Mississauga, ON — The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is pleased to announce that Aiden O’Toole of the St. Michael’s Buzzers has been voted the 2025-26 OJHL Most Improved Player.
The 19-year-old right wing from Mississauga, Ontario delivered one of the most remarkable statistical turnarounds in the league this season. After recording 4 goals, 11 assists and 15 points in 49 games during the 2024-25 season, O’Toole exploded offensively in 2025-26, finishing the regular season with 28 goals, 51 assists and 79 points in 56 games — a jump of 64 points year over year. He then added 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points in six playoff games as the Buzzers advanced to the post-season for a 23rd consecutive year.
O’Toole, a product of the Toronto Marlboro U18 program, is a testament to what dedication and hard work can accomplish. “We asked him to go away last summer and commit to more intensive cardio and speed work. He did really well and came back a different player, a fast and heavy sniper” said Rich Ricci, Head Coach and General Manager of the Buzzers.
The second year forward credits his rise to one of the top five point scorers in the league to the confidence his coaches instilled in him this season.
“The coaches gave me a chance right away and trusted me right from game one. It definitely helped with my confidence, and I used the opportunity that the coaches gave me, to the best of my ability” the 19-year-old told the OJHL earlier this season.
The leading scorer for the Buzzers this season has spent his junior career with the team, serving as a key member of a Buzzers squad that extended the organization’s remarkable run of consecutive playoff appearances.
O’Toole recently announced his commitment to play university hockey with the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA), where he will continue his development at the next level beginning in the fall of 2026.
O’Toole will be honoured alongside the other OJHL award winners at a ceremony during the OJHL Championship Series later this month.
The OJHL is announcing its 2025-26 award winners throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs.
Tomorrow: Most Gentlemanly Player
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About the OJHL – “League of Choice”
The Ontario Junior Hockey League is the largest Junior ‘A’ league operating under the auspices of the Canadian Junior Hockey League with 24 member clubs – including the 2024 national champion Collingwood Blues. A proud member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey Association, the OJHL was originally named the Ontario Provincial Junior ‘A’ Hockey League and it was formed out of the Central Junior ‘B’ Hockey League in 1993-94. With a long and storied history of developing players for the next level, including the CHL, U SPORTS, the NCAA, minor pro ranks and the NHL, the OJHL has had more than 100 commitments already this season.
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