Dave Drinkill was well aware of Michael Misa`s name long before he first saw the young forward play at a tournament in September 2021. This is common in OHL circles, where reputations spread quickly and early scouting reports are abundant. Misa`s older brother, Luke, had already made the Mississauga Steelheads roster that fall, which certainly helped, but even so, at just 14 years old, Michael Misa generated exceptional buzz.
“Everyone always says, `Wait `til you see the younger brother, wait `til you see this player come up,`” says Drinkill, general manager of the Saginaw Spirit. “And sometimes those players come to fruition, and sometimes they fade away, and you never hear those names again.”
Misa absolutely lived up to the hype, and then some.
“He`s one of those players who, when he was on the ice – and he`s still like this – brings you to the edge of your seat a little bit; you expect something`s going to happen,” Drinkill recalls of those early scouting days. “Offensively, very creative. His IQ is off the charts. He makes plays under pressure, and I think that`s a really difficult thing to teach a young player – and he had that at a young age.”
The September tournament where Drinkill first saw him marked the beginning of a career-defining season for Misa. It concluded with the Oakville, Ontario native surpassing Connor McDavid`s OHL Cup scoring record (Misa recorded 21 points in seven games) before joining the Edmonton Oilers superstar in the exclusive group of skaters granted Exceptional Player status by the CHL. It also marked a new chapter for Drinkill, who drafted Misa first overall in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection Draft just weeks after the designation.
Here`s what you need to know about the NHL prospect who has consistently met that exceptional billing ever since.
Player Information
- Team: Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
- Position: Centre/Left Wing
- Shoots: Left
- Hometown: Oakville, Ont.
- Age: 18 (Feb. 16, 2007)
- Height: 6-foot-1
- Weight: 185 pounds
What the Scouts Are Saying
It was Misa’s hockey IQ and undeniable feel for the game that first caught Drinkill’s attention. And it’s that vision, combined with his strength, remarkable speed, and clinical scoring touch, that makes him such a highly sought-after prospect – one who won’t have to wait long on draft night.
“He makes players better, and he creates something from nothing quite often,” says Drinkill. “Even as the GM, watching from above, sometimes you think a play might be dead or about to die, maybe we need to look for something different, and then he’ll conjure a play out of nowhere, make quick plays under pressure, and generate scoring chances for us.”
The winger, who transitioned to his preferred centre position this season, fully embraced the change. As the Spirit increasingly relied on him for offense – and midway through the 2024-25 campaign, gave him the captaincy – his elite scoring prowess took centre stage. As a result, Misa climbed Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino’s monthly prospect rankings, starting at No. 5 and eventually projected as the second-overall pick.
Misa’s two-way game is also receiving positive notice, and Drinkill hopes his more understated qualities, such as his ability to shield the puck and position his body effectively to create space and maximize plays, will also be recognized.
“His competitiveness, too, for loose pucks in the corner. He’s not afraid at all – it didn’t matter if he was 15 or is now,” says Drinkill. “And playing at the NHL level, I’m confident he’s going to go in there and get that puck. That competitiveness is perhaps a bit underrated 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 left off Hockey Canada’s evaluation camp invite list for the 2025 World Junior Championship. Other prominent names were also absent, but considering Misa’s position atop the CHL’s goals and points leaderboards, his omission was particularly puzzling.
However, that wasn’t going to define Misa’s crucial draft campaign – the centreman ensured that with a scoring surge in the second half for the ages. In his first 13 games after the snub, Misa tallied 26 points. In January, he recorded his 200th career OHL point, setting a new franchise record as the fastest player to reach the milestone (148 games). He put together a remarkable 28-game point streak, and by the season’s end, he had accumulated 62 goals and 72 assists for a total of 134 points in 65 games, leading the entire CHL.
His collection of trophies reflects his impressive production. In addition to being named to the OHL First All-Star Team, Misa received the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s most outstanding player and was also recognized as the OHL Scholastic Player of the Year. And earlier this month, the NHL awarded Misa 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, there’s going to be an adjustment,” says Drinkill, when asked about Misa’s NHL potential. “But what I’ve learned about Mike is he can adjust.”
Drinkill has witnessed this firsthand throughout Misa’s three seasons in Saginaw.
He watched a 15-year-old Misa meet exceptional expectations as an underage rookie in 2022-23, leading all first-year peers in points and earning the league’s rookie-of-the-year award. Then, he saw Misa elevate his performance within a championship-caliber core in 2023-24, learning from the team’s veterans and finishing second in team points en route to the club’s Memorial Cup victory. And this year, he observed Misa not only embrace the extra pressure that comes with being a projected top-five pick but truly thrive under it.
“Whether he was on the wing, on the first power play or the second at a young age, he adjusted from minor hockey to our league,” says Drinkill. “I wouldn’t bet against him.”
Drinkill has cherished the opportunity to see Misa excel with each new challenge and develop into his NHL potential.
“Whatever NHL team gets him, first and foremost, you’re getting an unbelievable person off the ice, a leader, a player that other players are going to want to learn from as he grows older at the NHL level,” says Drinkill. “And then on the ice, I think you’re getting a star. I think you’re getting an offensively gifted player.”
`As he gets going, as he gets his feet wet in the NHL and gets established, I think we’re going to see his game take off,” the GM adds. “He’s just a guy that’s going to be a cornerstone franchise player for the team that drafts him.”