The 2023–24 OHL season was the 44th season of operation (43rd season of play) of the Ontario Hockey League. The league played a 68-game regular season which began on September 28, 2023 and concluded on March 24, 2024. The post-season began on March 28, 2024 and concluded on May 15, 2024.
The London Knights won the J. Ross Robertson Cup and represented the Ontario Hockey League at the 2024 Memorial Cup. The Saginaw Spirit hosted 2024 Memorial Cup, which was held at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan. Saginaw and London faced each other in the Memorial Cup Final, with Saginaw winning 4–3 to win their first Memorial Cup in franchise history, as well as becoming only the third American team to win the Memorial Cup.
Off-season Relocation On February 7, 2023, the Hamilton Bulldogs announced that the club would be moving to Brantford, Ontario, for three seasons due to renovations and the long-term closure of First Ontario Centre beginning this season. The team also announced that the team would be known as the Brantford Bulldogs and play at the Brantford Civic Centre.
Pre-season On July 7, 2023, the OHL announced the preseason schedule for the 2023–24 season. In total, there were 48 preseason games which began on September 1 and concluded on September 23.
Neutral site games were played in Ayr, Beamsville, Cornwall, Hanover, Millbrook, Norwood, Ohsweken, Port Hope and St. Thomas.
OHL training camps began in late August in preparation of the 2023-24 season, which began on September 28, 2023.
Regular season Relocation On January 31, 2024, the Mississauga Steelheads announced plans for the club to relocate to Brampton, Ontario for the 2024-25 OHL season. The relocated team will play at the CAA Centre and is now known as the Brampton Steelheads. Previously, Brampton hosted the Brampton Battalion in the OHL from 1998-2013 until the franchise relocated to North Bay, Ontario.
On June 13, 2024, the OHL Board of Governors approved the relocation and officially announced the team will be known as the Brampton Steelheads.
Final standings Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title Standings as of March 24, 2024 Eastern conference Rank Team 1 z-Oshawa Generals East 68 40 19 7 2 89 39 273 204 2 y-North Bay Battalion Central 68 39 20 7 2 87 39 300 240 3 x-Brantford Bulldogs East 68 37 20 9 2 85 36 267 243 4 x-Mississauga Steelheads Central 68 38 22 8 0 84 37 248 212 5 x-Sudbury Wolves Central 68 38 23 4 3 83 37 328 272 6 x-Ottawa 67's East 68 36 24 6 2 80 35 253 228 7 x-Kingston Frontenacs East 68 33 31 4 0 70 32 247 272 8 x-Barrie Colts Central 68 28 36 4 0 60 23 234 283 9 Peterborough Petes East 68 20 40 7 1 48 19 183 296 10 Niagara IceDogs Central 68 17 43 6 2 42 17 193 323
Western conference Rank Team 1 z-London Knights Midwest 68 50 14 1 3 104 48 322 197 2 y-Saginaw Spirit West 68 50 16 1 1 102 50 303 215 3 x-Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds West 68 45 18 3 2 95 42 286 215 4 x-Kitchener Rangers Midwest 68 41 23 4 0 86 41 290 225 5 x-Erie Otters Midwest 68 33 28 5 2 73 30 254 270 6 x-Guelph Storm Midwest 68 33 28 6 1 73 30 210 225 7 x-Owen Sound Attack Midwest 68 29 30 6 3 67 28 246 274 8 x-Flint Firebirds West 68 30 33 4 1 65 28 232 274 9 Sarnia Sting West 68 25 39 3 1 54 21 204 292 10 Windsor Spitfires West 68 18 42 5 3 44 17 247 360
Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team David GoyetteSudbury Wolves 68 40 77 117 29Anthony RomaniNorth Bay Battalion 68 58 53 111 20Dalyn WakelyNorth Bay Battalion 66 39 65 104 71Quentin MustySudbury Wolves 53 43 59 102 66Denver BarkeyLondon Knights 64 35 67 102 28Deni GoureOwen Sound Attack 68 36 60 96 30Easton CowanLondon Knights 54 34 62 96 64Zayne ParekhSaginaw Spirit 66 33 63 96 64Carson RehkopfKitchener Rangers 60 52 43 95 45Hunter BrzustewiczKitchener Rangers 67 13 79 92 24
Leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
Player Team Michael SimpsonLondon Knights 48 2776 34 10 1 1 121 4 0.905 2.61Jacob OsterOshawa Generals 60 3569 35 16 7 1 168 3 0.905 2.82Andrew OkeSaginaw Spirit 41 2282 29 10 1 0 110 2 0.890 2.89Jackson ParsonsKitchener Rangers 51 2906 27 18 2 0 145 4 0.897 2.99Collin MacKenzieOttawa 67's 31 1690 14 11 2 1 86 1 0.901 3.05
Attendance
TeamArenaHome GamesAvg. AttendanceCapacityCap. PercentageLondon Knights Budweiser Gardens 34 9,035 9,036 100.0%Kitchener Rangers Kitchener Memorial Auditorium 34 6,492 7,131 91.0%Oshawa Generals Tribute Communities Centre 34 5,109 5,180 98.6%Guelph Storm Sleeman Centre 34 4,704 4,715 99.8%Windsor Spitfires WFCU Centre 34 4,610 6,450 71.5%Ottawa 67's TD Place Arena 34 4,213 9,500 44.3%Sarnia Sting Progressive Auto Sales Arena 34 4,039 4,118 98.1%Erie Otters Erie Insurance Arena 34 3,987 6,716 59.3%Niagara IceDogs Meridian Centre 34 3,878 5,300 73.2%Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds GFL Memorial Gardens 34 3,855 4,928 78.2%Sudbury Wolves Sudbury Community Arena 34 3,824 4,640 82.4%Saginaw Spirit Dow Event Center 34 3,688 5,527 66.7%Barrie Colts Sadlon Arena 34 3,673 4,195 87.6%Peterborough Petes Peterborough Memorial Centre 34 3,522 3,729 94.4%Kingston Frontenacs Slush Puppie Place 34 3,319 5,614 59.1%Flint Firebirds Dort Financial Center 34 3,124 4,365 71.6%Brantford Bulldogs Brantford Civic Centre 34 3,109 2,952 105.3%North Bay Battalion North Bay Memorial Gardens 34 2,870 4,262 67.3%Owen Sound Attack Bayshore Community Centre 34 2,722 3,500 77.8%Mississauga Steelheads Paramount Fine Foods Centre 34 2,431 5,612 43.3%
Playoffs
Conference quarterfinals Eastern conference quarterfinals (1) Oshawa Generals vs. (8) Barrie Colts
(2) North Bay Battalion vs. (7) Kingston Frontenacs
(3) Brantford Bulldogs vs. (6) Ottawa 67's
(4) Mississauga Steelheads vs. (5) Sudbury Wolves
Western conference quarterfinals (1) London Knights vs. (8) Flint Firebirds
(2) Saginaw Spirit vs. (7) Owen Sound Attack
(3) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (6) Guelph Storm
(4) Kitchener Rangers vs. (5) Erie Otters
Conference semifinals Eastern conference semifinals (1) Oshawa Generals vs. (6) Ottawa 67's
(2) North Bay Battalion vs. (5) Sudbury Wolves
Western conference semifinals (1) London Knights vs. (4) Kitchener Rangers
(2) Saginaw Spirit vs. (3) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Conference finals Eastern conference finals (1) Oshawa Generals vs. (2) North Bay Battalion
Western conference finals (1) London Knights vs. (2) Saginaw Spirit
J. Ross Robertson Cup finals
(W1) London Knights vs. (E1) Oshawa Generals
J. Ross Robertson Cup Champions Roster 2023-24 London Knights Goaltenders
Defencemen
Wingers
Centres
Coach: Dale Hunter General Manager: Mark Hunter
Playoff scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team Easton CowanLondon Knights 18 10 24 34 18Calum RitchieOshawa Generals 21 8 22 30 16Sandis VilmanisNorth Bay Battalion 16 10 17 27 4Denver BarkeyLondon Knights 18 6 21 27 16Kasper HalttunenLondon Knights 18 17 9 26 14Dylan RoobroeckOshawa Generals 21 11 15 26 28Dalyn WakelyNorth Bay Battalion 16 13 10 23 18Beckett SenneckeOshawa Generals 16 10 12 22 21Max McCueLondon Knights 18 3 19 22 20Owen Van SteenselNorth Bay Battalion 16 7 13 20 21
Playoff leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
Player Team Andrew OkeSaginaw Spirit 6 329 5 0 10 1 0.938 1.83Charlie SchenkelSault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 11 634 6 4 25 2 0.913 2.36Sam HillebrandtBarrie Colts 5 315 2 3 13 1 0.938 2.48Michael SimpsonLondon Knights 18 1043 15 2 45 1 0.908 2.59Mike McIvorNorth Bay Battalion 15 919 10 5 41 1 0.914 2.68
Awards Playoffs trophies Trophy name Recipient Ref J. Ross Robertson Cup London Knights Bobby Orr Trophy Oshawa Generals Wayne Gretzky Trophy London Knights Wayne Gretzky 99 Award Easton Cowan Regular season — Team trophies Trophy name Recipient Ref Hamilton Spectator Trophy London Knights Leyden Trophy Oshawa Generals Emms Trophy North Bay Battalion Bumbacco Trophy Saginaw Spirit Holody Trophy London Knights Regular season — Executive awards Trophy name Recipient Ref Matt Leyden Trophy Derek Laxdal Jim Gregory Award Adam Dennis OHL Executive of the Year – Regular season — Player awards Trophy name Recipient Ref Red Tilson Trophy Easton Cowan Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy David Goyette Dave Pinkney Trophy Michael Simpson & Owen Willmore Max Kaminsky Trophy Zayne Parekh Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy David Goyette Emms Family Award Jake O'Brien William Hanley Trophy Jett Luchanko F. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy Jack Ivankovic Bobby Smith Trophy Carter George Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy Matthew Sop Jim Rutherford Trophy Jacob Oster Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy Mason Vaccari Roger Neilson Memorial Award Thomas Sirman Ivan Tennant Memorial Award Carter George Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy Braden Haché Prospect player awards Trophy name Recipient Ref Jack Ferguson Award Ethan Belchetz Tim Adams Memorial Trophy Ethan Belchetz
All-Star teams The OHL All-Star and All-Rookie Teams were selected by the OHL's general managers.
First team Dalibor Dvorský, Centre, Sudbury Wolves Quentin Musty, Left Wing, Sudbury Wolves Easton Cowan, Right Wing, London Knights Zayne Parekh, Defence, Saginaw Spirit Oliver Bonk, Defence, London Knights Jacob Oster, Goaltender, Oshawa Generals Derek Laxdal, Coach, Oshawa Generals
Second team Calum Ritchie, Centre, Oshawa Generals Denver Barkey, Left Wing, London Knights Anthony Romani, Right Wing, North Bay Battalion Hunter Brzustewicz, Defence, Kitchener Rangers Sam Dickinson, Defence, London Knights Michael Simpson, Goaltender, London Knights Dale Hunter, Coach, London Knights
Third team Owen Beck, Centre, Peterborough Petes/Saginaw Spirit Liam Greentree, Left Wing, Windsor Spitfires David Goyette, Right Wing, Sudbury Wolves Ty Nelson, Defence, North Bay Battalion Michael Buchinger, Defence, Guelph Storm Carter George, Goaltender, Owen Sound Attack Ryan Oulahen, Coach, North Bay Battalion
First All-Rookie team Jake O'Brien, Centre, Brantford Bulldogs Ryan Roobroeck, Left Wing, Niagara IceDogs Travis Hayes, Right Wing, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Matthew Schaefer, Defence, Erie Otters Cameron Reid, Defence, Kitchener Rangers Carter George, Goaltender, Owen Sound Attack
Second All-Rookie team Sam O'Reilly, Centre, London Knights Cole Davis, Left Wing, Windsor Spitfires Tanner Lam, Right Wing, Kitchener Rangers Jakub Fibigr, Defence, Mississauga Steelheads Carson Cameron, Defence, Peterborough Petes Jack Ivankovic, Goaltender, Mississauga Steelheads
2024 OHL Priority Selection On March 27, 2024, the league announced the results of the Ontario Hockey League Priory Selection Lottery. Each of the four non-playoff participated in the lottery, as the 20th place Niagara IceDogs had a 40% chance of winning, the 19th place Windsor Spitfires had a 30% chance of winning, the 18th place Peterborough Petes had a 20% chance of winning, and the 17th place Sarnia Sting had a 10% chance of winning. The Windsor Spitfires won the lottery and selected first overall and selected Ethan Belchetz from the Oakville Rangers with their selection. The entirety of the OHL Priority Selection Draft took place over two days, as rounds 1-3 took on April 12, while rounds 4-15 was on April 13.
These are the results for the first round of the draft: