In Buffalo, 18-year-old Michael Misa is accustomed to being the focus. However, his shift back to playing center ice truly confirmed his “exceptional player” designation and revealed his significant potential to the hockey community.
Misa joins a small, elite group of players, including John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, and Connor McDavid, who received exceptional-player status to play in the OHL at age 15.
Before his debut OHL season with the Saginaw Spirit in 2022-23, many expected Misa to follow his exceptional predecessors and become a top NHL Draft prospect. While the native of Oakville, Ontario, displayed talent in his first two seasons, his draft ranking didn`t significantly improve.
Even at the beginning of the current year, fresh off a Memorial Cup win with Saginaw in Spring 2024, Misa was not invited to Canada’s World Junior Championship selection camp.
Admittedly, Canada`s quarterfinal elimination at the 2025 WJC suggests some questionable roster choices were made. Misa, for his part, consistently demonstrated to that team – and any potential club – how valuable his skills could be.
Duncan Priestley