Continuing our "Fresh Faces" series, we have the Belleville Senators.

In this series, we'll be looking at the new prospects coming in on each team and even possibly vie for AHL Rookie of the Year or All-Rookie Team honours.

You can check out our previous teams in the series here:  Abbotsford Canucks, Bakersfield Condors

2025-26 season: Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

Draft Status: Undrafted 

Contract: One-Year AHL-only Contract (2026-27 season)

You better believe Ottawa found a jewel in undrafted free agency. As a 19-year-old, Mistelbacher broke out in the 2024–25 season with the Swift Current Broncos, racking up 93 points (42G, 51A) in 67 games. Despite being ranked by NHL Central Scouting at 72nd among North American skaters in the 2025 NHL Draft, teams passed on him. He was traded to the Brandon Wheat Kings for the 2025–26 season where he closed out his over-age junior career by scoring another blistering 88 points (42G, 46A) in 67 games. After going undrafted yet again in the 2026 Draft and now aged out of draft eligibility going forward due to being a 21-year-old by next year's draft, he was now able to directly sign to whichever team was interested in him. He did just that with Ottawa after impressing them in their Development Camp in July 2026 as an undrafted free agent invite. If his talents in the juniors transfer over to the American League, we are very well seeing an overwhelming favorite for AHL Rookie of the Year.

2025-26 season: Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

Draft Status: OTT 2024 RD 4, PK 104

 Contract: Three-Year Entry-Level Contract (starting 2026-27 season)

Residents of the city of Kitchener were almost robbed of seeing Ellinas out of action for the whole of last season. The 20-year-old was injured in a Nov. 21, 2025 game against of all teams, the junior team of his draft city: the Ottawa 67's and was out until May 1, 2026 to have surgery on a dislocated shoulder. The season before, while he did score just 37 points (20G, 17A) in 50 games, he broke out in the playoffs scoring 16 points (8G, 8A) in 14 games for the Rangers until they were swept by eventual OHL champions in the 2025 Conference Finals.

Going back to last season, Ellinas had scored three goals while producing 21 shots in six games before the injury and looked poised for another amazing year that left many wondering what could have been. But if he had any criticism of rustiness, he quickly shut it down by scoring the Rangers' first goal of the game in his return on May 1 in a Game Five win in the 2026 Conference Finals against the Windsor Spitfires that secured the team's place in the OHL Finals, which they would go on to win. The Kitchener alternate captain also opened the scoring in the 2026 Memorial Cup final which the Rangers would also win. This was a script of triumph after agony that not even Hollywood could not make up. But now, the American League comes calling and Ellinas has the opportunity to do some amazing things here.

2025-26 season: Linköping HC (SHL)

Draft Status: Undrafted 

Contract: One-Year Entry-Level Contract (2026-27 season)

Bakke Olsen is not the fieriest of scoring forwards Ottawa could have picked out of the SHL. The 24-year-old put up 32 points (11G, 21A) in 51 games. His miniscule 54 shots on goal deceitfully inflates his shooting percentage to 20.4. Where he has thrived on is the power play, scoring 14 points which is tied for 27th in the SHL. Eight of those points have come in the form of goals which is a remarkable feat considering that Bakke Olsen has had just 11 total shots on goals with the extra man. He can sharpen those skills in the AHL.

2025-26 season: Cornell University (ECAC)

Draft Status: OTT 2023 RD 4, PK 108 

Contract: Three-Year Entry-Level Contract (starting 2026-27 season)

The fourth-rounder out of the BCHL Victoria Grizzlies in the 2023 Draft took his talents to the NCAA circuit with Cornell University for the next three seasons even if it was in the weak ECAC conference. Stanley has improved every season throughout his time with the Big Red, concluding in his final 2025-26 season where he produced career-highs in goals (3), assists (12) and points (15). While you expect better numbers in a conference like the ECAC, you cannot deny he has the heart and determination to get better every year. He even played six games with Belleville last season, scoring his first professional goal against the Syracuse Crunch on March 17th. He will be hoping to do greater things with a full season at his disposal.

2025-26 season: Wisconsin (Big Ten)

Draft Status: OTT 2024 RD 4, PK 117 

Contract: Three-Year Entry-Level Contract (starting 2026-27 season)

While not listed above, it would be criminal not to mention that the year before Montgomery played his one and only season his Wisconsin, he played for the OHL London Knights with whom he won the 2025 OHL Championship and Memorial Cup where he had a handy contribution of 52 points (24G, 28A) in 56 games combined. However, his success didn't transfer upon playing for the Badgers where just put up 17 points (9G, 8A) in 38 games in a very competitive Big Ten conference. He is still 21 years old and managed to convince Ottawa to sign him to a three-year entry-level contract. He needs to make the most of his opportunity with Belleville.

2025-26 season: Barrie Colts (OHL) (originally drafted out of HV71 of Sweden U20 Nationell)

Draft Status: OTT 2023 RD 4, PK 108 

Contract: Three-Year Entry-Level Contract (starting 2026-27 season)

Towering at 6'7 and 213 lbs at just 19 years old, Elliason is not a scorer as evident by his single-digit stats but he makes up for it by bringing the pain. When he played for HV71 in the U20 Nationell in Sweden in the 2023-24 season, he ended the season being the most penalized player with 103 minutes. It worked out for him as he got drafted by the Sens in the fourth round in that summer's draft. Fast forward to the 2025-26 OHL season and he is once again the most penalized player in the league while playing for the Barrie Colts with 122 minutes. This time, his efforts earned him a three-year entry-level contract. He is about to light the American League up, that is for certain.

2025-26 season: Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

Draft Status: OTT 2024 RD 4, PK 104 

Contract: Three-Year Entry-Level Contract (starting 2026-27 season)

The year before Elliason, Andonovski led the OHL 2024-25 season in penalty minutes with132 while registering a rating of plus-10 in 65 games. The season before, he had registered another massive 124 penalty minutes but this time while recording a league-best rating of plus-58 in the same number of games. So over here, you don't just have a meathead, but a calculating and tactical meathead who put up legal hits and disrupts opposing offences and block shots. The fact that he has 21 points (6G, 12A) shows he can potentially transition and help out his offence. That is a perfect balance to Elliason.

2025-26 season: Penn State (Big Ten)

Draft Status: OTT 2022 RD 5, PK 151

Contract: Two-Year Entry-Level Contract (starting 2026-27 season)

Reidler came out of Penn State goalie unit where he played alongside Joshua Fleming, almost equally. Fleming played 20 games while Reidler played 18. Yet, the 21-year-old Reidler came out with more wins at 11, the fourth-most in the Big Ten conference. His overall record was at 11-7-0 with a Goals-Against-Average of 3.31 but a great save percentage of .901. Ottawa believed that merited a two-year entry-level contract and that's exactly what the young Swede got. Come this AHL season will be the time to kick it up a notch.

2024-25 season: Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

2025-26 season: Allen Americans (ECHL)

Draft Status: Undrafted 

Contract: Three-Year Entry-Level Contract (started in 2025-26)

Before signing a three-year entry-level contract with Ottawa starting in 2025-26, Parsons ended his OHL career with multiple awards not the least including CHL Goaltender of the Year and inclusion into the CHL First All-Star Team. The Embrun, ON native started his pro career for the Sens' ECHL affiliates, Allen Americans and produced solid performances including an overtime victory in his professional debut. After being called up to Belleville, Parsons looked like a veteran in his first three AHL games, getting a save percentage of over .900 in each of them including a 24-save shutout in his third game against the Toronto Marlies. But then in the eight games after, Parsons would give up 30 goals and would be sent back to the Allen Americans. In 22 games for the Americans, he produced a GAA and save percentage of 2.41 and 0.923 respectively while registering a 11-9-1 record. For Belleville, he had played 14 games and produced a GAA and a save percentage of 3.22 and 0.893 with a record of 6-5-1. With some professional hockey experience in his back pocket and still enlisted as a rookie, Parsons will be hoping for a turn-around year.  

The Calgary Wranglers' Fresh Faces article will be posted next on Saturday, 12 pm EDT/ 9 am PDT