A former Milton Menace star is heading to the NHL.
Forward Ryder Cali was selected by the Florida Panthers with the 48th overall pick (second round) in the 2026 NHL Draft on Saturday, June 27th.
Cali spent the 2024-2025 season with the Menace in the OJHL. He was a prominent part of the offence at just 16-years-old, scoring 24 goals and adding 30 assists in 51 games played. In the team’s run to the OJHL Finals, Cali contributed six goals and seven assists across 20 playoff games.
With the NCAA opening the door to CHL players, Cali made the jump to the North Bay Battalion in the OHL in 2025-2026. He went on to score 16 goals and 20 assists in 47 games played at the higher level. At 6’2″, 218lbs, Cali is praised for his size, tenacity, and high skill level.
Turning 18 years old on September 6th, Cali is one of the youngest prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft. That also means he’s finally eligible to head to the NCAA. Panthers fans will be rooting for the Swiss-born, Canadian-raised player at Providence College, where he is expected to fill out and compete for several years before making an expected jump to professional hockey.
Congratulations, Ryder! Milton is very proud of you.
If you have a news tip or story idea, you can now send us a heads up via email at:
- News1013@LocalRadio.ca (Milton)
- News1015@LocalRadio.ca (Orangeville)
- News92@LocalRadio.ca (South Simcoe)
- Rick.Sargent@LocalRadio.ca (Bolton)
If you’d like to get ahold of me personally, shoot me a message at Cameron.Wilkinson@LocalRadio.ca. We’re in the business of content creation, so no idea is a bad idea.
