Even by CHL standards, the Mississauga Steelheads have seen more than their fair share of roster turnover in the last three seasons.

Accordingly, everyone kept their expectations in check coming into the 2023-24 season.

Luke Misa had other plans though. He wasted no time in changing that dynamic.

With Misa leading the way, the Steelheads picked up 10 wins in October and surged to the top of the standings. He was rattling off multi-point games every week and was the first 2024 NHL Draft-eligible OHLer to reach the 20-point mark on the season. 

When the campaign finally came to a close, Misa had almost doubled his production from a year prior, led the Steelheads in scoring, and set both career and franchise milestones in the process. 

Though his draft-eligible OHL peers eventually caught up to him, Misa finished the season fourth in draft-eligible scoring, with the third-best points-per-game rate. 

It was an offensive explosion that nobody saw coming – not even yours truly, though I suspected Misa’s game was trending in a positive direction back in February 2023 with increased minutes and a top-six role: “It will be interesting to see what he can do with a full season of being the team’s No. 1 centre, but if this recent stretch is any indication, Misa could be in for a big draft season.”

And boy, did he ever deliver.