OHL Priority Selection History

The “midget draft” dates back to the late 1960’s, when it was held under the auspices of the OHA Junior “A” series as part of the Ontario Hockey Association’s annual meetings at the Royal York Hotel.

Over the years, the OHL Priority Selection was held at various locations in Toronto until 1981, when it was held at North York Centennial Arena for 10 years. It’s first time outside of Toronto was in 1991 when the Kitchener Rangers were the host. This year marked the return to an in-person format for the first time since the year 2000, with Slush Puppie Place in Kingston providing the backdrop for one of the biggest days on the OHL calendar.

The first overall pick is determined through a weighted lottery involving the four teams that finished at the bottom of the OHL standings. Once the top four picks have been determined through the lottery, the remainder of the draft order follows the reverse order of the regular-season standings.

In 2026, a total of 301 players were selected in the 15-round process from 88 different programs. The selected players included 171 forwards, 95 defencemen, and 35 goaltenders. A total of 289 of the players chosen were 2010-born athletes, while eight were born in 2009 and four were born in 2008.

The Oshawa Generals made the first overall pick after winning the 2026 OHL Priority Selection Draft Lottery, securing the top selection for the third time in franchise history. The Generals selected 2010-born forward Kane Cloutier of the Vaughan Kings to open the proceedings.

The Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) led the way with 84 selections. The Vaughan Kings and Toronto Marlboros topped the event list with 12 players each, followed by the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Don Mills Flyers with 10 apiece, while the Mississauga Senators and Markham Majors each had eight. The Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) followed with 57 selections, led by the Quinte Red Devils with seven, with the Credit River Capitals, Niagara North Stars, and York-Simcoe Express each adding six. The Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario (ALLIANCE) had 32 players selected, led by the London Jr. Knights with 10, followed by the Huron-Perth Lakers with eight and the Brantford 99ers with six. Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO) saw 19 players chosen, led by the Eastern Ontario Wild with six and the Ottawa Valley Titans with five. The Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA) had four players selected, led by the Sudbury Wolves, who had three.

An additional 21 players were selected from Canadian prep and academy programs, led by Upper Canada College with nine and Hill Academy with eight, while two prospects were chosen from Ontario-based junior teams. One player spent last season with a Canadian out-of-province AAA program.

A total of 81 players were chosen from American-based teams, equalling last year’s event record. Detroit Little Caesars led the way with 11 selections. Detroit HoneyBaked and Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep followed with seven, while the Woodbridge Wolfpack had six.

Pre-1998 OHL Priority Selection Historical Results:
Results from 1998 to present can be found here.

1997 OHL Priority Selection Results

1996 OHL Priority Selection Results

1995 OHL Priority Selection Results

1994 OHL Priority Selection Results

1993 OHL Priority Selection Results

1992 OHL Priority Selection Results

1991 OHL Priority Selection Results

Historical Draft Media Guides:

2026 OHL Priority Selection Preview and Media Guide

2025 OHL Priority Selection Preview and Media Guide

2024 OHL Priority Selection Preview and Media Guide