Misa receives E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence

Michael Misa was named the winner of the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence on Monday.

First awarded in 2014-15, the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence is presented annually "to the NHL Draft prospect who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism."

Misa (6-foot-1, 184 pounds) from Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League excelled in a season when he was moved to center after playing left wing the previous two seasons.

Expected to be selected among the top five picks at the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft in Los Angeles on June 27 (first round; 7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), with Rounds 2-7 on June 28 (Noon ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, SN1), Misa was with other top prospects at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, where the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers will play Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC).

"I didn't know too much about the award, to be honest, before I got told and then after reading about it and looking at the past hockey players that have got that award, I think it's a pretty tremendous honor to receive the award," Misa said. "To have the announcement made during the Stanley Cup Final is pretty cool and being there for the moment will be extra special for my family."

Misa led the OHL with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) in 65 games and was voted "Smartest Player" in the Western Conference in the 2024-25 OHL coaches poll. It was the most points in an OHL season since Patrick Kane had 145 points (62 goals, 83 assists) in 58 games with London in 2006-07.

"Michael has always identified as a center and it was impressive that he re-transitioned from wing back to center, all while leading the OHL in scoring and setting multiple Saginaw team records," NHL Central Scouting Director Dan Marr said.

The left-handed shot, who was captain this season, is No. 2 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters. He had interviews with 16 teams at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo last week.

Misa was granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada to play in the OHL as a 15-year-old, becoming one of nine players to have ever done so in the Canadian Hockey League.

"Each year there are many candidates deserving of the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence and the 2025 winner, Michael Misa, was chosen as he demonstrated the characteristics that define this award in his pursuit to be the best player he could be," Marr said. "It is just as impressive knowing he entered the OHL with exceptional status, and he immediately displayed the humbleness and unselfish character he knew would be required to play as a rookie in the OHL, then again on a strong Memorial Cup host team, all which led up to a Memorial Cup ring (in 2023-24)."

The award, presented by NHL Central Scouting, is in honor of McGuire, who served as director of Central Scouting from 2005 until he died of cancer April 7, 2011.

The other players to be granted exceptional status are Connor McDavid, John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Shane Wright, Connor Bedard, Joe Veleno, Sean Day and Landon DuPont.

McDavid (Oilers) and Ekblad (Panthers) are playing against each other in the Cup Final for the second straight season.

"Granted exceptional status to play as a 15-year-old in the OHL is a distinctive honor that comes with high expectations and Michael successfully excelled in navigating his way forward with an impressive level of humility, consistency, and record-breaking play," Marr said. "He deserves to be recognized with this award for all he has achieved as he pursues his path to the NHL.

Misa had multipoint outings in 46 of his 65 games and his 134 points tied Tavares (2006-07) for the most by an under-18 player since 2000. Misa's 62 goals are tied for the third-most by a draft-eligible skater in OHL history.

His season was highlighted by a 28-game point streak (63 points; 28 goals, 35 assists) from Dec. 29 through March 6.

Misa is the first player in Saginaw history to win the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL's most outstanding player and is the first OHL player to earn the honor along with the Eddie Powers Trophy as leading scorer, and Bobby Smith Trophy as top scholastic player, in the same season since Dave Simpson with London in 1981-82.

"I think there's definitely a lot of pressure, a lot of expectations (with exceptional status), but I think I handled it pretty good coming to my first year," Misa said. "It's really something you got to control on the ice. You just play your game and do what you do but block out everything else, so that's kind of the way I look at it. Just don't look at any outside pressure.

"I did feel a lot faster this year. I think that's something I've worked on, and it's going to help me for the next level because the game is even faster in the NHL."

Saginaw coach Chris Lazary took notice too.

"He came back to camp at the 185-190-pound range and his overall strength helped his on-ice with his skating and his puck battles," Lazary said. "At center, he's better down low, responsible. We've tried to get him to understand that when it comes to goal-scoring, if you can break out clean, the better your chances you're getting (offensive)-zone time. As good as he is, I think there's still another level there that he's going to develop into and make him that much better of a player."

Misa is the organization's all-time leading scorer with 265 points (113 goals, 152 assists) in 177 regular-season games.

"I'm someone who hates losing," Misa said. "I'm a hard worker; my work ethic can be seen as I play. I like to learn from the coaching staff and players on the team. Ultimately, I think when I'm at my best, I'm a force to be reckoned with and make people around me better."