Name: Michael Misa
Position: Center
Team: Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
2024-25:
Games Played: 65
Goals: 62
Assists: 72
Points: 134
PIM: 45
Plus-Minus: +45
NHL Central Scouting Ranking: 2nd, North American Skaters
Michael Misa had an exceptional season this past year.
Misa led the Ontario Hockey League in scoring with 134 points (62G, 72A) and established career-highs in goals (62), assists (72) power-play goals (21), game-winners (11) and a plus-45 rating. He captained the Saginaw Spirit and earned the OHL Red Tilson Award for the Most Outstanding Player in the 2024-25 campaign.
The individual hardware is in addition to the Memorial Cup Misa won with the Spirit in 2024, where he contributed five assists in five games in the tournament.
Misa also shifted back to center this season after playing his first two OHL seasons on the wing.
The Oakville, ON native was taken first overall as a 15-year-old in the 2022 OHL Draft. At 15, Hockey Canada granted Misa Exceptional Player Status, which allows underage players to enter the Canadian junior ranks early. Misa became the eighth player to receive this designation since the rule was established in 2005, following John Tavares (2005), Aaron Ekblad (2011), Connor McDavid (2012), Sean Day (2013), Joe Veleno (2015), Shane Wright (2019) and Connor Bedard (2020). In his first OHL season, he recorded 22 goals and 56 points in 45 games, earning the OHL Rookie of the Year Award.
Misa’s older brother Luke was selected 150th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 2024 NHL Draft and plays for the OHL Brampton Steelheads.
Misa on his game:
"My playmaking is probably my strongest asset. I'd give it to my speed and shot too. Those three things are something I look to take with me to the next level, and I think it's going to help my game a lot."
"Coming into this year, I've just tried to round out my game with that 200-foot player. Offensively, I like to make plays, I got good hockey IQ, I just like to make players around me better. Defensively, I've tried to become more reliable and just be harder on the puck defensively, to make myself that 200-foot player."
Who Misa models his game after:
"Kirill Kaprizov and Nikita Kucherov. I do know they are both wingers, but I think what they do on the ice I can relate to in a lot of ways. The way they drive themselves offensively, their playmaking ability, when I watch them, I can hopefully see myself like in the future."
Misa on moving back to center
"Coming to the OHL, I primarily played wing my first two years. Ultimately I wanted to make that jump back to center and it helped my confidence level a lot. I just feel a lot more comfortable down the middle, I got a lot more puck touches and just carrying the play on my stick, more is definitely something that that helped me."
On the Islanders organization:
I've got to know them over the last couple days [at the Combine], I did an interview with them, went out to dinner with them. They're a great organization. They so many good players coming up. Great, young core. It's an exciting time."
