2025 OHL Playoff Predictions

The Sudbury Wolves missed San Jose Sharks prospect Quentin Musty for the first month or so of the season, but he made his presence felt big time in the 33 games he did play. He played at almost a two-point-per-game pace and scored 59 points. They are not as deep offensively as the Frontenacs, but the acquisition of Henry Mews at the deadline from Ottawa has helped them out at both ends of the ice. Both matchups between the two teams were high-scoring, and goaltending will be a big aspect for the Wolves to rely on. Nate Krawchuk and Finn Marshall have split time in the net this season and have had roller-coaster seasons.

Keys to a Series Win for Each Team

For Kingston, taking advantage of the Wolves’ tendencies to take penalties and cashing in on the power play will be a key to wrapping up a series win. Being able to roll out all four lines to contribute in their own way has worked all season long and will likely be something that head coach Troy Mann will look for.

On the flip side, Sudbury must stay out of the penalty box in the series and lean on players like Musty, Nathan Villeneuve, and Kieron Walton to carry the load offensively. Their goaltending will need to stand strong against a deep Frontenacs team to have a chance to compete in the series.

Series prediction: Sudbury’s goaltending cannot figure out Kingston’s offense, and much like the regular season, the Frontenacs will take advantage of it. The Frontenacs take the series in four games.

#4 Seed Oshawa Generals vs #5 Seed Brampton Steelheads

Regular season series: 2-2

This series could be one of the most entertaining in the Eastern Conference. The teams are separated by only a few points in the standings, and they have had four strongly contested games against each other in the regular season. Both rosters have high-end talent, including Porter Martone, Carson Rehkopf, and Luke Misa, leading the way for the Steeleheads. For the Generals, Anaheim Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke showed why he was picked as high as he was at the 2024 NHL Draft, and they also have Winnipeg Jets prospect Colby Barlow in their lineup. Goaltending will also be on display, with Jack Ivankovic (Brampton) and Jacob Oster (Oshawa) having strong seasons for their respective teams. The Steelheads enter the playoffs on the OHL’s longest current win streak of six and will be looking to keep that momentum rolling against the Generals.

Keys to a Series Win for Each Team

With the firepower on each team’s top two lines, depth will come into play for both sides. Whoever can get the most out of their bottom-six players could have the advantage in the series. Tied in with that comes the goaltending, and whichever team’s netminder gets the hot hand in the series will play a vital role in winning the seven-game series. Shutting down the top-end offensive talent will be the biggest key to a series win for both teams.

Series prediction: This series will be the longest series of the Eastern Conference’s first round, going six games. Last season’s Eastern Conference champions, the Generals, start their way to trying to repeat the feat by pulling off the series win.

Western Conference

#1 Seed London Knights vs #8 Seed Owen Sound Attack

Regular season series: 6-0 London

In recent seasons, the Western Conference has run through London. This season is no different, as they have been the league’s best team from start to finish. Last season’s OHL champions will look to get back to the Memorial Cup after losing in the championship to the Saginaw Spirit. Loaded with a roster full of NHL draft picks, the Knights have firepower from top to bottom and possess one of the strongest defensive groupings in the league, led by San Jose Sharks 2024 first-round pick Sam Dickinson. Dickson led the team in points, with 92 on the season. Considering that they have a top-end duo in Aleksei Medvedev and Austin Elliott between the pipes, the Knights have to be the favorites to win the Robertson Cup again this season.

Owen Sound clinched a playoff spot on the last day of the regular season and were carried all season long by strong goaltending from Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Carter George. George has not had a lot of help from his offense, with the Attack recording the fewest regular-season goals of any Western Conference playoff team (211). Having only two players over 50 points this season, the Attack’s offense will have a tough challenge against a strong Knights team.

Keys to Series Win for Each Team

For the Knights, staying the course and playing like they have all season long is the biggest key to winning this series against the Attack. Having George play lights out and steal a game or two would be the best-case scenario for the Attack.

Series prediction: The Knights show why they are the top team in the league, making quick work of the Attack in four games. George helps keep games closer than they would be with another netminder between the pipes for the Attack, but the team cannot keep up with the Knights.

#2 Seed Windsor Spitfires vs #7 Seed Soo Greyhounds

Regular season series: 4-2 Windsor

One of the biggest surprises of the 2024-25 season was the Windsor Spitfires. After finishing last season at the bottom of the Western Conference and landing the number one pick in the 2024 Priority Selection Draft (Ethan Belchetz), they became one of the league’s most exciting and entertaining teams. With import player and Washington Capitals prospect Ilya Protas and Los Angeles Kings prospect Liam Greentree leading the way up front, the Spitfires claimed the number two seed in the conference. Goaltending has been a big key in their turnaround this season, with Joey Costanza playing well. However, his game did taper off a bit in the second half of the season.

The easiest way to describe the Soo Greyhounds is hardworking. They are constantly a tough team for anyone to play against. They are led by 2025 Draft prospect Brady Martin and Marco Mignosa upfront, and both emulate exactly what the team embodies as a hardworking team. Goaltending has been up and down for the Greyhounds, with Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Nolan Lalonde and Detroit Red Wings prospect Landon Miller splitting time in the net after Lalonde was acquired at the trade deadline for Charlie Schenkel.

Keys to Series Win for Each Team

Withstanding surges from the Greyhounds and their top players continuing their play in the playoffs will be key for the Spitfires to win this series. Costanza playing like he did at the beginning of the season will be key for them to make a push in the playoffs, let alone pushing past the Greyhounds. For the Greyhounds, getting consistent goaltending to keep the Spitfires’ top players at bay will give them a fighting chance in the series, but the offense of the Soo will need to keep pace with their counterpart.

Series prediction: The Soo steals a game on home ice in front of their rowdy, devoted crowd, but the Spitfires win the series in five games.

#3 Seed Kitchener Rangers vs #6 Seed Flint Firebirds

Regular season series: 3-1 Kitchener

The Kitchener Rangers rode their well-balanced roster throughout the season, placing second in the Midwest Division but landing as the third seed because of the format, leading Windsor to claim the two seed (winning the West Division). Six players reached the 50-point mark this season, led by Adrian Misaljevic with 69. The offense also got a boost when Christian Humphreys made his way to Kitchener after leaving the University of Michigan in January. Humphreys has played at a point-per-game pace, tallying 33 points in 28 OHL games. The most consistent aspect of the Rangers has been in between the pipes, with Jackson Parsons being one of the league’s best netminders throughout the season, compiling a 37-12-3 record with a 2.24 goals-against average (GAA) and .920 save percentage (SV%).

The Flint Firebirds have fought the injury bug this season, but are back in the playoffs. The acquisition of Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Sam McCue at the trade deadline has done wonders for their offense, with McCue tallying 24 points in 20 games while also helping the power play immensely. In his short time with the Firebirds, he has led the team in power-play goals with six. The Firebirds have relied on their depth to help carry them throughout the season, with two players who have played the full season in Flint reaching the 50-point plateau (Kaden Pitre and Christopher Thibodeau). Nathan Day has had another strong season in a Firebirds jersey and will be relied upon heavily in the series.

Keys to Series Win for Each Team

The Rangers will need to try to keep McCue in check in the series and have Parsons, who struggled a bit in last season’s playoffs, keep his strong play going. The Rangers’ power play struggled in the four games against the Firebirds this season. Getting their power play on track will be a big factor in them winning this series.

On the flip side, the Firebirds will need players like Jimmy Lombardi, who has shown flashes at times but also tends to disappear in games, to step up and pick up some of the offense. Staying out of the penalty box will be crucial for the Firebirds, as their penalty kill has sometimes been average.

Series prediction: A back-and-forth series, with both teams having passionate fan bases, sees the Rangers take it in six games.

#4 Seed Saginaw Spirit vs #5 Seed Erie Otters

Regular season series: 2-2

The reigning Memorial Cup champion, the Saginaw Spirit, were expected to take a step back after going all-in to position themselves well as the tournament hosts last season. They may not have reached the heights they did last season in the standings, but they have done anything but fall off. They have been led by exceptional campaigns from 2025 Draft prospect Michael Misa and Calgary Flames prospect Zayne Parekh. With these two leading the way, topping 100-plus points apiece while also setting a handful of OHL records, they have found themselves in a position to work their way back to the Memorial Cup. Alongside Misa and Parekh, the Spirit have had San Jose Sharks prospect and import player Igor Chernyshov and Kristian Epperson take on big roles in their first season with the organization. The biggest question mark is what they will get in the net. Andrew Oke has had an up-and-down season while also not playing a game since Feb. 27.

The Erie Otters took a massive hit at the end of the 2024 calendar year. Matthew Schaefer, who many believe will be the first overall pick at this year’s draft, went down with a broken collarbone while playing for Canada at the World Junior Championships. He has not played since and is questionable to play in the series. Carey Terrance is also uncertain for the entire series due to injury. Without these two players in the lineup, it may be an uphill battle for the Otters. Pano Fimis and Sam Alfano have led them, and they are another team with some depth in their lineup.

Keys to Series Win for Each Team

Saginaw will need to ride their top line of Chernyshov, Epperson, and Misa while getting some secondary offense from their younger players like Jacob Cloutier and Carson Harmer. Both players have hit a bit of a dry spell heading into the postseason. The hope is that Oke is ready to play for the series, and if he does go, he will need to return to the way he played in last year’s postseason and the Memorial Cup if the Spirit want to have a deep run. If Oke is unable to play, the team will need Kaleb Papineau to come up big in net.

The Otters are hoping to have Schaefer and Terrance back for the series, but if they cannot play, the team will need multiple players like Malcolm Spence, Fimis, and Alfano to carry the load up front. They must stay out of the penalty box, with the Spirit possessing one of the league’s most potent power play units. Slowing down the stars of Saginaw will be imperative.

Series prediction: The two teams’ tight regular-season series continues in the playoffs, but the Spirit, with their playoff experience and top-end talent, will win in a hard-fought five-game series.

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference

#1 Seed Brantford Bulldogs vs #4 Seed Oshawa Generals (Brantford won the regular season series 6-2)

Despite the playoff experience and veterans on their roster, the Generals do not have as much firepower as the Bulldogs this season. This series will be a hard-fought, back-and-forth one that could end up going seven.

Series prediction: Brantford will win the series in seven games, riding its offensive horses and goaltender Ryerson Leenders to the Eastern Conference Final.

#2 Seed Barrie Colts vs #3 Seed Kingston Frontenacs (Barrie won the regular season series 3-1)

Kingston has added plenty of experienced players this season to make its push for a deep playoff run and has added depth to its lineup in doing so. Barrie is a well-balanced team, but Kingston has more offensive push from its top six to help it out and a strong defensive unit.

Series prediction: The Frontenacs pull off a series win, taking the series in six games.

Western Conference

#1 Seed London Knights vs #4 Seed Saginaw Spirit (London won the regular season series 3-1)

A rematch of last season’s Western Conference Final, with this season being a bit different. The Knights possess a deep, veteran-led team, while the Spirit have relied on their top forward line and a handful of veterans on a team littered with its fair share of younger players.

Series prediction: The Knights get redemption from last year’s Memorial Cup loss against the Spirit, taking the series in six games.

#2 Seed Windsor Spitfires vs #3 Seed Kitchener Rangers (The teams split the regular season series 2-2)

Goaltending will be at a premium in this series, so both teams’ offenses will have to step up in big ways to earn a series win. Depth will also be a factor, with the top forward lines battling it out against each other. The bottom six of both teams will need to pick up the secondary offense.

Series prediction: Windsor continues their impressive turnaround season with a seven-game series win against Kitchener.

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference

#1 Seed Brantford Bulldogs vs #3 Seed Kingston Frontenacs ( Brantford won the regular season series 4-2)

Both teams have been put together to make a deep run in the playoffs, with Brantford relying more on its opening-night roster than Kingston has. The matchup in the creases will play a massive role in determining the series, while the Frontenacs will have a tough time slowing down Nick Lardis, Patrick Thomas, and Jake O’Brien.

Series prediction: Brantford returns to the finals for the first time since the 2021-2022 season, where they beat the Spitfires in seven games. They take this series in six games.

Western Conference

#1 Seed London Knights vs #2 Seed Windsor Spitfires ( The teams split the regular season series, each winning two games.)

In what should be a spirited series after a tightly contested regular season series, experience again will come into play. The Knights have been to the Conference Finals the past two seasons and have plenty of veterans on the roster. A younger, inexperienced Spitfires team will put up a fight, but ultimately, the Knights will end up being too much for them to handle.

Series prediction: The Knights return to the Final for the third straight season, led by their goaltending shutting down the high-powered Spitfires’ offense and their own offense playing up to how they can. The Knights take the series in six games.

Final

Eastern Conference Champions Brantford Bulldogs vs Western Conference Champion London Knights ( London won both games against Brantford in the regular season.)

The Bulldogs and Knights, the number-one seeds for their respective conferences, will have a back-and-forth series to determine who goes to the 2025 Memorial Cup. The Bulldogs will have their hands full against a Knights defense and goaltending that are stingy at giving up goals (a league-best 183 goals against). They will also have to play impeccably defensively to shut down the likes of Easton Cowan, Denver Barkey, and Sam Dickinson.

Series prediction: The Knights return to the Memorial Cup, winning the Robertson Cup for the second season in a row. They take the series in six games.

Anything Can Happen in the Playoffs

If sports have taught us anything, it’s that anything is possible in the playoffs. While the top seeds in the first-round matchups and on will be the likely favorites, a team can get hot and pull off an upset at any time. The OHL Playoffs may be more of a “chalk” bracket, or it could be madness if a player or team gets hot at the right time.