The Ontario Hockey League off-season is five days old, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been busy.
While player signings in recent days have somewhat dominated the headlines, team personnel have also made the news, including a longtime OHL coach inking a contract extension.
Though the organization has a new general manager in place in Spencer Hyman, the Brantford Bulldogs will have a familiar face on the bench under contract until 2028.
The team announced on Friday that coach Jay McKee has signed a contract extension that will take him through the 2027-28 OHL season.
McKee was reportedly in the mix as a potential candidate to fill the vacant head coach position with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, a job that eventually went to Rick Tocchet.
Hyman called the Bulldogs “incredibly lucky and fortunate” that McKee signed the three-year contract extension.
A former NHL defenceman with over 800 games under his belt, McKee’s coaching career began as an assistant at Niagara University in 2010-11 before he joined the American Hockey League’s Rochester Americans as an assistant for one season (2011-12).
The following year, McKee joined the OHL’s Erie Otters as an assistant coach. He was then hired by the Rangers in 2015, spending one season as an associate coach before taking over the head coach position in 2015-16. McKee stayed in Kitchener until he was let go 21 games into the 2019-20 season.
McKee was hired by the Bulldogs in the summer of 2021 and won an OHL title with the organization in his first season.
With an opening for a new head coach, the Niagara IceDogs announced this week that Frank Evola has been hired by the organization as its new general manager.
Evola joins the team after a nine-year run with the Windsor Spitfires that included holding the role of director of scouting and hockey operations.
Prior to joining the Spitfires, Evola played an integral role in the Oshawa Generals 2015 OHL championship during his nine years with the Eastern Conference team.
SIGNING ON THE DOTTED LINE
The past week has seen a number of players with NCAA commitments sign with OHL teams.
On Friday, the North Bay Battalion announced that 18-year-old defenceman Brandt Harper has signed with the organization.
The Tampa, Fla. native spent the 2024-25 season with the United States Hockey League’s Des Moines Buccaneers and has a commitment to the University of Michigan for the 2026-27 season.
On Thursday, the aforementioned Bulldogs signed a second generation player in forward Caleb Malhotra.
Malhotra, who is committed to Boston University for the 2026-27 season, spend the 2024-25 season with the British Columbia Hockey League’s Chilliwack Chiefs.
Malhotra was originally drafted by Kingston Frontenacs initially in the opening round of the 2024 draft before his rights were traded to Brantford in September 2024.
Malhotra is the son of former OHL star and longtime NHLer Manny.
The Bulldogs have also signed American forward Cooper Dennis, who has a commitment to Michigan for the fall of 2026.
A pair of teammates with the USHL’s Chicago Steel signed with OHL clubs this week as well.
Defenceman Callum Croskery, a Boston College commit for 2027-28 has signed with the Soo Greyhounds after being selected by the team in the second round of the 2024 draft.
Forward Adam Valentini, who was drafted by the Brampton Steelheads in the opening round of the 2024 draft has signed with the Kitchener Rangers. The Rangers acquired Valentini’s rights in a trade last fall. Valentini is committed to Michigan and is slated to begin there in the fall of 2026.
The Erie Otters looked to free agency and signed Northern Michigan University commit Luc Plante.
Plante spent the 2024-25 season with the North American Hockey League’s Fairbanks IceDogs.
Meanwhile, the Sarnia Sting have signed second round pick Sarvir Jaworski.
Jaworski, drafted earlier this spring, is from Iowa and spent the 2024-25 season with Detroit Little Caesars.
