Peterborough Petes Sign 2025 First Overall Pick to OHL Standard Player Agreement

The Peterborough Petes have signed this year’s first overall pick and Jack Ferguson Award winner, Kaden McGregor, to an OHL Standard Player Agreement (SPA) on Thursday evening. 

McGregor (left) with Oke (right) after the former was first introduced to the Peterborough public less than 24 hours after being drafted. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“We’re very excited to announce that we’ve signed Kaden McGregor to an SPA,” said Michael Oke, general manager and vice president of operations. “Kaden is a player that myself and other members of our staff had the chance to watch a lot last season as he led the Ottawa Valley Titans to an HEO Championship. He’s somebody that we feel has the characteristics and drive that it takes to be a Peterborough Pete and we’re looking forward to seeing him on the ice at training camp next week.”

The Braeside native captained the Ottawa Valley Titans U16 AAA to a league title this past season with a 29-2-1 record. In 29 regular-season games, he scored a league-leading 38 goals and added a league-best 44 assists for 82 points. McGregor also led the playoffs in scoring, picking up 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in nine games, leading the Titans to an HEO Championship and a berth in the OHL Cup. He was named the 2025 HEO Player of the year, joining former Petes first-round pick and Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish, who won the award in 2019.

“I'm humbled and honoured to be that first overall selection for the Peterborough Petes,” said McGregor in a prior interview. “I think it shows a lot about how great this organization is and how well the coaching staff and Board of Directors is. I just want to thank them again for putting their faith in me and I won't let them down.”

In the OHL Cup, McGregor finished third in scoring with three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 5 games, helping the Titans to a quarterfinal finish. He was named to the tournament All-Star team, becoming the only player on this past year’s All-Star team not to make the finals. The Petes selected McGregor with the first pick in April’s OHL Priority Selection, making him the first player ever to be selected by the Petes with the number one pick.

“Kaden is a complete two-way centre that isn’t easy to play against because he is always moving his feet and he competes hard each and every shift he has,” said Darrell Woodley, OHL director of hockey development. “He is a powerful skater that can get up to top speed quickly and has another gear that many players don’t have. He has a very good skill set that allows him to generate offense for himself well. He is a dog on a bone when it comes to forechecking and how hard he competes, he rarely takes a shift off and you notice all the time. Physically he looks mature and his game will translate well to the next level.”

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