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.
Quite notably, two top players with 2010 birth dates — which makes them first time eligible for the 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft — have opted to depart Sault Ste. Marie and head to Windsor to enrol at BioSteel Sports Academy, which is part of Hockey Canada’s Accredited School Program. They are forward Eli Chapman and defenseman Mateo Muto.
Chapman first left Sault Ste. Marie a year ago for Grand Rapids, Michigan and the Fox Motors AAA program. The 5 foot 10, 175 pound Chapman put up mind boggling numbers for Fox Motors in ’24-25 as — regular season, tournaments and playoffs included — the skilled skater scored 66 goals in 98 games.
After considering a return home to Sault Ste. Marie for the upcoming ’25-26 season, Chapman instead signed with aforementioned Windsor Bio Steel. And BioSteel head coach Kyle Makaric is only to happy to have Chapman with the Windsor prep program.
“We are thrilled to add Eli to our forward group,” Makaric relayed to Hockey News Windsor. “He is an excellent playmaker and really makes the players around him better. He is a complete player who can play in all scenarios and has a nose for the net with a great shot.”
Over to Muto, the skilled defender with a strong work ethic to match, he also heads to Windsor BioSteel effective the ’25-26 season after playing at the Under 15 AAA level for the Soo Jr. Greyhounds in ’24-25. At 5 foot 10, 155 pounds, Muto averaged just over a point every couple of games with the U15 AAA Jr. Greyhounds over the course of this past season.
And as Makaric as the head coach is happy to have Chapman in the BioSteel fold, so too is he enamoured with Muto.
“We are very excited to bring Mateo on board for the upcoming season,” Makaric relayed to Hockey News Windsor. “He is a highly skilled defenseman and we like the potential that he brings to our D core. He is a great skater and will be able to help us push the pace in games. We are looking forward to seeing his impact with our group.”
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Meanwhile, 2011 birth year goalie Owen Whitehead is also leaving Sault Ste. Marie for Windsor effective the ’25-26 season. Whitehead — who helped to backstop the Under 14 AA level Soo Jr. Greyhounds to a Northern Ontario Hockey Association championship in ’24-25 — has signed with the Under 15 rep level Tecumseh Eagles of the Bluewater Hockey League of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association for the ’25-26 season. Whitehead will also be the affiliate goalie for the Under 15 AAA Windsor Jr. Spitfires of the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario.
