Roster management may be an under-appreciated skill in the Ontario Hockey League. As it turns out, just about every team appears to be in good shape as the new season dawns. Of course, there are some teams that will have to move overage players, and others waiting for the chance to add a veteran presence. So, who has what? And what interesting scenarios exist? Your pre-season roster breakdown is here.

The coaching announcement this off-season in Oshawa was probably the most notable given the sudden and surprising dismissal of Todd Miller late last season. The Gens went out and found themselves a bench boss with deep experience, whose last stop was the NHL. In Niagara, under new ownership, the Ice Dogs naturally had to bring in a new coaching team, while the storied Kitchener Rangers introduced the 24th coach in their franchise history. We pore over the resumes, discuss the impacts, and even hint at how this might be a good sign for the health of the league, in today's episode.

Take a look back on the impact OHL'ers had on this summer's Hlinka/Gretzky and World Junior Hockey tournaments. Plus, the debate around pitiful attendance and how Mason McTavish may have saved more than just the gold medal for Team Canada.

It's no secret that the culture of hockey needs a reckoning. That doesn't mean that all is lost or that the game has nothing to offer. It's our shared passion for the game that should motivate us to advocate for meaningful change. This episode takes a deep dive into how we got here, how the culture of the game today makes it exclusionary and, most importantly, talks about ways we can move forward. We can all play a role in this and having some uncomfortable conversations is one of the first steps forward we can take.

Shane Wright's fall to 4th wasn't the only surprise in Montreal. Plus, where your favourite player got drafted might have implications on whether you see him play in the OHL again. Oh, and the teams that continue to graduate prospects to the pros. It's all in your mid-summer, snack-sized pod.

From high school hockey in Caledon, to U-Sports at York, to the AHL's Chicago Wolves, and the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, Chris Dennis's coaching resume reads like a guy who was born to coach. After spending the 2021-2022 OHL season beside Marty Williamson on the bench in Barrie, Dennis has been named the 24th head coach in Kitchener Rangers history. Working alongside Hall of Fame names like Quinn, Carlyle, and Wilson, Dennis shares what he's learned along the way and his philosophy for building a junior hockey champion. Meantime, Mike McKenzie moves back to the front office after amassing a winning percentage of near 0.600 in two years behind the Rangers bench. Arguably his preferred role, McKenzie is no stranger to making a splash when he sees a deal that can improve his team. Will this be the duo that can bring Kitchener its first Memorial Cup since 2003?

A Kitchener kid who got to step behind an OHL bench with his hometown team. But it was not a direct path. Paul Fixter was destined for law school when a coaching opportunity came up with the OHL’s Cornwall Royals and once the coaching bug bit, there was no turning back. The path led Fixter to the NHL, where he worked with some of the biggest stars in the game…and won two Stanley Cups. The story of how he landed his first NHL job is as funny as it is entertaining, and Fixter is even laughing a little now when he looks back at an incident while coaching in Sudbury that he regrets to this day. He’s frank, he’s honest, and it’s a wonder he hasn’t found a place back in the game somewhere.

After his rookie season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Wayne Groulx racked up three straight 100-plus-point seasons.

He played with wingers named Bob Probert, Rick Tocchet, and Ron Francis.

In his final year in the Ontario Hockey League, 1985, Groulx and his ‘Hounds won the OHL Championship. Groulx earned the Red Tilson Trophy as Most Outstanding Player.

Drafted in the ninth round by the Quebec Nordiques, the Welland native played just one game In the NHL, in the Montreal Forum, against the Canadiens.

From there, Groulx went overseas becoming a star in the Austrian Hockey League in the late 1990’s. Later, his son Daylon would follow in his footsteps playing in the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack and the Ottawa 67’s.

Once a member of the Kingston Frontenacs, Joel Washkurak has stories to burn. He's since found jobs scouting for the Ottawa 67's, but he may be more well known to Farwell as the stand-out of the Conestoga Condors. For many, though, he will be remembered as someone who played with grit and tenacity, and who was disliked by the opposition. "Washer" has an abundance of stories that will make your head spin on OHL Stories.

After spending 2.5 years in Kingston, Tony Iob was traded to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds where he won two straight Ontario Hockey League Championships. After failing to win a game in his first trip to the Memorial Cup, Iob and the Hounds made it to a heartbreaking Memorial Cup Final against Scott Niedermayer and the Kamloops Blazers. Iob would go on to play a couple seasons pro in North America before heading overseas. After an 18 year pro career, representing Italy in the Olympics, and many World Championships the love of the game still runs deep in the former OHL tough guy