Since the current Memorial Cup format was introduced in 1983, no league has won the CHL title more than three years in a row.
The OHL hopes to change that this season.
The Guelph Storm host this year's four-team championship tournament and figure to be a strong contender for the Cup after wins by the host Saginaw Spirit in 2024, the London Knights in 2025 and the Kitchener Rangers this year.
But one of the Storm's division rivals, the Knights, might be the team to beat in the league. They'll be going all out to win the OHL championship for the third time in four years to secure the league's Memorial Cup spot.
The QMJHL did win four Memorial Cups in a row from 2018 to '23, but that comes with an asterisk as the tournament wasn't held in 2020 and '21 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The OHL is the first CHL league to start its regular season with the Peterborough Petes hosting the Kingston Frontenacs in the lone game Thursday night.
Here's a look at key storylines heading into the season.
Midwest battle
With the Storm and Knights both playing in the Midwest Division, the great news for hockey fans is that the two clubs will square off six times in the regular season.
Since being awarded the Memorial Cup hosting rights late last year, the Storm have been reshaping their roster in an effort to peak come tournament time.
The Storm got a big boost in the CHL Import Draft by selecting Slovakian forward Timothy Kazda, who was the MVP of this year's world under-18 championship. Fellow 2027 NHL Draft-eligible forward Jaakko Wycisk is coming off a promising rookie season (17 goals, 26 assists) in 60 games.
The Storm also acquired Toronto Maple Leafs prospect forward Tyler Hopkins from the Kingston Frontenacs last season. This off-season, they added Tampa Bay Lightning prospect forward Ethan Czata and Chicago Blackhawks prospect forward Ryan Roobroeck from the Niagara IceDogs, New York Islanders prospect defenceman Vladimir Dravecky from the Brantford Bulldogs and top goalie Ben Hrebik, who led the Barrie Colts to the OHL final.
The Knights counter with three of the likely four 2026 first-round NHL picks to be playing in the OHL this season — forwards Jaxon Cover (Ottawa Senators) and Marcus Nordmark (London Knights) and six-foot-eight defenceman Maksim Sokolovskii. Cover, who grew up playing roller hockey in the Cayman Islands, had seven points in two games for Ottawa at the Prospect Challenge tournament last weekend.
London also added 2027 NHL first-round prospect Luca Santala of Finland in the Import Draft.
In net, the Knights have Vancouver Canucks second-round pick Aleksei Medvedev.
Bulldogs shuffle deck
After a powerhouse team fell short in the Eastern Conference final last year, the Zach Hyman-owned Brantford Bulldogs retooled and should be an interesting team to watch this season.
With head coach Jay McKee moving up to the AHL to coach the nearby Hamilton Hammers (the New York Islanders' affiliate), the Bulldogs hired a familiar name — Michael Babcock, son of Mike Babcock, who just happens to be the new coach of Hyman's Edmonton Oilers.
Bulldogs GM Spencer Hyman, brother of Zach, swung a big off-season deal to acquire 2025 OHL Draft first-overall pick Kaden McGregor from the Peterborough Petes and continued to recruit hard from the USHL.
Wolves go all in on youth
In one of those crazy junior-hockey deals that fans love, the Sudbury Wolves shipped a whopping 15 draft picks to the Brampton Steelheads to acquire 2026 third-overall OHL pick Tanner Adams.
Adams, who grew up in Northern Ontario, didn't report to Brampton and made it known he wanted to play in Sudbury. The Steelheads also got two more compensatory picks in the deal for 17(!) overall.
Adams now joins fifth-overall pick Kash Kwajah for a potential dynamic duo up front.
The Wolves also have Senators third-round pick Adam Nemec, who had 35 points in 31 games after joining the Wolves mid-season following a standout performance with Slovakia at the world junior championship. Nemec is the brother of Calgary Flames defenceman Simon Nemec.
The Wolves' Northern Ontario rivalry with the Soo Greyhounds should heat up. Drew Bannister returns to coach the Greyhounds after 76 games coaching the St. Louis Blues, while the team added winger Trevor Daley Jr., son of former Greyhounds great Trevor Daley, from the U.S. National Development Team Program.
Spirit have top prospects
The Saginaw Spirit have proven to be one of the better organizations for developing NHL talent in recent years.
They look to have a couple of top prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft.
Winger Dima Zhilkin is a gritty force, while defenceman Levi Harper also should be in the first-round mix.
The Spirit have a pair of NHLdrafted goalies on the roster, too — Brady Knowling (San Jose Sharks) and Stepan Shurgyin (Tampa Bay Lightning).
Generals aim to rise
After a rebuilding year last season following two trips to the OHL final, the Oshawa Generals should be a much more interesting squad this season.
The team picked forward Kane Cloutier, son of ex-NHL goaltender Dan Cloutier, first overall in the OHL Draft.
The Generals also return towering Canucks second-round pick Brooks Rogowski and 2027 draft-eligible Sam Roberts, son of Gary Roberts.
Speaking of sons of ex-Leafs in the East Division looking to raise eyebrows for the NHL Draft, Kingston returns forward Aleks Kulemin (whose father is Nikolay).
