The Ontario Hockey League revealed that a record 268 of its graduates earned scholarships for the 2025‑26 academic year, underscoring the league’s commitment to education beyond the rink. Since 2010, member teams have contributed more than $42 million to the program, enabling players to pursue post‑secondary studies at institutions worldwide.
Academic Excellence Recognized
The scholarships are available to every OHL player who enrolls in an undergraduate degree or career‑advancement program. In Canada, 193 recipients are attending universities, while 19 are studying at Ontario‑based colleges such as Fanshawe, Humber, Lambton, Loyalist and St. Lawrence College, each of which contributed two alumni to the cohort.
Among the top academic performers, Levi Harper captured the Bobby Smith Trophy as Scholastic Player of the Year with a 93.2 percent average, Brad Gardiner earned the Roger Neilson Memorial Award as the OHL’s Top Academic Post‑Secondary Student with a 90 percent average, and Mark Pape was named winner of the Ivan Tennant Memorial Award as the League’s Top Academic High School Student with a 98.8 percent average.
The financial impact extends beyond the classroom: OHL member teams invested over $530,000 in scholarships for current players during the 2025‑26 season, adding to the cumulative $42 million contributed since 2010. Moreover, 148 alumni are competing in U SPORTS men’s hockey and 78 are on NCAA Division I rosters, illustrating a seamless transition from junior hockey to elite competition.
The league’s academic push is embedded in its structure, as every OHL player remains eligible for scholarship support, and the organization continues to partner with institutions worldwide. As part of the Canadian Hockey League, the OHL is the world’s largest development hockey league, comprising 61 teams that nurture talent for the next generation of players.