Prospect Watch: OHL's Return To Cornwall Provides Early Look At What Expansion Can Bring

The OHL played a pair of games in Cornwall on the weekend, with the Brampton Steelheads facing off against the Ottawa 67's and Kingston Frontenacs in a neutral-location showcase event.

Attendance was decent, considering the locals didn't have any emotional attachment to the teams, but it was also a homecoming for the OHL.

"It was a really good first event," said OHL commissioner Bryan Crawford. "The community certainly responded really well - it was amazing to see how prominent and embedded the Cornwall Royals brand is in that community."

Indeed, the old Royals played in major junior for years, first in the QMJHL (Cornwall is close to the provincial border) and then in the OHL before moving to Newmarket and eventually becoming the Sarnia Sting. Royals alumni include titans such as Dale Hawerchuk and Doug Gilmour.

When the announcement was first teased, I assumed Cornwall was getting an expansion team. So were these two games a trial run?

"Everyone points to expansion, but that wasn't the crux of it at all," Crawford said. "We were trying to grow the OHL in ways that you see other leagues have done: The NFL going to Europe, for example."

Eastern Ontario was perfect for this idea. Which is not to say that expansion is off the table.

"We've been very forthright in our interests and intentions on expanding the league," Crawford said. "Part of where that comes from is A) we have the demand in the player pipeline - we have added hundreds of players to the league in the past two seasons that have come from other places (thanks to the new NCAA eligibility rules) and allowed the overall quality of play to continue to improve from what was already the best in the world."

"The fact we could see adding teams and maintaining that high level of play was, call it 'Step 1.' Step 2 of it is that there are a number of markets in Ontario and south of the border that could be viable major junior markets and it's different from what it may have been 20 or 30 years ago."

"Halton region, York region, are dramatically different. Cornwall, too. The demographics have changed, the employment and commercial base has changed. Chatham-Kent would be another."

Most crucial for any potential expansion market is an appropriate major junior arena. Cornwall has one, though Crawford noted that long-term upgrades would be needed. Other markets would need to build one from scratch, which is a significant capital investment for a community.

And what about the expansion fee?

"Not a number we've established yet," Crawford said. "But it would certainly be in the same range as the valuations of the other teams in the league."

Based on what I've been told by other sources, that number would be between $20-30 million.

The University of Minnesota got a crucial win on Thursday night, beating No. 3 North Dakota 4-2 in the first of two games. The Golden Gophers got off to a rough 0-3-1 start after finishing with just 11 wins last season, so getting a victory over the Fighting Hawks could do wonders for the team's confidence.

Of note, it was the first game for freshman defenseman Tarin Smith (ANA), who came over to the Gophers after a distinguished career with WHL Everett that included a league championship last year, when he served as captain. Smith missed Minnesota's first four games with an injury.

Speaking of the 'Dub,' one of the most important players to watch for the 2027 NHL draft is Seattle Thunderbirds center Brock England. He's one of the best skaters in the class and has some sick hands, as well. At 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, he doesn't necessarily have ideal size, but his speed is a pretty good equalizer.

England got off to a slow start offensively, though he does have four points in his past three games. He's also a team-worst minus-7 after his T-Birds got blitzed by Regina the other night. England was one of the first players announced for the CHL's roster in the upcoming series against USA Hockey's NTDP, so expectations are high. 

Seattle has a tough road trip ahead, including games against Brandon and Swift Current, the top two teams in the East Division. It'll be a great test for England and his mates.

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