Long before he first saw the young forward at a September 2021 tournament, Dave Drinkill was very familiar with Michael Misa’s name. This is quite typical in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where information travels fast and early scouting reports circulate widely. Misa’s older brother, Luke, had already made the Mississauga Steelheads roster that fall, which certainly helped build anticipation, but even considering that, 14-year-old Michael was generating an exceptional amount of buzz.
“Everyone always talks about, ‘Wait until you see the younger brother, wait until this player comes up,’” says Drinkill, the general manager of the Saginaw Spirit. “And sometimes those players live up to the hype, and sometimes they fade away and you never hear those names again.”
Misa has certainly exceeded expectations.
“He’s one of those players who, when he’s on the ice — and this is still true today — he makes you lean forward in your seat a little, you expect something exciting to happen,” Drinkill recalls from those early scouting days. “Offensively, he’s incredibly creative. His hockey IQ is off the charts. He can make plays under pressure, which I think is a really challenging skill to teach a young player, and he possessed that at a very young age.”
That September tournament was just the beginning of a career-defining season for Misa. The Oakville, Ontario native concluded that year by shattering Connor McDavid’s OHL Cup scoring record (Misa recorded 21 points in just seven games) before joining the Edmonton Oilers superstar in the exclusive group of players granted Exceptional Player status by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). For Drinkill, it marked the start of a new chapter as well; weeks after the designation, he drafted Misa first overall in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Draft.
Here is key information about the NHL prospect who has consistently validated that exceptional billing:
Team: Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Position: Centre/Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Oakville, Ont.
Age: 18 (born Feb. 16, 2007)
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 185 pounds
WHAT THE SCOUTS ARE SAYING
It was Misa’s impressive hockey IQ and clear understanding of the game that first caught Drinkill’s attention. This vision, combined with his physical power, undeniable speed, and refined scoring touch, is what makes him such a highly sought-after prospect – one who won’t have to wait long on draft night.
“He elevates the performance of his teammates, and he frequently creates something out of nothing,” Drinkill explains. “Even watching from up here as the GM, sometimes you might think a play is dead or about to end, that maybe we need to try something different, and then he’ll conjure a play from nowhere, make subtle moves under pressure, and generate scoring opportunities for us.”
The winger-turned-centre fully embraced the transition to his preferred position down the middle this season. As the Spirit increasingly relied on him for offense — and even handed him the captaincy midway through the 2024-25 campaign — his elite scoring prowess became central to the team. This performance helped Misa climb the monthly prospect rankings compiled by Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino, moving from No. 5 early on to being projected as the second-overall pick.
Misa’s two-way game has also drawn positive notice. Drinkill hopes his more understated qualities, such as his ability to shield the puck and strategically position his body to create space and maximize plays, will also receive recognition.
“His competitiveness, particularly fighting for loose pucks in the corner, is notable. He’s completely fearless – that was true when he was 15 and it’s true now,” Drinkill observes. “And playing at the NHL level, I’m confident he’s going to go in and win those puck battles. That competitive drive might be slightly overlooked for him.”
FROM CANADA CAMP SNUB TO SAGINAW C AND OHL MVP, MISA MADE MOST OF DRAFT YEAR
More than a few eyebrows were raised early in Misa’s draft year when he was conspicuously absent from Hockey Canada’s list of evaluation camp invitees for the 2025 World Junior Championship. Other prominent names were also left off, but given Misa’s position atop the CHL’s goals and points leaderboards at the time, his omission was particularly baffling.
However, that setback did not define Misa’s crucial draft season. The centreman ensured that with a remarkable scoring surge in the second half. In the 13 games immediately following the camp snub, Misa amassed 26 points. In January, he recorded his 200th career OHL point, setting a new franchise record as the fastest player to reach that milestone (in 148 games). He strung together an impressive 28-game point streak, and by the season’s end, he had compiled an outstanding 62 goals and 72 assists for a total of 134 points in 65 games, leading the entire CHL in scoring.
His collection of awards reflects his exceptional production. In addition to being named to the OHL First All-Star Team, Misa received the prestigious Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s most outstanding player and was also recognized as the OHL Scholastic Player of the Year. Furthermore, earlier this month, the NHL presented Misa with the E.J. McQuire Award of Excellence.
HOW HIGH CAN MISA CLIMB? ‘I WOULDN`T BET AGAINST HIM,’ SAYS GM
“Obviously, like any young player transitioning to the NHL, there will be an adjustment period,” says Drinkill, when asked about Misa’s potential at the professional level. “But what I’ve learned about Mike is that he is highly adaptable.”
Drinkill has witnessed this adaptability firsthand throughout Misa’s three seasons in Saginaw.
He watched Misa, at just 15 years old, successfully live up to the exceptional expectations placed upon him as an underage rookie in 2022-23, leading all first-year players in points and earning the league’s Rookie of the Year award. Then, in 2023-24, he observed Misa elevate his performance within a championship-contending roster, learning from veteran teammates and finishing second in team scoring en route to the club’s Memorial Cup victory. And this past year, he saw Misa not only handle the added pressure that comes with being a projected top-five pick but truly flourish under it.
“Whether he was playing on the wing, or on the first or second power play unit at a young age, he successfully adjusted from minor hockey to our league,” Drinkill states. “I wouldn’t bet against him succeeding.”
Drinkill has thoroughly enjoyed watching Misa excel with each new challenge and develop into the player with NHL-level potential.
“Whatever NHL team selects him, first and foremost, they are getting an incredible person off the ice – a leader, a player from whom others will want to learn as he matures at the NHL level,” Drinkill asserts. “And on the ice, I believe you’re getting a star. I think you’re getting an exceptionally gifted offensive player.”
“As he gets settled, as he gains experience in the NHL and becomes established, I think we’re going to see his game truly take off,” the GM adds. “He’s simply the type of player who is destined to be a cornerstone franchise player for the team that drafts him.”
