It's not too early to look at next year's draft, is it? In this Draft Preview sneak peek at the 2025 NHL draft, Michael Misa is projected to be one of the top picks.
The prospect world loves a phenom, particularly if that player is given exceptional status to join major junior a year early. But getting there is just the beginning. Once you’ve suited up, the real work begins.
Left winger Michael Misa put his name on the map at the 2022 OHL Cup, when he broke Connor McDavid’s tournament scoring record as a member of the champion U-16 Mississauga Senators. That’s when the hype train really started chugging, and not long after, Misa was granted exceptional status to enter the OHL a year early. The Saginaw Spirit had the No. 1 pick in the draft and happily snapped up the young talent.
While Misa made hockey look easy in the OHL Cup, the OHL itself was obviously going to be a bigger challenge. Luckily, the Spirit were in a teaching mood for his rookie campaign.
“When you get players that young, the No. 1 thing is to eliminate some of the habits they had in minor hockey,” said coach Chris Lazary. “So, for example, if he’s off the rush, stop trying to attack sticks. Learn how to, inside of a team structure, use your skills to set up an entry. Little things like that. Because the players here are a lot better and a lot older, some of the things you’ve been successful with are going to have to change so you’re not wasting shifts by turning pucks over.”
The bigger, stronger competition also changes the on-ice calculus for a young player, and Misa got to see firsthand how hard you have to compete for 50-50 pucks in the OHL and the commitment it takes to get into scoring areas and the front of the net in the offensive zone.
“We just tried to drill it into his head that it’s a lot harder at this level,” Lazary said. “Mike’s such a good kid. He’s eager to learn and has a desire to be the best, so he eats that up and tries to put it in his game.”
Misa admitted he had a lot of nerves heading into that first hyped-up training camp, but he also had great support from the Spirit staff and his teammates. There was still a learning curve, of course.
“You notice the speed the first few games,” said Misa, 17. “It’s not even close to minor hockey, so it’s getting used to where you have to be at certain times. And the physicality. Everyone’s big out there, so being able to avoid hits and make plays under pressure is something you have to get used to.”
Nonetheless, Misa had a successful rookie campaign in 2022-23, tying for the lead in team scoring with 56 points in 45 games (he missed time due to injury and while playing for Canada Red at the World Under-17 Challenge).
The acid test truly came in the first round of the playoffs, however, with Saginaw taking on its Michigan rival, the Flint Firebirds. It was an intense series and not meant for wallflowers.
“It was my first taste of playoff hockey, and that first game was a wake-up call,” Misa said. “Everyone was throwing their bodies around, and I had to adjust my game even further. It was a fun series, and I’m glad we won in Game 7.”
This is an excerpt from Ryan Kennedy’s' deep-dive major feature in THN's Draft Preview special edition, where he ranked Misa as the No. 3-projected player in 2025. You'll be hearing much more about Misa and players like James Hagens and Porter Martone between now and next year's draft, and THN's prospect experts will have their fingers on the pulse of the drafting and development hockey community and bring you the latest information on everyone involved.
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