TORONTO — The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) today announced results of the 2026 OHL Cup Selection Show aired Friday evening across the OHL’s social media and YouTube channels.
As part of the newly-expanded 25-team field of competition in 2026, two OHL Cup Selection Committee teams were identified to help round-out this year’s participating squads. The Selection Committee, that consists of OHL Hockey Operations staff from across its member teams, collectively decided upon Upper Canada College and the GTHL’s Don Mills Flyers as the two teams that will gain direct entry into this year’s showcase.
Chosen to become the first Hockey Canada Accredited School (HCAS) to compete in the OHL Cup Showcase, the Upper Canada College Blues have been a fixture in this year’s weekly OHL Cup Top-10 Rankings, factoring into all 16 editions thus far. Most recently ranked sixth, Upper Canada College was dominant in Canadian Prep School Hockey Alliance play, boasting a 12-1 record while competing to an 11-1 mark in the Two Nations Prep Hockey League. They were 2025 Whitby International Silver Stick finalists.
The Don Mills Flyers played to a record of 18-8-7, good for fourth place in this year’s GTHL U16 AAA standings. They were eliminated by the Markham Majors in the first round of the GTHL Playoffs. Earlier in the season, they turned heads at the Whitby International Silver Stick Tournament, reaching the semi-finals before losing to eventual champion Detroit HoneyBaked. Don Mills has been included in the OHL Cup Top-10 Rankings five different times this season.
An additional eight teams were chosen by the OHL Cup Selection Committee to compete in wild card play-in matchups on the morning of Monday, March 30th at Scotiabank Pond. Four past tournament wild card entries, including the defending champion Toronto Jr. Canadiens have gone on to hoist the OHL Cup. The eight selected teams and their randomly drawn wild card play-in matchups include:
- Game 1 — 8:00am: Ajax-Pickering Raiders (OMHA) vs. Mississauga Senators (GTHL)
- Game 2 — 8:15am: Biosteel Sports Academy (Hockey Canada Accredited School – HCAS) vs. Hill Academy (HCAS)
- Game 3 — 9:45am: Upper Canada Cyclones (HEO) vs. Ottawa Valley Titans (HEO)
- Game 4 — 10:00am: Central Ontario Wolves (OMHA) vs. Barrie Colts (OMHA)
Twenty-five teams will embark on the 2026 OHL Cup Showcase, with tournament games beginning at 12:00pm on Monday, March 30th, culminating in the Championship Final that will take place on Saturday, April 4th at Mattamy Athletic Centre in downtown Toronto, with puck drop at 2:00pm.
The OHL Cup has established itself as a premier development tournament, serving as a critical showcase for the next generation of hockey talent. A total of 223 OHL Cup graduates have advanced to play in the OHL en route to the National Hockey League (NHL), including 114 players currently on NHL rosters.
For more information, visit OHLCup.ca.
