The PDA Newsletter | Silver Stick Preview
We’re officially one week out, and the stage isn’t just set…
It’s tightening…
Silver Stick isn’t another weekend event.
It’s one of the crown jewels of the U16 calendar — invite-only, unforgiving, and loaded with programs built for big moments.
Every year, it exposes who’s truly ready for the national stage… and who still has gaps to close.
The best teams arrive already sharp.
The contenders arrive expecting to win.
And every pool forces someone, sometimes a heavyweight, to fight for their tournament lives by Friday night.
This year’s field is as deep and dangerous as we’ve seen in the 2010 age group. U.S. powerhouses. Ontario’s elite. Prep programs rising at the right time. Teams coming in with tournament wins, teams coming in with something to prove, and teams coming in knowing they won’t get a second chance to reset.
Strip away the noise and the math becomes brutally simple: Six pools. 30 teams. Only a handful of spots to advance.
One slow start, one bad bounce, one careless shift — and a tournament favourite can be out before the bracket even forms.
This is the edge that defines Silver Stick…
Here’s how every pool stacks up heading in…
We also polled our full PDA staff — scouts, analysts, and video personnel — to produce PDA’s Picks for each pool and the overall tournament. The percentages shown reflect our internal vote totals, offering a quick snapshot of how our team sees the field heading into Silver Stick.
Pool A Breakdown
CHICAGO MISSION (US)
US 15U RANK: 11th | Record: 26-8-0 | GF-GA: 140-68
Keep An Eye On: Leo Acker, Mick Miniscalco, Malone Cooney
OTTAWA JR. 67’S (HEO)
U16 Ontario Rank: 17th | Record: 9-7-7 | GF-GA: 62-58
Keep An Eye On: Innis Robinson, Kyson McMillan, Alexandre Saulnier
SARNIA-LAMBTON JR. STING (ALLIANCE)
U16 Ontario Rank: 33rd | Record: 5-14-2 | GF-GA: 55-76
Keep An Eye On: Ryland Nutma, Chase Free, Alexander Stevenson
VAUGHAN KINGS (GTHL)
U16 Ontario Rank: 1st | Record: 22-2-3 | GF-GA: 142-39
Keep An Eye On: Kane Cloutier, Adrian Sgro, Landon Roulston
WHITBY WILDCATS (OMHA — Hosts)
U16 Ontario Rank: 38th | Record: 2-15-4 | GF-GA: 35-76
Keep An Eye On: Michael Tousignant, Blake Brioux, Avery Abdee
Pool A is Vaughan’s to dominate — the No. 1 team in Ontario and a true Silver Stick contender with the depth and talent to control every matchup. The real intrigue sits in the middle of the pack, where Chicago Mission and Ottawa aren’t projected to reach the quarterfinals, but both have enough talent to keep things interesting if they string together quality performances. With Sarnia-Lambton and host Whitby looking to play spoiler, this pool is less about who finishes first and more about whether anyone can push the Kings or make an unexpected bid for that second spot.
PDA’s Picks
Winner of Pool A: Vaughan Kings (100% of votes)
Pool Point Leader: Kane Cloutier (63% of votes)
Pool B Breakdown
CREDIT RIVER CAPITALS (OMHA)
U16 Ontario Rank: 9th | Record: 21-4-2 | GF-GA: 131-55
Keep An Eye On: Evan Bannister, Landon Bellchamber, Noah Janiero
DON MILLS FLYERS (GTHL)
U16 Ontario Rank: 6th | Record: 18-6-5 | GF-GA: 83-45
Keep An Eye On: Gavin Godick, Owen Loftus, Declan McNally
REPS HOCKEY CLUB (GTHL)
U16 Ontario Rank: 18th | Record: 11-10-4 | GF-GA: 73-70
Keep An Eye On: Joshua D’Addario, James Guiney, Dawson O’Connor
PETERBOROUGH PETES (OMHA)
U16 Ontario Rank: 35th | Record: 4-14-3 | GF-GA: 50-81
Keep An Eye On: Hannu Packalen, Liam Harrison, Noah Kennedy
PITTSBURGH JR. PENGUINS (US)
US 15U Rank: 12th | Record: 14-7-0 | GF-GA: 75-45
Keep An Eye On: Miras Zhumabay, Owen Lacoste, Jack Riehl
Pool B shapes up as one of the most competitive groups in the tournament — deep, balanced, and loaded with teams capable of taking points off each other. Credit River and Don Mills enter as the frontrunners, with the Capitals’ consistency and the Flyers’ Wendy Dufton pedigree giving them the early edge. But the presence of Reps Hockey Club and the U.S. wildcard Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins makes this a true four-team race, where every game has playoff implications and one slip could decide the standings. Even Peterborough, despite their record, has some individual talent which could be enough to disrupt the pool if underestimated.
PDA’s Picks
Winner of Pool B: Don Mills Flyers (55% of votes)
Pool Point Leader: Evan Bannister (40% of votes)
Pool C Breakdown
BUFFALO JR. SABRES (US)
US 15U Rank: 6th | Record: 23-4-0 | GF-GA: 120-34
Keep An Eye On: Liam Koch, Champ Buchholz, Micha Socha
OTTAWA VALLEY TITANS (HEO)
U16 Ontario Rank: 20th | Record: 12-7-4 | GF-GA: 73-55
Keep An Eye On: Cole Krottner, Jacob Tysick, Kaleb Peplinskie
SUDBURY WOLVES (NOHA)
U16 Ontario Rank: 31st | Record: 11-13-1 | GF-GA: 87-79
Keep An Eye On: Alex Proulx, Nicholas Christakos, Jackson Mead
TORONTO JR. CANADIENS (GTHL)
U16 Ontario Rank: 2nd | Record: 19-1-1 | GF-GA: 94-20
Keep An Eye On: Brayden Grima, Kade O’Rourke, Kash Kwajah
UPPER CANADA COLLEGE (PREP)
Record: 16-10-1 | GF-GA: 109-80
Keep An Eye On: Logan Prud’Homme, Max Fransen, Cole Guizzetti
Pool C is headlined by three legitimate threats to go deep in the tournament: the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, who already claimed the Titans Early Bird title in September; Upper Canada College, fresh off a silver-medal run at the Wendy Dufton; and a powerhouse U.S. entry in the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. All three have the roster depth, talent, and recent results to control games, making this one of the toughest groups on paper. Ottawa Valley has enough competitiveness to steal points if they hit their stride, but the race for the top two spots should run through JRC, UCC, and Buffalo — a trio capable of dictating the pace of every game and pushing for a deep run.
PDA’s Picks
Winner of Pool C: Toronto Jr. Canadiens (90% of votes)
Pool Point Leader: Kash Kwajah (30% of votes)
Pool D Breakdown
DETROIT LITTLE CAESARS (US)
US 15U Rank: 1st | Record: 26-3-0 | GF-GA: 213-56
Keep An Eye On: Aiden Kelly, Colin Kennedy, Griffin Carver
HURON-PERTH LAKERS (ALLIANCE)
U16 Ontario Rank: 14th | Record: 12-7-4 | GF-GA: 96-52
Keep An Eye On: Ethan Bridges, Declan McCotter, Colton Van Geffen
ROCHESTER BK SELECTS (US)
US 15U Rank: 7th | Record: 18-7-0 | GF-GA: 120-65
Keep An Eye On: Bobby Spang, Bo Cristini, Kellen Paestch
SOUTHERN TIER ADMIRALS (OMHA)
U16 Ontario Rank: 44th | Record: 4-17-1 | GF-GA: 32-85
Keep An Eye On: Owen Trevisanutto, Mason Hilton, Ridley Paone
TORONTO MARLBOROS (GTHL)
U16 Ontario Rank: 10th | Record: 14-8-2 | GF-GA: 82-54
Keep An Eye On: Braden Reilly, Jaden Licastro, Michael Warner
Pool D is another powerhouse grouping, anchored by PDA’s No. 1–ranked team for two straight months: Detroit Little Caesars. They enter as a true tournament favourite and the clear leader of this division, with the depth and high-end skill to dictate every matchup with ease. Behind them sits a three-team chase pack — Huron-Perth, Bishop Kearney Selects, and the Toronto Marlboros — all strong enough to claim second place and all aware that a wildcard berth may come down to goal differential or a single point in the standings. Southern Tier rounds out the pool and will compete hard, but they’re up against some of the toughest programs in the field. With only division winners guaranteed to advance — and just two wildcard spots available — Pool D becomes a cutthroat environment where every shift carries quarterfinal implications.
PDA’s Picks
Winner of Pool D: Detroit Little Caesars (91% of votes)
Pool Point Leader: Colin Kennedy (40% of votes)
Pool E Breakdown
CHICAGO REAPERS (US)
US 15U Rank: 23rd | Record: 18-16-0 | GF-GA: 107-92
Keep An Eye On: Eric Obrebski, Nikko Moskonas, Logan Moran
CENTRAL ONTARIO WOLVES (OMHA)
U16 Ontario Rank: 15th | Record: 13-10-2 | GF-GA: 121-88
Keep An Eye On: Kyler Lauder, Finn Ellery, Karter Brideau
HILL ACADEMY (PREP)
Record: 16-9-0 | GF-GA: 93-83
Keep An Eye On: Tanner Adams, Shayden Hintenberger, Xavier Carroll
LONDON JR. KNIGHTS (ALLIANCE)
U16 Ontario Rank: 3rd | Record: 18-3-0 | GF-GA: 132-46
Keep An Eye On: Quinn Roberts, Jace Luchanko, Drew Bate
MARKHAM MAJORS (GTHL)
U16 Ontario Rank: 4th | Record: 14-9-1 | GF-GA: 82-54
Keep An Eye On: Ronan Quinn, Dacey Dupuis, Konstantinos Housseas
Pool E is one of the most competitive groups in the field, led by three teams that all landed inside PDA’s Top 10 November Power Rankings — London, Hill Academy, and Markham. Each enters as a legitimate contender to win the pool and push deep into the tournament, making this one of the hardest divisions to predict. Central Ontario has the talent to make games competitive but sits a step behind the top trio, while the Chicago Reapers add an element of unpredictability that could shift the standings if they find a groove. With only one automatic quarterfinal berth and just two wildcard spots available across all pools, Pool E has a strong chance of sending multiple teams forward — and the battle among London, Hill, and Markham could end up being one of the tightest races of the round robin.
PDA’s Picks
Winner of Pool E: Hill Academy (46% of votes)
Pool Point Leader: Kyler Lauder (40% of votes)
Pool F Breakdown
BARRIE COLTS (OMHA)
U16 Ontario Rank: 12th | Record: 16-7-2 | GF-GA: 117-78
Keep An Eye On: Lucas Matheson, Corey Coe, John Kanyo
FARMINGTON HONEYBAKED (US)
Record: 26-6-0 | GF-GA: 168-68
Keep An Eye On: Dylan Delgado, Max Lappan, Henry Buttweiler
MISSISSAUGA SENATORS (GTHL)
U16 Ontario Rank: 5th | Record: 17-8-2 | GF-GA: 97-62
Keep An Eye On: Matthew Zilinski, Arjun Nanubhai, Jakub Kuklinski
PHILADELPIA JR. FLYERS (US)
US 15U Rank: 32nd | Record: 15-13-2 | GF-GA: 79-86
Keep An Eye On: Brayden Kotzen, Peter Budaj Jr., Parker Everett
ST. LOUIS JR. BLUES (US)
Record: 19-11-0 | GF-GA: 107-68
Keep An Eye On: Ethan Mears, Ray Raak, Nick Mueller
Pool F brings a unique flavour to the tournament as the only division dominated by U.S. programs, and it’s shaping up to be one of the tighter groups overall. Even with its depth, two teams clearly rise above the rest on pure talent: Honeybaked and the Mississauga Senators, both strong enough to control the pool if they play to their potential. Barrie, Philadelphia, and St. Louis each have shown the ability to take points and complicate the standings, making consistency the deciding factor. With just one automatic quarterfinal berth available — and wildcard spots spread across all six pools — Pool F could easily come down to small swings in goal differential or one timely result.
PDA’s Picks
Winner of Pool F: Farmington Honeybaked (55% of votes)
Pool Point Leader: Arjun Nanubhai (33% of votes)
Concluding Thoughts
This year’s field is loaded at the top, and the road to a Silver Stick title cuts straight through a tight cluster of true championship threats. Vaughan enters as the clearest favourite from Ontario — deep, skilled, and built for tournament hockey — and the question hanging over the entire event is simple: can they finally push through to the finals?
Detroit Little Caesars arrives with the most dominant American résumé, while a long list of contenders sits right behind them: the Toronto Jr. Canadiens with Early Bird hardware already in hand; UCC, Hill Academy, Markham, Mississauga, and Credit River riding strong fall form; and Don Mills and London carrying rosters designed for high-pressure games. Add in U.S. powers like Buffalo and Honeybaked, both capable of beating anyone in the field, and suddenly the championship picture becomes wide-open.
Silver Stick has never been about who looks strongest on paper…
It’s about who can grab momentum and refuse to let go, and every heavyweight this year has already shown they can do exactly that.
As for how our staff sees it heading in, the voting reflects just how tight the margins truly are:
PDA’s Picks — Tournament Awards
Total Tournament Point Leader (Forwards): Kane Cloutier (36% of votes)
Total Tournament Point Leader (Defense): Adrian Sgro (54% of votes)
Best Goaltender: Owen Loftus (27% of votes)
Projected Silver Stick Champions: Vaughan Kings (36% votes)
The pieces are set.
The favourites are clear.
The challengers are lining up.
And next week we find out whether Vaughan can finally deliver — or whether someone else steals the spotlight.
Talon Mills
