Oakville's Dima Zhilkin Commits To The University Of Michigan

Dima Zhilkin is going to Michigan. The 17-year-old from Oakville, now captain of the OHL's Saginaw Spirit, has committed to play for the University of Michigan Wolverines beginning in the 2027-28 season, according to multiple reports.

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reported the commitment over the weekend. Wheeler has Zhilkin as his seventh-ranked prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft and a likely Team Canada pick for the World Juniors this December.

The season behind that ranking: 75 points in 59 games, one of the best lines in the OHL, plus the Saginaw captaincy, which he was handed halfway through the year. He also scored five goals and put up seven points in five games for Canada at the U-18 World Hockey Championships in Slovakia.

Because the commitment starts in 2027-28, Zhilkin stays in Saginaw for his draft year. Most projections have him going inside the top 10 in 2027, and a year in the NCAA against older players is meant to smooth the step up to pro hockey after that.

He is part of a larger shift of CHL players choosing the NCAA. One of them is another Oakville kid: Ethan Belchetz recently committed to Michigan State, which turns the two of them into rivals.