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Ottawa 67s Two Players Head to NHL Rookie Camps This Week
Two Ottawa 67’s prospects are leaving the OHL for NHL rookie camps this week. Defenceman Kaleb Dietsch will join the Ottawa Senators, while forward Nic Whitehead will attend the Toronto Maple Leafs’ camp as a free‑agent invitee for the 2026 NHL Prospect Challenge at the Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau.
Dietsch, a 6‑foot‑3, 210‑pound native of Niagara on the Lake, is entering his fourth season with the 67’s. Over the past two seasons he has played 112 games, notching four assists in 2024‑25 and 15 points (2 goals, 13 assists) in 51 games during 2025‑26. Drafted by Ottawa in the third round of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, he has accumulated 87 penalty minutes in his OHL career and has voiced a desire to grow his physical presence on the ice. Dietsch also said he wants to improve his puck handling and defensive play, aiming to become a more confident leader for the 67’s.
Whitehead, 5‑foot‑10 and 170 pounds, is likewise a fourth‑year player for Ottawa. He finished the 2025‑26 season with 25 goals and 38 assists for 63 points in 64 games, earning a plus‑36 rating. In 182 OHL games, he has 36 goals and 69 assists for 105 points. Selected in Ottawa’s second round of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, Whitehead has worked on his physical game during the off‑season with his uncle, former football player Tim Green. He has expressed a goal of becoming a reliable offensive contributor and a dependable presence in the defensive zone.
The Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs are not the only NHL teams represented at the Prospect Challenge. The event will also feature prospects from the Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets. The tournament runs on September 12 and 13 at the Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Quebec. The Senators will face the Leafs on Saturday at 6 p.m., followed by a game against the Canadiens on Sunday at 6 p.m.
Sam Gagner, the Senators’ director of player development, said the tournament offers a “pressure‑packed environment” that can help prospects transition into main camp. He cited the success of defenceman Carter Yakemchuk last year as an example of how a strong rookie camp can prepare a player for the NHL.
In addition to Dietsch and Whitehead, four drafted 67’s players will also attend the camps. Spencer Bowes will join the New York Rangers, David Bedkowski will attend the Buffalo Sabres camp, Filip Ekberg will be with the Carolina Hurricanes, and Ondrej Ruml will attend the Colorado Avalanche camp.
The 67’s season will begin on September 17 with a game in Peterborough against the Petes. The team will play in Kingston on September 20, return to Peterborough on September 26, and open its first home game on September 27 against the Sarnia Sting.
The Ottawa 67’s have a history of developing NHL talent, and the prospect challenge is the latest opportunity for the team’s top players to showcase their abilities to professional clubs. The camps will provide the 67’s prospects with a chance to compete against peers from other OHL teams and to demonstrate their readiness for the next level.
As the 2026‑27 NHL season approaches, the Ottawa 67’s and their prospects will continue to be monitored closely by scouts and front‑office personnel. The outcomes of the rookie camps and the Prospect Challenge could influence roster decisions, contract negotiations, and the trajectory of the 67’s future talent pipeline.
The Ottawa 67’s organization remains focused on player development and preparing its prospects for professional careers. The upcoming camps and the Prospect Challenge will be key milestones in that process, offering a glimpse of the next generation of players who may soon represent the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, or other NHL franchises.
Dietsch, a 6‑foot‑3, 210‑pound native of Niagara on the Lake, is entering his fourth season with the 67’s. Over the past two seasons he has played 112 games, notching four assists in 2024‑25 and 15 points (2 goals, 13 assists) in 51 games during 2025‑26. Drafted by Ottawa in the third round of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, he has accumulated 87 penalty minutes in his OHL career and has voiced a desire to grow his physical presence on the ice. Dietsch also said he wants to improve his puck handling and defensive play, aiming to become a more confident leader for the 67’s.
Whitehead, 5‑foot‑10 and 170 pounds, is likewise a fourth‑year player for Ottawa. He finished the 2025‑26 season with 25 goals and 38 assists for 63 points in 64 games, earning a plus‑36 rating. In 182 OHL games, he has 36 goals and 69 assists for 105 points. Selected in Ottawa’s second round of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, Whitehead has worked on his physical game during the off‑season with his uncle, former football player Tim Green. He has expressed a goal of becoming a reliable offensive contributor and a dependable presence in the defensive zone.
The Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs are not the only NHL teams represented at the Prospect Challenge. The event will also feature prospects from the Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets. The tournament runs on September 12 and 13 at the Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Quebec. The Senators will face the Leafs on Saturday at 6 p.m., followed by a game against the Canadiens on Sunday at 6 p.m.
Sam Gagner, the Senators’ director of player development, said the tournament offers a “pressure‑packed environment” that can help prospects transition into main camp. He cited the success of defenceman Carter Yakemchuk last year as an example of how a strong rookie camp can prepare a player for the NHL.
In addition to Dietsch and Whitehead, four drafted 67’s players will also attend the camps. Spencer Bowes will join the New York Rangers, David Bedkowski will attend the Buffalo Sabres camp, Filip Ekberg will be with the Carolina Hurricanes, and Ondrej Ruml will attend the Colorado Avalanche camp.
The 67’s season will begin on September 17 with a game in Peterborough against the Petes. The team will play in Kingston on September 20, return to Peterborough on September 26, and open its first home game on September 27 against the Sarnia Sting.
The Ottawa 67’s have a history of developing NHL talent, and the prospect challenge is the latest opportunity for the team’s top players to showcase their abilities to professional clubs. The camps will provide the 67’s prospects with a chance to compete against peers from other OHL teams and to demonstrate their readiness for the next level.
As the 2026‑27 NHL season approaches, the Ottawa 67’s and their prospects will continue to be monitored closely by scouts and front‑office personnel. The outcomes of the rookie camps and the Prospect Challenge could influence roster decisions, contract negotiations, and the trajectory of the 67’s future talent pipeline.
The Ottawa 67’s organization remains focused on player development and preparing its prospects for professional careers. The upcoming camps and the Prospect Challenge will be key milestones in that process, offering a glimpse of the next generation of players who may soon represent the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, or other NHL franchises.
