We knew that the OHL would eventually expand, and sooner rather than later. But as soon as next season? That's soon, and maybe even impossible. Farwell and Dan talk about the most likely sites for expansion, how soon it could happen, and why the league is getting so aggressive. Then, with all the player movement between leagues of late, the guys remind us to remember the trickle down effect. We've also got a generational team steamrolling its way through the West, a league that has swung the pen...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 335
The OHL has reached new ground in its attempts to clean up hockey culture and make sure hockey is everyone, but Dan and Mike don't agree whether or not this latest step is a step too far. Meantime, the suddenly struggling Niagara Ice Dogs indicate they'll not only right the ship this year, but they plan to be competitive for years to come. We also dive into the mailbag to read your emails and answer your questions, we talk about the 12th NHL draft pick to join the London Knights roster, we deliv...
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 334
The long overdue NCAA ruling that allows players to maintain academic eligibility even if they play a single game in the CHL will change the hockey landscape in North America? In how many ways? So many already, and some we probably haven't even figured out yet. Farwell and Dan do a deep dive into the impacts of the rule change with a look at who benefits and who might get hurt. Plus, a chance meeting with (and a lot of respect for) Eric Boulton, walking the plank (okay, the catwalk) in Oshawa, a...
Nov 12, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 333
It appears as though the Sudbury Wolves and Quentin Musty have mended fences, which also now means two NHL first-rounders could be on their way to new OHL teams. Farwell and Dan also look inside some ugly numbers for the Guelph Storm and gaze into a crystal ball that seems increasingly cloudy for the USHL. Plus, our Prospects of the Week and, even though we know they've got plenty to do already, we've got one more job for the on-ice officials. The OHL Podcast is supported by Draft Kings , Game T...
Nov 05, 2024•55 min•Ep. 332
If the reports are true (and there's no reason to doubt them), a couple of USHL teams were in pretty serious talks to defect for the Ontario Hockey League. Farwell and Dan have similar ideas as to why the conversations were even entertained, and then they have a debate of their own about Zayne Parekh finishing a hit in the Soo. Plus, a couple of OAs find new homes, what happens when you exceed the fighting threshold as a team, and they guys see if their prospects match the list put out last week...
Oct 29, 2024•54 min•Ep. 331
There are bad starts, and then there's whatever is happening to the Peterborough Petes this season, which is the worst start the team has ever had in its near 70-year history. Dan and Mike discuss the impacts of the moves the Petes made last year and what it will take to turn things around. Plus, another historic sexual assault allegation against a group of OHL players, a new NHL collective bargaining agreement that could see players admitted to the AHL at 19, the overage dilemmas that still exi...
Oct 22, 2024•57 min•Ep. 330
After three straight years of finishing dead last, the Niagara Ice Dogs have come to life. Is it a cautionary tale? Yes, but the St. Catharines canines have us believing and we'll tell you why we like them ... and why we're still worried. Still in the East, Barrie wants to make sure you know they're still in the mix as they deal for a 100+ point man from North Bay. That creates an overage crunch for the Colts, though, so a difficult decision will have to be made, just like it's been made in othe...
Oct 15, 2024•58 min•Ep. 329
Colby Barlow has been granted his wish to get out of Owen Sound but Quentin Musty might have to wait a while to bolt Sudbury. Plus, the NCAA is holding a vote this week that will have a number of implications for Canadian hockey leagues while opening up options for players. And who let the dogs out in Niagara? The Ice Dogs are lead dogs, we've got a Joey Costanzo story you just have to hear, and our Prospects of the Week. Follow us on X @farwell_ohl and @DanMeagher, be sure to check out our YouT...
Oct 08, 2024•1 hr 1 min
The first week of the regular season is in the books and Farwell is already trying to walk back his preseason predictions. Which leads the guys into a conversation about how meaningful the OHL's early season games are anyway. Plus, the league seems to have pulled back the covers on sharing important information with fans. And if this entire episode sounds like a love letter to Ethan Belchetz, that's because it is. This episode is brought to you by Better Help . Give online therapy a try at bette...
Oct 01, 2024•43 min•Ep. 327
If you listened to last week's Eastern Conference preview, well, this episode is nothing like that. It is the Western Conference preview episode, but Dan and Mike are on different planets. In the East, the guys agreed on the Top 4 teams, just in slightly different order. They had the same teams finishing 3 through 6 in the East. But in the West? Dan sees three tiers while Mike sees two, and they've got a couple of predictions that are miles apart. It's all fun for now, right? Let the games begin...
Sep 24, 2024•56 min•Ep. 326
It's here! We know you look forward to it every year because Dan and Mike are sure to look like fools by season's end, but here come the Eastern Conference predictions. The similarities between the predictions are kind of eerie, to be honest, and that can't bode well for the guys. Along with the East preview, the OHL served up enough news worth talking about as two more teams jumped into the "compensatory pick" pool and we might be seeing the beginning of CHL-NCAA movement, despite no formal agr...
Sep 17, 2024•57 min•Ep. 325
Have you ever wondered about some of the more obscure rules and hard-to-find information about the OHL? Dan from Rochester sure has, and his email gives Dan and Mike the perfect opportunity to talk about roster construction, overage (OA) and import rules, and who's keeping track of all those draft picks, anyway? Plus, a look at the OA situation for each team and early signs that more teams are trying to copy last year's OHL championship recipe. This episode is brought to you by Better Help . Giv...
Sep 10, 2024•53 min•Ep. 324
For the first time in its history, the Ontario Hockey League begins a season without David Branch in the Commissioner's seat. Instead, former Golf Canada executive Bryan Crawford takes over the league's top job. It's a hard act to follow, not just because Branch was the OHL's commissioner for 45 years, but because Crawford comes into the league after an incredible end to 2023-24 that saw two OHL teams in the Memorial Cup final, with the Saginaw Spirit winning the championship in the game's final...
Sep 06, 2024•38 min•Ep. 323
And just like that, summer is over. But as fast as it seemed to go, OHL general managers kept themselves busy with several big trades and signs that some teams are already staking their territory as a contender. Dan and Mike are back from the summer break to remind you what you might have missed while on vacation, plus a look at the stars skipping OHL training camps, new faces behind the bench, and a new face in the league's front office. Grab your hockey bag, tape your stick, and let's get read...
Sep 03, 2024•59 min•Ep. 322
Once again, the Ontario Hockey League leads the way at the NHL draft, sending more players to the pros than either the WHL or QMJHL. We've got some thoughts, plus chatter about the new Commissioner, coaching changes, and the current cost of buying your way into the Canadian Hockey League. Celebrate your early summer with a little hockey talk!
Jul 05, 2024•51 min•Ep. 321
What could have been more fitting for this podcast other than an all-OHL final at the Memorial Cup? And what a final it was, as Saginaw and London delivered one for the ages. Dan and Mike break down what went right for Saginaw and what went wrong for London. Plus, the definitive answer on which championship means more (the league or the Memorial Cup)? And as we look ahead to next season, the impact of a recent ruling in the US that will see NCAA players get paid, stronger bonds between the OHL a...
Jun 06, 2024•59 min•Ep. 320
One team proved itself the best in the OHL this season and now it's the team to beat at the Memorial Cup. One of the guys still wonders why they won't admit who they are, but that's probably best left for your ears and not this summary. Dan and Mike also talk about why a 5-game suspension is warranted for merely uttering a word (sorry, Landon Sim), the new/old coach in the OHL, and a celebration of OHL content in the NHL's final four. It's a jam-packed episode with an important message that expl...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 319
As the Memorial Cup opens in Saginaw, we welcome an original Spirit. Okay, Pat Asselin joined Saginaw in its second year of existence and grew with the team until his OA year when a trade sent him to a chance at a deep playoff run with Oshawa. Which is interesting because Asselin is a Peterborough native and was even wearing Petes maroon during this interview... Asselin is a great example of making the most of a hockey career, leaving North America and winning back-to-back-to-back titles in Euro...
May 24, 2024•58 min•Ep. 318
For the fifth consecutive season, we enjoyed a Game 7 in the Conference Finals. And now, the championship is set as London will host Oshawa. But there's so much more to discuss, including the continued inability for the Memorial Cup hosts to win their league, a concerning rash of suspensions, another coaching search, and Canada's golden U18s. Oh yeah, and our Performers of the Week as we whittle the 20-team league down to the last two standing.
May 07, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 317
Little drama to-date in the OHL's final four as London and Oshawa show that they're best-in-class. And, really, the signs were there long before the playoffs even began. Also, another coach is added to the list of this season's casualties, a former OHL'er makes his NHL debut, and our Performers of the Week.
Apr 30, 2024•46 min•Ep. 316
I'll never pass up the chance to talk to a former Cornwall Royal on the podcast, so please join me in welcoming Eric Calder to the show. A second round pick of the Royals in 1980, Calder would win the Memorial Cup in his sophomore season, the second of back-to-back titles for the Royals as they moved from the QMJHL to the Ontario league. He played as one of the youngest-ever players with Canada's World Junior Championship squad in 1981 and was ultimately drafted in the third round by the Washing...
Apr 26, 2024•59 min•Ep. 315
Three sweeps and seven games. That's how the second round of the OHL playoffs have shaped up, and we'll start with the most surprising at all. It's not the victor, though. It's the vanquished, and another long off-season ahead with questions to be answered in Sudbury. Don't worry, North Bay gets its due as well, and Dan and Mike dive into the Oshawa sweep of Ottawa, they've got more to say about London, and they look ahead to a big Game 7 in Saginaw. Plus, how everybody is suddenly re-refereerin...
Apr 23, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 314
North Bay and Oshawa surprise, while London continues to London and we've got a series between Saginaw and the Soo. Of course, all of this is subject to change with a quartet of terrific semi-final match-ups in the OHL. Dan and Mike also dive into ticket-selling tactics, the escalating costs for new arenas, and their Performers of the Week.
Apr 16, 2024•50 min•Ep. 313
The Barrie Colts bring some playoff heat to the red-hot Oshawa Generals and this season's ultimate suitcase story is there with the Battalion as they close out the Frontenacs. We had to look for stories in the East because the West was won in sweeps almost across the board, leaving lingering questions in Owen Sound and Guelph. Plus, the hard work that has to be done to end the embarrassment of coaches being kicked out of games, the end of the 3 Stars forever (?), and our Performers of the Week....
Apr 09, 2024•57 min•Ep. 312
Niagara loses another draft lottery while the Guelph Storm lose a key player to suspension for four playoff games. Plus, Dan and Mike dive into the email Inbox and keep their commitment to respond to everything, good or bad. They've also got a list of some names to listen for in the upcoming OHL draft and a look at the first weekend of playoff action, which features a statement by Sudbury and some surprisingly strong play by Barrie.
Apr 02, 2024•52 min•Ep. 311
After a solid season in the discipline and reaction-time department, the OHL blew all of its goodwill out of the water with a frustratingly inconsistent final few weeks. Dan and Mike have some hopes for the off-season ahead when it comes to improvements to how the league dispenses justice and how it supports its officiating teams. Plus, increasing competition for the top 16-year old prospects should be turning heads at the league offices and the guys stick out their necks with some playoff predi...
Mar 26, 2024•55 min•Ep. 310
From small town Ontario to OHL captain, where his time with the Kitchener Rangers is still marked by a disappointing playoff loss to the Peterborough Petes. Though drafted by the New York Rangers, Larry Huras really made his mark in Europe, where he's a multi-time European champion. The so-called "hockey lifer" is still in the game as he shares his coaching knowledge with the next generation. With six decades in the game, Huras has a ton of stories and has crossed paths with some of the best in ...
Mar 22, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 309
With a red-hot Eastern Conference team and playoff races coming down to the wire, there's a lot to love in the OHL right now. Unfortunately, the OHL's own mess off the ice is the big story of the week and Dan and Mike dive into the terrible precedent that's been set by the league walking back its bounty suspensions. On the ice, it's all about Oshawa and how they've created some separation in a crowded Eastern Conference. Plus, Saginaw stumbles out of first, the OAs that deserve a closer look, re...
Mar 19, 2024•55 min•Ep. 308
The investigation is complete and the punishment is severe after a bounty scandal in the Ontario Hockey League. Dan and Mike think the league sent an important message with the ruling, though, and they wonder about the impact on the Wolves' playoff hopes. Plus, London makes it five division titles in a row, the Otters return to the post-season after a seven-year absence (sort of), Guelph gets screwed by the bonus point, there are nits to pick, fantastic finishes ahead, and Prospects of the Week....
Mar 12, 2024•49 min•Ep. 307
The Kitchener Rangers celebrated the 1982 Memorial Cup team last week and more than a dozen players from the franchise's first championship showed up. For some, it was their first time back inside the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium since they played in the arena more than 40 years ago. The Aud has undergone a couple of significant renovations since 1982 but the building still brought back a lot of memories for the players, who share some of those memories with us. We tried to talk to as many of t...
Mar 08, 2024•24 min•Ep. 306
