 (6th)
Fast fact: Guelph lost six times in overtime last season, tied with Owen Sound for most in the conference.
Player to watch: Quinn Beauchesne. Healthy and quarterbacking the power play. A big year possible.
The skinny: The Storm could be a top four team if they added a couple of older players and kept Cam Allen, Max Namestnikov and Vilmer Alriksson all season. But with the team committed to building on its group of 16 and 17 year olds, they won’t sacrifice the future to any significant extent and the chances of Allen, Namestnikov and Alriksson all still being in Guelph after the trade deadline are pretty darn slim. Jett Luchanko will be one of the league's elite forwards, but do you keep him all season or risk losing him for nothing if the Flyers keep him in the NHL next season? Decisions, decisions.
In a nutshell: A team with a plan and a focus on youth.
7. WINDSOR SPITFIRES
Last season: 18-42-5-3 (10th)
Fast fact: Joey Costanzo’s GAA went from 3.03 in 22/23 to 5.09 last season.
Player to watch: First overall pick Ethan Belchetz is 6’6”, 235 pounds. Had nine points in the pre-season.
The skinny: Windsor got some big offensive additions, but a team that gave up a whopping 360 goals last season – 69 more than anyone else in the conference – needs to be a lot better in its own end. Overager Tnias Mutharin (North Bay) and Conor Walton (Sudbury) were brought in to bolster the back end. Belchetz and third overall import pick Ilya Protas add instant offence.
In a nutshell: You don't fix awful in one summer, and the Spits defence was awful.
8. KITCHENER RANGERS
Last season: 41-23-4-0 (4th)
Fast fact: Just two 19 year olds on the roster.
Player to watch: Tanner Lam. Former second round pick had 13 goals as a rookie and should help top returning scorer Trent Swick carry the offensive load.
The skinny: The Rangers make no bones about rebuilding for a hopeful-2027 bid to host the Memorial Cup, and that comes with a price. Blueliners Matt Andonovski and Cam Reid are very good, but Andonovski will likely be moved at some point. Some nice young skill on the team, but could be a long year at The Aud.
In a nutshell: They'll be a very good team ... in 2027.
9. SARNIA STING
Last season: 25-39-3-1 (9th)
Fast fact: Sarnia scored the fewest goals in the Western Conference last season.
Player to watch: Sixth overall import pick Ruslan Karimov is highly regarded for next year’s NHL draft.
The skinny: The Sting, as teams that do it, will suffer for their ‘all-in’ run a couple of seasons ago. Overager Zach Filak is the only returnee who scored more than 15 goals last season and the team has just one player drafted by an NHL team.
In a nutshell: Time to pay the piper.
10. OWEN SOUND ATTACK
Last season: 29-30-6-3 (7th)
Fast fact: Carter George led the OHL in shots faced last season.
Player to watch: Ben Cormier. Owen Sound needs the 2022 first rounder to take a big jump from the 14 goals he scored last season.
The skinny: Whatever they eventually get back for Colby Barlow won’t do much to help now and L.A. Kings second rounder Carter George can only win so many by himself in net. Only one 19-year-old on the blueline and three up front. Scott Wray takes over the coaching reigns after seven seasons as an assistant in North Bay.
In a nutshell: The return for Barlow anchors the rebuild.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Brampton
2. Oshawa
3. Barrie
4. Brantford
5. Kingston
6. Ottawa
7. North Bay
8. Niagara
9. Sudbury
10. Peterborough
