There is no greater honor in Major Canadian Junior Hockey than to be granted Exceptional status, meaning the CHL (Comprised of OHL, WHL, QMJHL), will allow a player to play in those leagues before the age of 16. As of June of 2024, just 9 players in CHL History have been granted exceptional status, today i’ll be going over all of their careers thus far, as well as who the next exceptional player could be.
C John Tavares – Oshawa Generals (OHL), 2005
Tavares was the first player that the CHL granted exceptional status to, after a thorough investigation of Tavares as a person on and off the ice, he was evaluated mentally, emotionally, and academically to determine weather or not the 15 year old could handle the pressure of going to the CHL a year early. These investigations became the normal for other prospects applying for exceptional status. But back to Tavares, after putting up 373 points in 182 games in U15, U16, and OPJHL hockey from 2003-2005, the CHL granted him exceptional status ahead of the 2005-2006 season with the Oshawa Generals, where Tavares went on to put up crazy numbers, 72 goals and 134 total points in the 2006-07 season before being traded to the London Knights the season after, and still putting up insane numbers. Going into the 2009 NHL Draft it was a no brainer at the time that the New York Islanders select him with the first overall selection, and that’s what they did. Tavares played for the Islanders from 2009-2018. He helped the Islanders break a drought of multiple decades of not getting past the first round of the playoffs with His OT Heroics against the Florida Panthers. The former Islander captain signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency ahead of the 2018-19 season. Tavares though he left New York for Toronto in a move that surprised many, he went to play for his hometown team and has delivered in some huge moments, including ending another playoff streak. He broke Toronto’s drought of not making it out of round 1, as his OT Winner against Tampa Bay last year helped the Leafs break through. Tavares, now the captain of the Maple Leafs, will hit free agency again next summer and is likely to stay in Toronto. He was more than deserving of the first exceptional status, and he lived up to the hype.
D Aaron Ekblad – Barrie Colts (OHL), 2011
Ekblad was the second player to be granted exceptional status, and the first defenseman to achieve it. Ekblad didn’t achieve the type of point totals in U15 Hockey that Tavares did as a defenseman, but Ekblad was a physically mature player when he was granted exceptional status, he filled into his frame as a true two-way defenseman with Norris caliber upside. Ekblad filled into not only a unit of a player, standing at 6’3 at just 15 years old, became an anchor on the Barrie Colts defense in the 3 years he spent in the OHL. Ekblad was selected First overall in the 2014 NHL Draft to the Florida Panthers, to the surprise of nobody at that time. A big reason why Ekblad also got exceptional status was because of his leadership ability and his quality of character and work ethic, something that the CHL considers greatly when considering applicants for Exceptional Status. Ekblad didn’t exactly become the elite two-way defenseman that was expected of him in the sense of being a big-time point producer and Norris trophy winner. He is a very good defensive defenseman, though he didn’t put up insane offensive numbers throughout his career, with a career high 57 points in the 2021-22 season, he is without a doubt a very good player, and has been very good and consistent since coming into the league. Though he’s dealt with some injuries in recent years, Florida does not and should not regret their selection at all.
C Connor McDavid – Erie Otters, 2012
We arrive to Connor McDavid, just one year after Aaron Ekblad. McDavid and Ekblad were dubbed the next “great ones” after both being granted exceptional status in back to back seasons. McDavid walked into the OHL as its best player, and his brilliance continued through his entire junior career. His path to getting drafted was very controversial, mainly because the Buffalo Sabres who had the highest odds to land him during the 2015 Draft Lottery, ended up not landing him. It was the Edmonton Oilers who jumped both the Arizona Coyotes and the aforementioned Sabres to earn the rights to select Connor McDavid. McDavids first years in the NHL were elite. He was over a point-per-game in his first season in the NHL, and has been among the top point producers in the game since the 2016-17 season, his first full campaign. McDavid’s accolades speak for themselves, 5 time Art Ross trophy winner, 4 time Ted Lindsay award winner, 3 time Hart Trophy winner, and a Rocket Richard trophy winner. McDavid helped his team get to the Stanley Cup finals this past season. Though they fell in 5 games to the Florida Panthers, losing to Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid is not only one of the best and most skilled players in the game currently, he is on track to become one of the best if not the best player in this era of hockey since he came into the league. McDavid has been exceptional (no pun intended) at every stage of his amateur and pro hockey career, and he still has a lot of hockey left being only 27.
D Sean Day – Mississauga Steelheads, 2013
Sean Day was the first interesting case of players who were granted exceptional status. It looked very good for him early on, when he was granted Exceptional Status, as he stood 6’3 and 220 points as a 14 year old. There was no doubt at the time that he was going to be a fantastic NHLer. His size and skill and his hockey IQ were aspects of his game that many raved about. Particularly his skating, many think that his skating ability is what put him on the radar to be considered. Though in hindsight, the prospect evaluation community may have overestimated his talent and ability based on his size. Day going into his draft year didn’t have a lot going his way. The pressure of being an exceptional status player reportedly started to effect him on and off the ice, and there was an incident that occurred, I won’t describe it in detail out of respect for the Day family. But the extensive media coverage about the incident rightfully so had an effect on Sean Day. His draft stock plummeted going into the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, falling to the 3rd round and being selected by the New York Rangers 81st overall. The only exceptional status player to date to be selected outside the first round. Day never grew into the player he was expected to, he has only appeared in 2 NHL games in his professional career, both with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021-22 season. Day, the last few years he has found a home with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, the AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
LW Joe Veleno – Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL), 2015
Joe Veleno was the first player who got exceptional status into the QMJHL, and he was a guy who didn’t have the youth hockey numbers of his predecessors, but was still granted exceptional status. Veleno’s hockey IQ and his overall sense of the game was a big part of the reason he was granted exceptional status. Veleno put up some good numbers in the Q but he didn’t put up the numbers he was expected to until his draft year, where he put up 79 points in 64 games, this led him to be selected 30th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2018 Entry Draft. and put up a 42-goal 104 point season the year after he was drafted before turning pro. Veleno since has carved out a solid role in the NHL, now being a consistent contributor to the Detroit Red Wings middle-six. After Veleno was granted the exceptional status, it had many people questioning weather the CHL should ever consider giving out Exceptional Status again, after back to back players who did not live up the exceptional expectations of the previous players who were given it with him and Sean Day..
C Shane Wright – Kingston Frontenacs (OHL), 2019
Shane Wright has the Youth hockey stats alone to justify his exceptional status, putting up 2 fantastic seasons playing for Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA Team before being granted exceptional status to the Kingston Frontenacs. He was right at home playing for Kingston, putting up 66 points in 58 games. He had a good showint at the world juniors putting up 7 points in 5 games. then followed it up by putting up 94 points in 63 OHL games, then 14 points in 5 World Junior Championship Tournament games for Team Canada ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft. Wright was without a doubt the odds-on favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2022 Draft, which was won by the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal selected Juraj Slafkovsky first overall, Wright fell to 4th overall after New Jersey selected Simon Nemec, and Arizona (Now Utah) selected Logan Cooley. The Seattle Kraken ran to the stage to select Shane Wright, who last year put up 47 points in 59 AHL Games for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and Wright projects likely to be on the Kraken’s roster next season, pairing him with fellow top 5 pick Matty Beniers. The jury is still out on this one long term, but Wright is projected to make a big impact for the Kraken and I believe he was very deserving of his exceptional status.
C Connor Bedard – Regina Pats (WHL), 2020
Connor Bedard was the first player to be granted exceptional status by the Western Hockey League. There were people back in 2017/2018 that were already pegging Bedard as a future top overall selection in the NHL Draft when he was eligible. His great skating ability and his shot are the top aspects of his game that made him stand out. As he got older, his hockey IQ and overall maturity was something people raved about especially heading into his draft year. Bedard played for the Regina Pats from 2021 to 2023, putting up 2 100 point campaigns, including a 71 goal, 143 point season in his draft year as the captain of the Regina Pats. Connor Bedard entered the 2023 NHL Entry Draft as not only the top prospect in his draft class by a landslide, he also was slated as the next generational prospect. The next Connor McDavid, the next John Tavares, the next Sidney Crosby. These types of expectations can do a number on a young player. But in his rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks, it didn’t seem to affect him too much. Bedard put up 61 points in 68 games played, and is a franchise altering player that Chicago has been looking for since the decline of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Teows, and it seems they have found the guy. Bedard could be one of the best players in the league within a year or two. Still at only 18 years old, Bedard was definitely deserving of the WHL Exceptional status he was granted.
C Michael Misa – Saginaw Spirit (OHL), 2022
Michael Misa applied for and was subsequently granted exceptional status after breaking Connor McDavid’s point record at the OHL Cup, Misa recorded 20 points in 7 games, just beating McDavid’s record of 19. He was selected first overall in the 2022 OHL Draft by the Saginaw Spirit, and instantly became one of their best players. Over the last two seasons he has played well over a point-per-game pace. Putting up 56 points in 45 games during his rookie year, and 75 points in 67 games this past season. Though Misa hasn’t exactly been lighting up the stat sheet like guys like Bedard or McDavid did, but he is putting up some very good production, and it could only get better going into his draft year next year. Misa helped Saginaw win the Memorial Cup this past season, defeating the OHL’s London Knights in the finals. Misa is a top prospect in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, and as of right now he’s projected to be the 2nd best prospect in his draft class. Misa I believe will be a very good NHLer at the next level, he has a solid shot with a very good playmaking ability, something I think will only improve as time goes on.
D Landon DuPont – Everett Silvertips (WHL), 2024
We arrive to Landon DuPont, the most recent player to have been granted Exceptional Status. DuPont becomes the 3rd defenseman, and the 2nd player to the WHL to have received exceptional status. He was selected First overall in the WHL draft just weeks after being given his exceptional status by the Everett Silvertips. He is the lone player on the list who hasn’t played CHL hockey yet. But that makes sense considering he was granted his status just a few months ago, and after putting up 62 points in 30 games for Edge School U18 Prep, he is poised to make the leap to the WHL. at the start of next season for Everett. DuPont is eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft, and he will enter the WHL at just 15 years old, and projects to be a top offensive defenseman by the time he gets to the NHL.
Who Could be Next?
There are countless players who didn’t have exceptional status who were top picks who still carved out fantastic careers, like Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos for example, but who could the 10th member of the Exceptional Status club be? It is a very hard thing to try to predict, but this is my best guess.
F Maddox Shultz – 2025, NHL Draft Eligible 2028
On April 29th of this year, Maddox Shultz was granted exceptional status by Hockey Saskatchewan to go to the U18 level at just 14 years old, and a CHL Exceptional Status could be given as well. Shultz put up an unprecedented 63 goals and 134 points in just 27 games for the Regina Pats Blues U15 AA, and recorded 2 points in 5 games at the U18 level to end his season. If Maddox Shultz is to be given exceptional status by the CHL and likely into the Western Hockey League, it would likely happen next summer, as he will be 15 years old and thus would enter the WHL 1 year ahead of the rest of his age group. There is no telling weather or not he will receive or even apply for CHL Exceptional Status, but he is my best guess as to who could be the next to be an Exceptional Status player in the CHL.
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