Mississauga, ON, April 1, 2026 — The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is pleased to announce that Connor Armour of the Pickering Panthers has been voted the 2025-26 OJHL Coach of the Year.
Armour, who serves as Head Coach of the Panthers, was selected by his peers in recognition of an exceptional season behind the Pickering bench. Under his guidance, the Panthers posted a record of 35-16-2 and as of last night, have made it to the Conference Finals for the first time since their Championship winning season in 2022.
Armour came to the Panthers during the 2025-26 season as head coach, after two playoff runs as head coach of the Cobourg Cougars where he also played three seasons, one with the C. Armour has quickly made his mark on the Pickering organization since taking the reins. His commitment to the growth and well-being of his players, both on and off the ice, has been a hallmark of his tenure with the Panthers and a defining reason for their success in 2025-26.
“In his first year with our organization, he has consistently demonstrated an exceptional attitude and a meticulous approach to coaching” said Sean Meyers, General Manager of the Pickering Panthers. “The energy he brings to the rink—and the standard he instills in our players—has been truly impactful and a key contributor to our success this season. On behalf of the Panthers, I would like to extend our congratulations to Connor on this outstanding achievement. Congrats, Arms!”
The OJHL Coach of the Year Award is presented annually to the coach who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, player development, and overall excellence in guiding their team throughout the regular season and beyond.
Armour 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 2025-26 award winners throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs.
TOMORROW: General Manager 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. A proud member of the CJHL 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 U SPORTS, the NCAA, CHL, minor pro ranks and the NHL, the OJHL had more than 135 commitments in 2024-25, including 54 to NCAA Division 1 and 29 to the Ontario Hockey League. In addition, the OJHL had 39 OHL Affiliate Players who played 152 OHL games. Thirty OJHL alumni are playing in the NHL at the start of the 2025-26 season.
