Kade O’Rourke could soon make OHL history.
The Texas-born, 15-year-old defenceman has applied for exceptional status in the OHL for next season, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Hockey Night in Canada’s Saturday Headlines segment.
Exceptional status is granted to players below the age of 16, allowing them to join the league a year early.
If he does receive permission, O’Rourke would become the first pure-born American player to receive exceptional status in the OHL. Sean Day was a dual citizen of Canada and the United States when he received his exceptional status in 2013.
“A number of people I spoke to this week said there is no question he’s ready,” Friedman said of O’Rourke.
O’Rourke moved to Toronto to play in the Greater Toronto Hockey League four years ago at the age of 11.
This season, he led the Toronto Jr. Canadiens to the OHL Cup final, but they fell in the final to the Detroit HoneyBaked on Saturday.
O’Rourke scored 10 points in the tournament, including a sensational goal in the semifinals. He was also named a tournament all-star.
The OHL Draft is on June 12th, so any decision on his status will have to be made before then. The Oshawa Generals own the No. 1 pick.
Along with Day, John Tavares (2005), Aaron Ekblad (2011), Connor McDavid (2012), Shane Wright (2019) and Michael Misa (2022) are the other players to be granted exceptional status in the OHL.
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