With the regular season over and the puck set to drop on Playoffs, that means the Road to #RedHats is officially on. Here is the sixth and final edition of the OMHA U16 and U18 AAA Rankings and Players to Watch presented by Hudl for this season.
U16 AAA Rankings
Players to Watch
Colten Sixsmith (Burlington Eagles): Tied for the team-lead in points despite being a defenceman, Burlington Eagles’ Colten Sixsmith is the latest OMHA West U16 AAA player to be featured.
A big body blueliner with a smooth stride and hard shot, Sixsmith has logged heavy minutes for the Eagles this season. Playing a major part creating offence, Sixsmith sits third in the OMHA scoring among defencemen with an impressive 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) in 34 games. Sixsmith was named to the OHL Top Prospects Game last month in Peterborough.
Matthew Taylor (Ajax-Pickering Raiders): An important piece to the Ajax-Pickering Raiders U16 team this season. The centre has been one of the most dynamic forwards in the OMHA this season. Taylor is an intelligent forward with a release that is accurate and precise, using it to terrorize goaltenders and is always looking to generate high-quality opportunities for himself and his teammates.
The Raiders forward has formed strong chemistry with Shea Huinink (featured in October’s Players to Watch), as the two have been one of the more dynamic duos in the OMHA this season. Taylor also attended the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects game this past month in Peterborough.
U18 AAA Rankings
Players to Watch
Garrett Jones (Peterborough Jr. Petes): One of the most prolific offensive players in all of U18 this season, Peterborough Jr. Petes forward Garrett Jones has been doing lots of the heavy lifting for the team.
A draft pick of the Saginaw Spirit, Jones is a tenacious centre that plays in all situations for the Petes. The younger sibling of Graydon (a U16 OMHA champion with the Petes in 2023), Garrett is an elite offensive player, with the ability to both create for himself but also make his teammates around him better.
Jones will play a key role for the Petes as they look to book their ticket to OMHA Championships, as well as being a big part of the team that will be hosting this year’s Telus Cup.
Zaiden Hraiche (Burlington Eagles): The regular season scoring champion in the OMHA U18 AAA division this season, Burlington Eagles forward Zaiden Hraiche ran away with the title, collecting eight more points than the second leading scorer.
Finishing the regular season with 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) in 33 games, Hraiche brings a combination of size, speed and skill to the ice, generating offensive opportunities when he has the puck on his stick.
Hraiche was a major reason in Burlington’s first place finish in the OMHA West standings and will need to continue his strong play to help Burlington book a ticket to Peterborough for the OMHA Championships.