The Ontario Hockey League’s 2025-26 season is quietly sneaking up, and the Guelph Storm’s training camp will likely be getting underway over the next couple of weeks. The Storm will be looking to build a much more competitive roster after finishing the 2024-25 season in last place in the Western Conference with a 21-38-5-4 record.
Heading into camp, the Storm have a handful of players who have already signed contracts to play with the team in 2025-26. With camp on the horizon, let’s evaluate what the Storm have and what they will be looking to add throughout training camp to prepare for the regular season.
Let’s start with the forwards, as the majority of the Storm’s signed players will be playing up front for them this season.
Charlie Paquette (F)
Charlie Paquette will play his fifth season in a Storm uniform in 2025-26. Through his first three seasons in the league, he had 59 points in 190 games. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, he took a massive jump in his development in the 2024-25 season, scoring 37 goals and totaling 70 points in 68 games. This season led him to be drafted by the Dallas Stars in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Paquette is a big body that stands at 6-foot-2 and is listed at 207 pounds (via Elite Prospects). He excels at creating havoc in front of the net, taking away goalies’ eyes, getting his stick on pucks, and finishing off rebounds. His shot, coupled with his size and ability to win puck battles, will make him an impact player for the Storm again this season.
After being passed on in back-to-back NHL drafts, the now 19-year-old could have sneaky pro potential with the power forward style he brings. However, this season, the Storm will heavily rely on Paquette to help lead this team to a more successful season.
Ethan Miedema (F)
The Storm gave up their 14th-round pick and conditional third, fourth, and fifth-round picks to acquire Ethan Miedema from the Kingston Frontenacs. After making the trade, Storm general manager George Burnett said “Ethan is a proven veteran and leader who is capable of contributing in all areas for our team,” and added that “He has shown a consistent ability to score in his four seasons in the OHL and is bringing over 40 games of playoff experience to our hockey club.”
This will be Miedema’s fifth and final season in the OHL. In 2024-25 with the Frontenacs, he scored 23 goals and put up 57 points in 66 games. Miedema has improved his offensive output season over season in each of his first four seasons and has only missed five regular-season games throughout those four seasons.
Related: Ethan Miedema – 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
He is remarkably consistent offensively, and he will continue to improve. Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 212 pounds, Miedema can impact the game in so many ways, which is why he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.
Mykhailo Haponenko (F)
Sticking with the theme of big bodies, the Storm signed Mykhailo Haponenko out of Kharkiv, Ukraine, after selecting him in the second round of the Canadian Hockey League’s (CHL) Import Draft. Haponenko stands at 6-foot-3, giving him an advantage many players lack, and he has a ton of offensive skill to go with it.
In 2024-25, Haponenko primarily played at the under-20 level in Norway. He scored 17 goals and put up 48 points in 28 games for Focus/Sandes, as well as putting up eight points in four games at the under-18 level.
In addition to his junior hockey in Norway, Haponenko represented Ukraine at the IIHF Division 1 World Hockey Championship at both the under-18 and under-20 levels. He shone on the international stage, scoring four goals and putting up nine points in nine games last season. The Storm got a good one here; he should make an impact in the OHL after he adjusts to the North American game.
Alex Mclean (F)
The Storm drafted Alex Mclean with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection after he put up 108 points in 43 regular-season and playoff games at the under-16 AAA level. He played his rookie season with the Storm in 2024-25, and in 61 games, he scored 10 goals and totalled 23 points.
While he did not make the roster, McLean did receive an invite to Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence Summer Camp, which helped select Canada’s roster for the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, an international tournament for junior hockey players under the age of 18. Before this invite, he had represented Canada at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
McLean is the first player on the smaller side that we’ve talked about. At 5-foot-10, it is understandable that he struggled at points in his rookie season. However, McLean is ultra talented; look for him to have a much bigger impact with the Storm this season.
Jaakko Wycisk (F)
After a tough 2024-25 season, the Storm had the second overall pick in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection and used it to select Jaakko Wycisk, a 2027 NHL Draft-eligible prospect. He stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 190 pounds, and described himself as a “smart two-way centre that loves to make plays in the offensive zone” and has said that he models his game after Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers.
Wycisk spent the majority of his OHL draft season playing for the Sun County Panthers at the under-16 AAA level. He led that team in goals, assists, and points with 32 goals and 29 assists for 61 points in 30 regular-season games. He then scored six goals and totalled 13 points for Sun County in the playoffs.
Following his AAA season, he joined the Leamington Flyers, who were just promoted to the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), a tier two junior A league. He scored a goal in his first junior hockey game, and then suited up for Leamington five times in the playoffs. There may be an adjustment period for Wycisk at the OHL level, but he has the size and skill to make an impact for the Storm this season.
Mark Pape (F)
In addition to the second overall pick in the first round of the 2025 OHL Priority Selection, they also had the 25th overall pick. They used it to select Mark Pape, who finished his minor hockey career by scoring 51 goals and totaling 94 points at the under-15 AAA level for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.
After drafting Pape, general manager Burnett said, “Mark has shown the ability to play the game successfully in all areas. He is a smart player and strong skater with a high compete level who can generate offence individually and in support of his teammates. Mark is expected to compete for a role this season.”
Šimon Bělohorský (F)
The Storm selected Šimon Bělohorský with the 66th overall pick in this year’s CHL Import Draft. He is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound winger who is coming over from Czechia to play his rookie season in the OHL. After selecting him as general manager, Burnett was quoted as saying, “He is a versatile forward who brings strong skating, smarts, and skill to the Storm lineup.”
Bělohorský just got done representing Czechia at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. He scored two goals in four games and also scored four goals and totaled seven points in nine games at the 2024 Under-17 World Challenge.
Last season, Bělohorský spent the majority of his time playing at the under-17 junior level in Czechia for the Bílí Tygři Liberec, but also spent some time with their under-20 team. At his age level, Bělohorský scored 25 goals and totalled 42 points in 24 games. Then, when he made the jump to Czechia’s top junior level, he was still able to make an impact, putting up seven points in 10 games.
Bělohorský rounds out the forwards that the Storm have signed going into camp. Much like many of the rest of the players we’ve talked about, between his size and skill, he should be an impactful player in the OHL this season.
Cruz Reznik (G)
The Storm drafted Cruz Reznik in the third round of the 2025 OHL Priority Selection Draft. He is a 6-foot-3, 16-year-old kid from Richmond Hill, Ontario. He finished his minor hockey league career with the Toronto Red Wings at the under-16 AAA level, and according to the CHL, Reznik had “1.60 goals-against-average and .920 save percentage in 35 games” and “Reznik also shut the door for 11 shutouts during the 2024-2025 GTHL campaign.”
Going into this draft, Reznik was widely regarded as the best goaltending prospect in this year’s OHL class. While still young, he already has the build of a pro goalie. He moves well, has excellent instincts, and has worked to improve his mobility in recent years.
Reznik may need some time to adjust to OHL-calibre shooters. However, coming from the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), he would have been facing talented shooters on a nightly basis. Reznik starting games for the Storm and making an impact this season should not be out of the question.
Storm 2025-26 Outlook
The Storm have an excellent core of forwards heading into training camp. Most are big, strong, fast, and all are highly skilled. This group has the makings of a team that will be tough to play against if they can continue to bring in more size and speed.
The concern for the Storm will be their blue line. Per Elite Prospects, they do not have any defensemen signed yet, and that entire unit will have to be worked out at camp. The Storm will also likely be hunting for a starting goaltender to allow Reznik some time to develop in his rookie season.
These may seem like significant concerns, but they will bring a talented prospect pool to camp to fill out their roster. Additionally, they don’t seem to be concerned with the prospect of hosting the 2027 Memorial Cup, as they are aware they will need a much more competitive roster to do so.
Player signings & stats from Elite Prospects unless specified.
