Latest news with #SaginawSpirit
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
No. 2 Pick Michael Misa Names Islanders Prospect As His Toughest Matchup
On July 27, the San Jose Sharks selected Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa with the second overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
No. 2 Pick Michael Misa Names Islanders Prospect As His Toughest Matchup
On July 27, the San Jose Sharks selected Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa with the second overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft.
Associated Press
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Top NHL draft prospect Michael Misa welcomes the chance to put his new team first
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Misa has already demonstrated during his brief career that he is quite willing to put his team first, which isn't a test that has been given to many players good enough to be top picks in the NHL draft. Misa is squarely under the spotlight this week as perhaps the best forward available, and he is eager to show his next club just what he will to do to be successful. The Oakville, Ontario, native will be one of the first players selected in the newly decentralized NHL draft in Los Angeles on Friday. When he walks up to accept his new sweater, Misa will be thinking about the steps he took to reach that stage. 'Everybody knows it's an exciting moment, but I'm glad I'll finally get the chance to experience it myself,' Misa said. 'For me, it's one step at a time. I've got to worry about getting drafted, getting better in the summer, training camp and then ultimately shift my focus to the NHL, if I do get the chance to play next year.' Misa burnished his reputation as an elite offensive force in the past year while scoring 134 points with 62 goals in just 65 games for the OHL's Saginaw Spirit. It was the league's best offensive season by an under-18 player since 2007, but it was even more impressive because Misa was able to demonstrate his full potential as a playmaking center. Misa entered the OHL at just 15 years old, becoming the eighth player in league history to receive exceptional player status, and was chosen first overall by Saginaw in the 2022 draft. When the Spirit asked him to play on the wing for a veteran-laden team while getting a bit less ice time, the natural center willingly made the move. He then played a major role while Saginaw won the Memorial Cup in 2024. 'That's hockey sometimes,' Misa said. 'I mean, that year overall was fun. We did win a lot of stuff. So just being a part of that team was something special for me. I did definitely play a little bit of a depth role that year, but I think just trying to improve my game and find ways to help my team win.' He led all three major junior leagues in scoring last season as the Spirit's captain. The last 17-year-old to achieve Misa's numbers in the OHL was John Tavares, who famously went No. 1 overall to the New York Islanders in 2009. The Isles have the top pick again this year, but are expected to select Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer . Misa also made some progress off the ice by growing a couple of inches. He measured in at 6-foot-1 at the draft combine, alleviating some concerns about his size. Frondell's future While Misa's thoughts shifted away from the draft to an imminent round of golf at Pacific Palisades' famed Riviera Country Club for all of the top prospects later Thursday, his possible competition for the honor of being drafted No. 2 was simply trying to stay awake. Anton Frondell, the Swedish center with a spectacular shot, was fighting a wicked case of jet lag after flying in Wednesday from Stockholm. He has risen up draft boards with his play for Djurgården alongside fellow top draft prospect Victor Eklund. 'I haven't seen much of LA,' Frondell said with a grin. 'I got here and fell asleep, and then I ate breakfast.' Thinking teal San Jose holds the No. 2 overall pick, and Misa loves the prospect of reuniting with Igor Chernyshov, his teammate in Saginaw last season and the Sharks' second-round pick a year ago. Misa chuckles when thinking about Chernyshov, who mostly communicated by laughing at things. 'He's one of the best players I've ever played with,' Misa said. 'He didn't even speak English, so it was pretty impressive how we found each other out there.' Braden Haché, another Saginaw teammate now in the Sharks' system, has been blowing up Misa's phone about a reunion. 'It would be a dream,' Misa said. 'Such a great organization. Some of the players you have there already, and their young core coming up, it's pretty cool to see what the organization will look like down the line.' '23 and me? The Blackhawks have the No. 3 choice, and some Chicago fans are hoping for a repeat of the scenario from the 2023 draft, when a California team fell in love with a Swedish center and chose him over a Canadian forward previously expected to be the No. 2 pick. That year, Connor Bedard went No. 1 to the Blackhawks, Leo Carlsson went second to Anaheim and Adam Fantilli went third to Columbus. It's too early to tell whether the Ducks' gamble paid off, but both Carlsson and Fantilli quickly cracked their clubs' NHL rosters and became productive players who have posted fairly similar statistics in their first two seasons. Misa and Bedard together? However it goes, Misa hopes to play in the NHL next season, while Frondell is likely to return to Djurgården for another year. Still, no prospect in the current draft class is an absolute lock to be in the show in October. Misa said he'll do what his new team believes is best. 'I'm just looking forward to the next step, but trying to appreciate this moment,' Misa said. 'It's an exciting time in our lives.' ___ AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow contributed. ___ AP NHL:
National Post
23-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Breaking down 32 of the top prospects for the 2025 NHL draft
The 2025 National Hockey League draft is upon us. Article content In a class headed by Erie Otters defenceman Matthew Schaefer, we take a look at 32 of the top prospects heading into the first round on Friday night. Rounds 2-7 will take place on Saturday. Players are listed with NHL central scouting's final ranking. Article content Article content Matthew Schaefer, D, Erie Otters (OHL) Article content The skinny: If the 6-foot-2, 185-pound native of Stoney Creek, Ont., isn't atop your mock draft, you've done it wrong. He's the consensus No. 1 pick, a can't-miss choice for the lottery-winning New York Islanders … Played in 17 games (putting up seven goals and 15 assists) with the Otters before suffering a broken collarbone with Canada at the world junior in Ottawa, an injury that ended his season … Elite skater who checks all of the above-average boxes … Turns 18 on Sept. 5. Article content Article content Michael Misa, C, Saginaw Spirit (OHL) Article content The skinny: In his third season after being granted exceptional status, the Oakville, Ont., native led all Canadian Hockey League players with 134 points (62 goals and 72 assists) … The 6-foot-1, 184-pound Spirit captain is dually driven by hockey IQ and an ability to finish … The 18-year-old is just as creative off the ice: He won the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL's scholastic player of the year (86% in Grade 12 university-level courses). Article content Article content The skinny: Steelheads captain brings equal parts power and playmaking to each shift … Had 98 points (37 goals and 61 assists) in 57 games … At 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, the Peterborough, Ont., native isn't easy to knock off the puck … At 18, earned valuable experience with two games for Canada at the world championship this past spring … Father Mike, a defenceman, played for Peterborough in the OHL and was a fourth-round pick by Buffalo in 1996. Article content The skinny: The native of Hauppauge, N.Y., on Long Island had a fine rookie season with the Eagles, putting up 37 points (11 goals and 26 assists) in 37 games. A year earlier, the 18-year-old led the U.S. national development team in scoring with 47 points in 26 games … At 5-foot-11, 186 pounds, he's not the biggest centre available, but he can beat you with skill and desire … Impactful for the U.S. in winning gold at the 2025 world junior.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
"A lot to prove to myself and the world": Michael Misa redefines what dominance looks like as 2025 NHL Draft's best forward prospect
Michael Misa (via Getty Images) Michael Misa, the dynamic Oakville, Ontario, forward, has become the most well-rounded offensive tool on the board going into the 2025 NHL Draft. Following a franchise-defying year with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League, in which he collected 134 points in only 65 games, Michael Misa is the top guy to take off the board as a forward. Saginaw Spirit's Michael Misa solidifies himself as 2025's most exciting NHL draft prospect Since the day Michael Misa received exceptional status to play in the OHL at only 15 years old, direct comparisons to legendary players Connor McDavid and John Tavares were made to him. That added pressure, though, hasn't slowed him down—it's just sped him up. His entry into the OHL was record-breaking. Michael Misa tallied 56 points in 45 games as a rookie, surpassing the points-per-game mark he posted as an underage player last season behind John Tavares. But it's his 2024-25 season that put him atop the scouting board. Posting 62 goals and 134 points—numbers no other draft-eligible OHL skater came within sight of—Michael Misa is being compared to the likes of Patrick Kane, whose draft season is the gold standard for junior offense. Is Michael Misa an obvious pick for Sharks at No. 2 overall? In contrast to most young stars, Misa's scoring outburst was not the product of flashy remodeling of his game. Rather, he doubled down on polish, developing shot control at the expense of raw power, returning to his natural center position, and enhancing his defensive effort. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Costco Shoppers Say This Wrinkle Cream Is "Actually Worth It" The Skincare Magazine Undo The end product? A 59-point jump from the year before and an obvious maturation into a two-way player. 2025 OHL Awards Ceremony: Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit) 'Coming into this year, I think I had a lot to prove to myself and to the world,' Misa said at the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo earlier in June. 'I really just tried to leave everything on the ice and walk out of here with no regrets.' Also read: Chicago Blackhawks trying to steal No. 1 pick in Michael Misa draft bombshell Whether through his deceptive shot release, dynamic skating mechanics, or capacity to dictate tempo, Misa's game is constructed for sustained NHL impact, and he's well on his way to being a top-line NHL center before too long. Whether or not the New York Islanders make him the No. 1 overall pick, Misa's NHL debut seems less of an if and more of a when.
