By Canadian Press

Michael Misa, 15, granted exceptional player status ahead of OHL draft

Apr 14, 2022 | 10:31 AM

CAMBRIDGE, Ont. — Michael Misa just broke one of Connor McDavid’s records.

The 15-year-old is now set to join the Edmonton Oilers superstar as a member of another elite class.

The Ontario Hockey Federation announced Thursday that Misa has been granted exceptional player status following a review by Hockey Canada and is eligible for the Ontario Hockey League draft 12 months early.

He joins McDavid, John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Shane Wright and Sean Day as players given a thumbs up to play in the OHL at age 15.

Connor Bedard, the likely No. 1 pick at the 2023 NHL draft, was granted the same status in the Western Hockey League, while Joe Veleno is the only player green-lighted by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

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Misa, who turned 15 in February, had 16 goals and 27 assists in 27 games for the under-16 AAA Mississauga Senators in 2021-22 before leading his team to the OHL Cup with 20 points in seven contests to break McDavid’s scoring record.

“It’s a huge honour to be counted among names like Connor McDavid and John Tavares,” Misa said in a statement. “I try not to compare myself to those superstars, and just focus on being the best I can be and improve my game every day.” 

The process to determine if Misa met the criteria for exceptional status was administered by OHF along with Hockey Canada’s special evaluation panel to evaluate the five-foot-10, 150-pound forward’s “hockey and academic documentation and to assess his level of maturity.” 

“I am continuously amazed by the well-rounded nature of those granted exceptional status,” OHF executive director Phillip McKee said. “Constant success both in the classroom and on the ice has demonstrated that Michael Misa is well deserving to be among those who have been granted status in the past.”

Tavares, Ekblad and McDavid were all chosen first overall in the OHL and later went No. 1 in the NHL draft.

Wright is a top prospect for July’s NHL draft in Montreal. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2022.

The Canadian Press