At this time last year, it felt like Michael Misa was going to run away with the OHL MVP race. He had some solid competition behind him in Bulldogs forward Nick Lardis, who was scoring at a torrid rate. But the former Saginaw Spirit forward came up on top, taking home the Red Tilson Trophy for the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player. 

As we are at the Christmas break in the OHL’s 2025-26 season, the MVP race at the halfway mark is as tight as it has been in years. There’s a frontrunner who plays in Flint, but his lead isn’t as large as Misa’s was. And with goaltending being the best it’s been in years as well, could we see a netminder take home the MVP trophy?

Nathan Aspinall - Flint Firebirds

Firebirds captain Nathan Aspinall became the first player in the OHL to reach the 50-point mark. As of Dec. 26, he has a three-point lead over Sudbury’s Kieron Walton for the league lead in scoring. He’s also second in goals, trailing Brantford’s Marek Vanacker by just four goals.

What’s even more impressive is that he isn’t relying on the power play to produce. Only nine of his 51 points have come on the man advantage. In fact, his 20 even-strength goals are tops in the league. And he’s scored the game’s opening goal seven times, which is also the most in the OHL. 

The New York Rangers prospect finished last season tied for 93rd in league scoring with 47 points. Flint finished last year sixth in the Western Conference, with a win percentage below .500. They finished with 29 wins; the Firebirds are already at 24 in 35 games this season. Flint is first in the West and tied with Ottawa for first in the entire league. Their outstanding season owes much to Aspinall’s contributions. At this point in the season, I would say he has the inside track for MVP.

Ryder Fetterolf - Ottawa 67’s

We mentioned that Flint is tied with the 67’s for first in the OHL. Who do they have to thank for it? How about their phenomenal free agent signing between the pipes, Ryder Fetterolf?

The NHL draft-eligible netminder has been exceptional for Ottawa. Amongst OHL goalies, his 1.93 goals-against-average is first, his .928 save percentage is second, his 17 wins are tied for second, and his three shutouts are tied for first. Fetterolf has been named the OHL’s Rookie of the Week twice and was named the latest Goaltender of the Week. He’s slowly taking over the starting role in Ottawa.

The last goaltender to win the Red Tilson trophy was Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. In that award-winning season with Sudbury, the Finnish netminder’s 38 wins were tied with Stephen Dhillon for the most, his .920 save percentage was the best, and his 53 games played were tied for the fourth most. For Fetterolf to really be considered, he will need to firmly take over the number-one role in Ottawa down the stretch. Having fewer than 50 games played will hurt his case. 

Others?

There are a few other names that are also close in the race. The goalie tied with Fetterolf in shutouts and wins is Windsor’s Joey Costanzo. He should also receive recognition, especially since he’s the only other goalie with a goals-against-average below two. However, he has the benefit of playing in front of a stingier defense. Costanzo has averaged a lowly 22.4 shots against per game, compared to Fetterolf’s 27.2. Flint’s Mason Vaccari has also been fantastic. While his stats aren’t as high as Costanzo and Fetterolf's, he’s been a rockstar for the Firebirds, and he's on pace to have the games played to be in MVP consideration. 

What about Sudbury’s Kieron Walton? Who frankly carries his squad to victory on any night that ends in a win for the Wolves. He’s second in league scoring with 48 points, and his 1.71 points per game is tops. The dilemma with the Winnipeg Jets prospect is that he’s on a team that projects to miss the playoffs, at least for now. If he is moved before the trade deadline and keeps it up, then we could really see him challenge for MVP. 

Lastly, you have the Brantford Bulldogs players. I say players because it’s hard to narrow down to just one. Who has been the team’s MVP this season?

Vanacker, as mentioned, leads the league in goals, rookie Caleb Malhotra has been incredible and is top five for league scoring in his NHL draft-eligible season, and Adam Benak and Jake O’Brien lead the team in points-per-game. Since Benak is away at the World Juniors representing Czechia, O’Brien has the opportunity to carry the mantle, making up for some of the losses Brantford has had as of late. But if Vanacker continues to score at a goal-per-game rate, and the points leader at the end of the season is in the 100-110 range, could he be considered?

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