April 9, 2025, Mississauga, ON – …. Cameron Eke of the Collingwood Blues has been voted the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Top Defenceman, the league announced today.
Eke led all OJHL defencemen with 57 points (14 goals/43 assists) this past season. Nine of his goals came on the Blues’ power play, which was tied for second best in the 24-team league.
His point totals grew rapidly, from 16 (all assists) in his rookie (2022-23) season to 26 (7 goals/19 assists) last year, to this season.
COVID-19 put life, including hockey, on hold. But Cameron Eke came out of the pandemic literally bigger and stronger.
The St. Catharines’ resident’s U16 season, or Ontario Hockey League draft year, was scrubbed. Eke went unselected in that spring 2020 OHL Priority Selection.
He picked up the next season, sticking with his hometown Niagara North Stars program, but now as a member of the U18 team.
Eke went from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-2 during the course of the pandemic and that U18 year. The Niagara Falls Canucks, then a Jr. B team in the GOHL, called him up for 10 games.
Scouts also took note. The Windsor Spitfires picked Eke in the first round (19th overall) of the 2022 OHL U18 draft.
Following that U18 season, Eke was “talking to some teams in the OJ” when Blues General Manager Mike Tarantino asked if he’d like to visit Collingwood.
“I went to a game to see how things were run,” Eke said. “And I just loved it. It was a nice town and the rink was very nice. And there were a lot of fans. It just seemed like a great fit for me.”
The rest is a championship-filled history.
In Eke’s rookie season, the Blues won the OJHL title and advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Centennial Cup national championship tournament in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.
Last year, they did one better, repeating as league champs and winning the Centennial Cup in Oakville.
“The (2024) season was just a great year all around,” he said. “We had a great regular season and a lot of great players. We had a really good culture in that room, which was a big contributor to our success. It was like one big family. We all bought in for one another and loved each other.”
The Blue were eliminated by the Milton Menace in the second round of this year’s postseason.
Eke was selected by Hockey Canada to play for Team Canada East at the Jr. A World Challenge the past two years. An assistant captain on the silver-medal winning squad in 2023, he was captain in 2024 – a team he feels could also have medalled.
“I thought I would be counted on as one of the leaders and was fortunate enough to be named captain,” he said. “That was a great experience. We had an up-and-down tournament and had to play the U.S. in the semis. They were really good, but we fought hard and lost 3-2. But I think we ran out of gas (for the bronze medal game). We were just a little short.”
Eke has left a legacy in Collingwood.
“We couldn’t be more excited for Cam on being named defenceman of the year,” said Blues Head Coach Andrew Campoli. “This is a true testament to his unwavering dedication and exceptional skill. After three incredible seasons with the Collingwood Blues, his leadership has been nothing short of transformative, playing a pivotal role in securing two league championships and a national title.
“A true cornerstone of the Blues’ success, Cam continues to elevate his game and inspire those around him and has paved the way for the next generation of defencemen in our organization.”
Eke will be honoured along with the other OJHL award recipients at a ceremony during the OJHL Championship Series later this month.
The OJHL is announcing its 2024-25 award winners throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs.
TOMORROW: Goaltender of the Year
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.
For more information on the Ontario Junior Hockey League, follow us on Instagram (@OJHLOfficial), X (@OJHLOfficial) and Facebook (OJHLOfficial)
