Go, go, go, Johnny be good
The Spitfires have officially signed their first round pick from the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft to a standard scholarship and development agreement. Forward Johnny McLaughlin, who missed most of the ’24-25 season with a knee injury, is fully recovered from surgery.
HNW & Tecumseh Eagles
Hockey News Windsor has confirmed that we are on board as a full team jersey sponsor for the Under 15 Tecumseh Eagles for the ’25-26 season. And as was reported earlier, following is the finalized roster for the U15 Eagles ahead of the ’25-26 rep level hockey season.
Spitfires pre-season slate
Four games — including a pair of home matches in nearby towns — are on the exhibition schedule for the Spitfires ahead of the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League regular season.
Spitfires crease competition
As it currently stands, the Spitfires will have four signed goalies vying for roster spots when training camp opens ahead of the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League season.
Santos to Windsor BioSteel
He is fresh from a championship season as the head coach of the Chatham Maroons of the Greater Ontario Jr. Hockey League. And now, Richard Santos is returning home to Windsor as the new head coach of the Under 16 boys prep team at BioSteel Sports Academy.
Flint increases its net worth
Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League have added a pair of proven puck stoppers to their pool of goalies. The recent additions to the Flint net are OHL veteran Mason Vaccari and 2025 National Hockey League draft pick Evgeny Prokhorov.
Import draft: 3 OHL teams
The three round, 2025 Canadian Hockey League import draft is in the books. And following is a Hockey News Windsor focus on three Ontario Hockey League teams — alphabetically, the Brantford Bulldogs, Flint Firebirds and Windsor Spitfires — and what they were able to come away with from the recent CHL import draft.
Summer breeze blows in Flint
Prevailing winds of seasonal change have been shifting through the Michigan based Ontario Hockey League town of Flint. In addition to multiple player signings of top 2025 draft picks and high end free agents and the acquisition of a veteran goalie, the Flint Firebirds have upgraded their coaching staff.
Windsor’s Makaric has Spirit
Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League has brought aboard the well prepared Kyle Makaric as a new assistant coach. A Windsor product, the 36-year old Makaric has an extensive coaching background.
NHL pick bolsters Brantford
First year general manager Spencer Hyman continues to build up the Brantford Bulldogs ahead of the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League season. Already projected to be a contender, the Bulldogs have been further bolstered via multiple off season acquisitions by Hyman, the latest being the signing of free agent defenseman Edison Engle, who was picked by the Winnipeg Jets in the sixth round of the recent National Hockey League draft.
OHL stars in NHL first round
Wow! The Ontario Hockey League issued its own statement of strength in the opening round of the 2025 National Hockey League Draft. To be sure, it was a plum performance by the OHL as no less than nine players were snapped up, including the first and second overall selections.
Ryder Boulton to Brantford
He is one of the toughest players in the Ontario Hockey League. And he is on his way to the Brantford Bulldogs via the London Knights.
Spits snag seasoned scout
Mark Seidel has been scouting hockey players since he was 20 years old. And the veteran bird dog — he will turn 55 years of age on August 25 — is bringing his scouting savvy and well known work ethic to the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.
Essex juniors via BioSteel
Area products Ethan O’Neil and Tomas Kniaziew will be staying within Essex County to continue their hockey development paths — and again as teammates — come the ’25-26 season.
Brantford Bulldogs have bite
Woof. Woof. There is fresh Ontario Hockey League ownership in Brantford led by Stuart Hyman and his sons Zach Hyman (of National Hockey League fame, in photo at left) and Spencer Hyman. All star head coach Jay McKee has a new three year contract. Not only that, the cast of players — old and young — has the Bulldogs set up rather well.
This could be the Spitfires ‘D’
They are eight deep at the defense position. And while we are still about three months away from the start of the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League regular season, the Windsor Spitfires are set up rather nicely on the back end.
St. John signs with U18 Spits
Barring a move up to an area junior B or junior C team local product Luke St. John is poised to play the ’25-26 season with the Windsor Jr. Spitfires of the Under 18 level of the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario.
Aaron Snow hockey camps
Windsor product and former Ontario Hockey League forward Aaron Snow will be holding a series of camps throughout July and August at the Vollmer Centre in LaSalle.
’08 lads of the OHL Spitfires
It already has the distinct makings of being an epic draft haul for the Windsor Spitfires. For starters, the Spitfires were the only team among the 20 members of the Ontario Hockey League to dress the maximum-per- game-allowed four 2008 birth year rookies from the 2024 priority selections draft for all 68 matches of the ’24-25 regular season.
Reyth Smith goes to the Dogs
Windsor product Reyth Smith is on the move in an off season Ontario Hockey League trade. The 6 foot 2, 175 pound forward with a 2007 birth date has been dealt by the North Bay Battalion to the Niagara IceDogs for a pair of future draft picks.
Spitfires sign sizeable Spicer
Good size, up and coming defenseman Grady Spicer has officially signed an Ontario Hockey League pact with the Windsor Spitfires.
Flint a firm fit for free agent
He has hockey bloodlines that flow deep through his father and grand father. And 2008 birth year defenseman George Komadoski can potentially play the next three or four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League for the Flint Firebirds.
Windsor adds from the Soo
Up north, the Sault Ste. Marie Major Hockey Association is losing plum players as young as 14 and 15 years old to other programs across Ontario ahead of the ’25-26 season. And it is Windsor that has proven to be a preferred course of action.
‘Great signing’ for Spitfires
He was bypassed entirely at the 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft due to a verbal commitment to Penn State University. But after being taken by the Windsor Spitfires in the fifth round of the 2025 draft, 2008 birth year forward Caden Harvey has signed with the OHL team ahead of the ’25-26 season.
Frank Evola is off to Niagara
Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League are losing their trusted director of scouting to the rival Niagara IceDogs. Hockey News Windsor has learned that Frank Evola, who has been with the Spitfires since 2017, is headed to Niagara as its new general manager.
Spitfires overage prospects
The trade route is a possibility. As is the Spitfires staying in house to utilize their three overage players (2005 birth dates) for the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League season.
Spits draft pick a track star
Skilled skater Ty Dubreuil, who the Windsor Spitfires snagged in the 14th round of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft, displayed his blazing speed and all around athleticism at the recent Northern Ontario Secondary Schools Association track and field meet.
Windsor Jr. Spitfires AGM
The date and time of the Annual General Meeting for members of the Windsor Jr. Spitfires Association — aka Windsor AAA Zone — has been confirmed.
Flint Firebirds are 3 for 3
One. Two. Three. Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League have now signed their top three picks from the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft — a forward, a defenseman, and a goalie.
Mateo Muto on the move
He has thus far risen through the ranks of the Sault Major Hockey Association. But Mateo Muto, a highly regarded 2010 birth year defenceman, has opted to depart Sault Ste. Marie effective the upcoming ’25-26 season to play at the prep level for BioSteel Sports Academy of Windsor.
Local options for Spits pick
Windsor product Luke St. John will most likely get to stay home — or close to it — for a ’25-26 season of development.
Goalies … goalie coaches
They are the goalies. They are the quirky kids. Unlike any other position, they can win or lose a hockey game on their own. Meanwhile, a good goalie coach can make a real difference for a good goalie. There are good goalie coaches out there, just as there are those who, unfortunately, are imposters.
Crew from Soo in Windsor
There is a somewhat significant Sault Ste. Marie side to the Windsor minor hockey scene among the 2010 and 2011 birth year age groups.
Net gain for OHL Firebirds
Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League have signed young goalie Mason Courville as a potential heir apparent to workhorse veteran Nathan Day.
Flint firms up first rounder
Flint Firebirds have signed 2009 birth forward Charlie Murata to an Ontario Hockey League standard player agreement. Murata was taken by Flint with the eighth pick in the first round of the 2025 OHL priority selections draft from the Don Mills Flyers of the Greater Toronto Hockey League.
Under 16 AAA Jr. Spitfires
Seasoned head coach Matt Zuccato has confirmed the roster for the AAA Under 16 Windsor Jr. Spitfires of the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario ahead of the ’25-26 season. …[read more]
Under 15 AAA Jr. Spitfires
First year head coach Nate Crankshaw of the Under 15 AAA Windsor Jr. Spitfires of the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario has confirmed his current roster ahead of the ’25-26 season.
Windsor Arena retentions
To me, they will always be the “good, old” Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. Man, so many games and players watched at Windsor Arena, the iconic old barn located at the corner of McDougall and Wyandotte streets in the downtown core.
U18 AAA Jr. Spitfires coach
Seasoned head coach Mike Heikkinen will guide the bench for the Under 18 AAA Windsor Jr. Spitfires of the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario come the ’25-26 season.
U15 AAA Jr. Spitfires coach
To confirm, Nate Crankshaw has been tapped to take over as the new head coach for the AAA Under 15 Windsor Jr. Spitfires of the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario. …[read more]
Prospects goalie alliance
Tecumseh Minor Hockey Association and its multiple rep level teams have formed a union with the highly regarded Prospects Athletics and its Prospects Goaltending division of Windsor effective the ’25-26 season.
Locals at Spitfires camp
Windsor area products Luke St. John and Jordan Maine will be two defensemen from among 16 players — seven blue liners, seven forwards and two goalies — who will take part in the Spitfires annual Ontario Hockey League orientation camp this weekend.
Late round long shots
There is a premise among those who have a real feel for the game that it does not matter what round a player is picked in a particular Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. Zeroing in on just two prime examples of late round OHL draft picks from the past few years who have advanced to regular duty and beyond are 2007 birth year defenseman Rylan Fellinger of the Flint Firebirds and 2004 birth year forward Noah Morneau of the Windsor Spitfires.
73’s off to league finals
What has been a 24 game spring playoff run for the Essex 73’s will continue into yet another round. The 73’s are off to the Provincial Jr. C Hockey League finals for the first time in 10 years.
Essex 73’s up 3-1 on NH
Karson Beuglet scored twice, Brogan Colquhoun made 27 saves and the Essex 73’s skated to a 3-2 win over the New Hamburg Firebirds in Game 4 of their Provincial Jr. C Hockey League semi final playoff series.
Essex takes series lead
A 3-1 road victory in Game 3 has given the Essex 73’s a 2-1 lead in their best of seven Provincial Jr. C Hockey League semi final series with the New Hamburg Firebirds.
Spits ousted in Game 7
It does not get any closer than overtime of a Game 7 playoff match. A major turnaround season for the Windsor Spitfires came to a conclusion with a Game 7 overtime loss to the Kitchener Rangers in the second round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
Essex ties playoff series
Captain Gabriel Piccolo’s second period goal stood up as the game winner as the Essex 73’s evened their Provincial Jr. C Hockey League semi final series with the New Hamburg Firebirds at one game apiece.
Spitfires going to Game 7
One game will decide the best of seven Ontario Hockey League Western Conference semi final between the Windsor Spitfires and Kitchener Rangers.
Gibson gets game winner
Oshawa Generals have moved into the driver’s seat in their second round Ontario Hockey League playoff series with the Brantford Bulldogs. LaSalle product Andrew Gibson (in photo at left) scored the winning goal in Game 5 of the best of seven Eastern Conference semi final to give no. 4 seed Oshawa a 3-2 series lead over no. 1 seed Brantford.
Injury riddled Spitfires
The injury bug continues to ravage the Spitfires as no less than nine players — seven of them veterans — were sidelined for Game 5 of Windsor’s second round Ontario Hockey League playoff series with the Kitchener Rangers. …[read more]
Essex 73’s drop opener
New Hamburg Firebirds have taken a one game to none lead on the Essex 73’s in their Provincial Jr. C Hockey League semi final playoff set. …[read more]
Open camp in Espanola
Espanola is where defenseman Conor Walton, currently in his second season with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, developed during the ’22-23 campaign. And those same Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League will be holding an open tryout camp on Saturday, April 26. …[read more]
Liam lights up Kitchener
Never before in the 50 year Ontario Hockey League history of the Windsor Spitfires had a player scored five goals in a playoff game. Never that is, until superstar forward Liam Greentree did so in Game 3 of this year’s second round Western Conference playoff series. …[read more]
Scouting Luke St. John
Frank Evola, who is the scouting director for the Windsor Spitfires, had ample opportunity to assess homegrown defenseman Luke St. John ahead of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Hidden gem of the north
Ty Dubreuil was one of a mere five players from the Northern Ontario Hockey Association to be picked at the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Jr. Spits are OHL picks
Three players from the Windsor Jr. Spitfires of the Under 16 level Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario were picked at the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Spits all over Rangers
Back to back 5-1 victories on home ice have given the Windsor Spitfires a two games to none lead on the Kitchener Rangers. …[read more]
Spitfires via Sun County
Windsor Spitfires stayed close to home to snag Sun County Panthers defenseman Jordan Maine in the 15th round of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
Ty goes to the Spitfires
Windsor Spitfires looked way up north to take a skilled right winger in the 14th round of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
U16 Spits to OHL Spits
Windsor Spitfires stayed at home to take local defenseman Luke St. John in the 13th round of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Jr. Spits to Ottawa 67’s
Local lad Reid Hayes has become an Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft pick of the Ottawa 67’s. The 6 foot, 160 pound, right hand shooting centre was Ottawa’s third round pick at the 2025 OHL priority selections process. …[read more]
Essex in a clean sweep
How sweep it is! Essex 73’s are the undisputed champions of the Western Conference of the Provincial Jr. C Hockey League. …[read more]
Morneau nets two more
Overage scoring sensation Noah Morneau (in photo at left) helped propel the Spitfires to yet another playoff victory on Wednesday. The former 15th round draft pick tallied twice as Windsor took Game 1 of its Ontario Hockey League Western Conference semi final series from the visiting Kitchener Rangers. …[read more]
Spitfires add draft picks
The Spitfires will now have a full board of 15 picks for the upcoming 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Spitfires into round two
They have already gone from worst to first in the West Division of the Ontario Hockey League in the space of a single season. And following an opening round conquest of the Soo Greyhounds, the Windsor Spitfires are into the second round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Kitchener Rangers. …[read more]
Essex pounds Petrolia
An 11 goal explosion has the Essex 73’s within a game of winning the Provincial Jr. C Hockey League Western Conference playoff title. …[read more]
Spits to Michigan Tech
Well seasoned Windsor Spitfires forward Ryan Abraham is headed to play at the Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association level effective the ’25-26 season. …[read more]
Essex 73’s are up two
A pair of clear cut victories have given the Essex 73’s a 2-0 series lead over the Petrolia Flyers in their best of seven playoff set. …[read more]
Top line sparked Spits
They are Windsor’s version of the Production Line. Captain Liam Greentree, import rookie Ilya Protas and overage Noah Morneau scored 18 of Windsor’s 28 goals and combined for 41 points as the Spitfires dismantled the Soo Greyhounds four games to one in the opening round of their Ontario Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
Spitfires take 3-1 lead
Playing without five injured regulars, the resilient Windsor Spitfires sent a message tonight with a 4-1 road victory over the Soo Greyhounds in Game 4 of their first round Ontario Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
Essex ousts Lakeshore
The season is over for the reigning Provincial Jr. C Hockey League champion Lakeshore Canadiens. Arch rival Essex 73’s scored their third straight road win of the series on Tuesday to take the best of seven West Stobbs Division final over Lakeshore four games to two in front of more than 1,000 fans at the Atlas Tube Centre. …[read more]
Hounds nip Spits in OT
Down their top two defensemen and also minus a pair of top six forwards due to injury, the Windsor Spitfires nearly stole Game 3 in their opening round playoff series with the Soo Greyhounds. …[read more]
OHL tops NHL rankings
To be sure, it an elite group of high end prospects from the Ontario Hockey League for the 2025 National Hockey League draft. The OHL leads the way with three skaters in the top five of The Sports Network’s latest NHL Draft rankings as compiled by TSN’s director of scouting Craig Button. …[read more]