In a game of inches, one misplay can mean the difference between lifting a championship trophy and going home empty-handed. In its 16 year history, the OHL Cup powered by Under Armour has seen its fair share of upsets. Rosters that seem like a lock don’t always end up on the winning side of history, while unlikely heroes are made out of underdogs. Here’s a look at some of the most talented GTHL teams to never win an OHL Cup Championship.
Toronto Young Nationals (2007-08)
Despite being one of the top teams in the GTHL, the 91-born Toronto Young Nationals squad had a disappointing showing at the 2007-08 OHL Cup, only winning a single game. Rilley Smith, Brandon Pirri (Vegas Golden Knights), along with underagers Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars) and Jeff Skinner (Buffalo Sabres) all led the squad with four goals apiece. While the Tyler Toffoli (LA Kings) and Devante Smith-Pelley (Washington Capitals) raised the Cup with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, the 2007-08 tournament was led top talent such as Taylor Hall and Matt Duchene.
Don Mills Flyers (2010-11)
With four of the Flyers leading the tournament in scoring, including standout Max Domi (Montreal Canadiens), the Flyers seems like a lock to win it all. The dominant team, which also included future Edmonton Oiler Darnell Nurse, couldn’t sneak past Josh Ho-Sang (New York Islanders) and Nick Richie (Anaheim Ducks) on the Toronto Marlboros in the championship final. The Flyers fell to the Marlboros 5-3.
Toronto Marlboros (2011-12)
An overtime loss to the Mississauga Rebels was a heartbreaker for a such a dominant Marlboros squad. Underager Connor McDavid led the tournament in scoring, but couldn’t get past Robbi Fabrri’s (St. Louis Blues) Rebels team. The Marlboros also boasted the likes of Sam Bennett (Calgary Flames) and Josh Ho-Sang (New York Islanders). A total of five Marlboros players ended up as first round picks a few weeks later at the 2012 OHL Draft.
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (2013-14)
After winning the Scotiabank GTHL Playoffs, the Jakob Chychrun (Arizona Coyotes) and Victor Mete (Montreal Canadiens) led Jr. Canadiens to the OHL Cup Final against the Toronto Marlboros. The offensively gifted Marlboros team featuring Dylan Strome (Chicago Blackhawks), Mitchell Stephens (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Michael McLeod (New Jersey Devils) managed to defeat the Jr. Canadiens 5-0 to take the championship.
