Scout's Notebook: 14-year-old Isaya Papineau turning heads in HEO U16

Something’s in the water in Hockey Eastern Ontario. Since its founding, the Ottawa-based league has been seeing a quiet rise in the OHL draft circuit, seeing a larger share of its prospects taken in the OHL Priority Selection with every subsequent year in their recent history. 

While already producing notable prospects like Cole Beaudoin, Nathan Villeneuve, Harry Nansi, and Quinn Beauschene, who all heard their names in the last two NHL drafts, it was Kaden McGregor’s fantastic campaign last year that put the HEO on the map. He became the league’s highest selected player in history when the Peterborough Petes took him first overall in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection.

Building on that trajectory coming into the 2025-26 season, there are now a lot more eyes on the HEO. The league has continual