When a player is granted exceptional status by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), there is always major pressure and hype surrounding them. Only nine players have been granted exceptional status by the CHL, including Connor McDavid, Connor Bedard, and John Tavares. All three players have made their way to the NHL and have had success to different degrees. Michael Misa, drafted by the Saginaw Spirit first overall, is the latest player to be granted exceptional status by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), being granted it ahead of the 2022-23 season. He has seen his fair share of success in the OHL, including winning the 2024 Memorial Cup and having a draft-year season that is on a record-setting pace. I recently spoke with one of the top prospects for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft to pick his brain on a few things.
Handling the Pressure and Hype
As mentioned, constant pressure and hype surround a player given exceptional status to play major-junior hockey at 15. Now entering his third season with the Spirit, Misa said that he has handled the pressure and hype surrounding him this season, stating, “When it comes to pressure, I feel like I’ve had it since I entered this league. I think the best way to kind of ignore it is to focus on your game… the only thing you can really control is how you perform on the ice…” Controlling what he does on the ice this season has worked well for the Oakville, Ontario native.
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As of March 13, he leads not only the OHL but the entire CHL in points (124), is second in goals (58), and is fourth in assists (66). He has also set Spirit single-season records in points and goals and is the franchise’s all-time leader for points, currently sitting at 255 after passing Ryan McDonough’s record of 247.
Taking the Next Jump
After his 2022-23 rookie season, which saw him miss time due to injury, Misa returned last season at full health and built off a campaign that saw him set the points-per-game pace for an exceptional status player in the OHL (1.24 points/game) that was before held by McDavid. A healthy Misa mixed in with a roster full of veterans, including Owen Beck, Jorian Donovan, Josh Bloom, and others, helped lead the Spirit to their first Memorial Cup championship.
With the veteran skill on the roster, Misa was not tasked with taking on the top-line role for most of the season and still finished with a strong 75 points in 67 regular-season games. However, with the players mentioned above moving on from junior hockey this season, he has been relied upon as the “veteran” of the team.
When asked what he attributes the offensive breakout to this season, he said, “Being in my third year of playing and feeling more comfortable after the playoff and Memorial Cup run, along with feeling more confident with the puck” are key factors. With the amount of talent in this year’s draft class, he mentioned that it’s motivating seeing the other top prospects playing at their level. He wants to make sure that he can say he has no regrets about how he played every shift on the ice at the end of the day.
Supporting Cast Around Him
Each junior season sees an influx of change and player movement. The Spirit were no different, and they have seen a handful of players step up this season offensively. This includes Misa’s linemates, Kristian Epperson and San Jose Sharks 2024 second-round pick Igor Chernyshov. Right off the bat, Misa and Epperson clicked together on the ice and showed great chemistry. Misa attributes their spending the entire training camp playing together and Epperson’s speed to their success all season.
Chernyshov, who missed the first half of the season due to recovering from shoulder surgery, was installed onto the top line alongside Misa and Epperson upon his return and fit seamlessly. “It’s good. The only bad part was not getting him the start of the season,” Misa said. “Everything he has done for our team since he came in is incredible… I believe he will be playing in the NHL next year.”
THAT'S 40 GOALS FOR MICHAEL MISA!🤯🎉#NHLDraft eligible Michael Misa buried his 40th goal of the season with a one-timer after a nice play between Igor Chernyshov (@SanJoseSharks) and Zayne Parekh (@NHLFlames)!🔥#OHL | @CHLHockey | @SpiritHockey pic.twitter.com/dsetzAijnj
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 2, 2025
A player who has been Misa his entire OHL career is 2024 Calgary Flames first-round pick Zayne Parekh. When asked about the chemistry those two have shared on the ice over the last three seasons, Misa shared that coming to Saginaw before the 2022-23 season, he did not know Parekh well but now considers him a brother and has been someone he has leaned on this season regarding the draft process. Between Parekh and Misa’s older brother Luke, who was also drafted by the Flames in 2024, Misa stated that the biggest thing he has taken away from their advice regarding the entire draft process is to embrace it and that it only happens once.
Time Will Tell Where Misa Lands
While the 2025 NHL Entry Draft is still a few months away, the excitement and wonder around where players like Misa, Matthew Schaefer, and James Hagens will be selected has only grown as the season has progressed. With Misa’s season, there is a strong chance he hears his name being called in the top-3, possibly even as the number-one selection at the end of June.
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