A way too early outlook
Perhaps I am just bored. Or, missing hockey season. Whatever the reason, I feel compelled to give my way too early predictions as to how the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League might play out in ’24-25.
Following is a projected order of who we see as the top four teams among the 10 members of the Western Conference. Take it as you may. Take it any way.
London Knights. The reigning OHL champions are perennial contenders with a peerless coach-management team and a player development formula that is second to none. And the list of top notch talent that the Knights can return for another run in ’24-25 is — for the umpteenth year in a row — right up there. The list of stud players that can return to the Knight shift in ’24-25 is a cast that features forwards Denver Barkey, Easton Cowan and Sam O’Reilly and defensemen Sam Dickinson and Oliver Bonk. Cowan, O’Reilly, Dickinson and Bonk are all first round National Hockey League draft picks. Say no more. As of right now, there is not a team in the Western Conference that has what the good Knights of London have.
Flint Firebirds. No. 8 seed Flint gave no. 1 seed London a tough time in the first round of the ’24 playoffs before bowing out. Without including potential overage players, Flint already has plenty of veteran skill and depth in place ahead of the ’24-25 season led by workhorse goalie Nathan Day, defenseman Tristan Bertucci and forwards Kaden Pitre, Nathan Aspinall, Jeremy Martin and ex-Soo Greyhounds Connor Clattenburg and Alex Kostov. Behind the bench, Paul Flache is an up and coming young coach who did an exceptional job as a first year head master in ’23-24.
Windsor Spitfires. The Spitfires are poised to go from missing the playoffs in ’23-24 to being among the upper echelon of the Western Conference in ’24-25.
Key components for Windsor in ’24-25 — not counting overage possibilities — include forwards Liam Greentree, Cole Davis, A.J. Spellacy and Jack Nesbitt as well as a blue line brigade that currently contains Anthony Cristoforo, Connor Walton, Tanner Winegard, Carson Woodall et al.
Meanwhile, the eyes of the hockey world will be on hulking forward Ethan Belchetz, who Windsor made the first overall pick of this year’s OHL priority selections draft.
A question mark does loom between the pipes. Is former Niagara IceDogs’ second rounder Joey Costanzo ready to become a legitimate starter in his third OHL season or do the Spitfires look to someone else?
The Spitfires do have a potential dark horse waiting for his opportunity. He is 6 foot 3, 200 pound goalie Carter Froggett, who Windsor took in the sixth round of the 2022 OHL priority selections draft. Since being drafted by Windsor in ’22 from the the Elgin-Middlesex Under 16 Chiefs, Froggett has played for the London Jr. Knights of the Under 18 level Hockey Alliance and the London Nationals of the Greater Ontario Jr. Hockey League. He also got into two OHL games with the Spitfires in ’23-24.
To be sure, Bill Dark, who is the Spitfires’ director of goaltending in charge of scouting and development, told Hockey News Windsor that Froggett “has really come along over the past few years. I thought he was the best goalie in the GOJHL this past season.”
Soo Greyhounds. if Charlie Schenkel — as expected — returns as an overage to team with the younger Landon Miller then the Soo will have a 1-2 duo of big goalies that could be the best in the entire OHL. Despite faced with losing a lot of offensive firepower and defense dependability to graduation the Greyhounds have the capabilities to be a middle of the pack crew in the OHL’s Western world. Returning skaters of high note — excluding potential overages — include smooth defenseman Andrew Gibson and forwards Justin Cloutier, Marco Mignosa, Travis Hayes and Brady Martin.
Rest of the pack. 5. Guelph Storm. 6. Kitchener Rangers 7. Saginaw Spirit 8. Owen Sound Attack 9. Erie Otters 10. Sarnia Sting.
Sidebar: Brad Coccimiglio, who is my sidekick on the seasonal Hockey North Show podcast, agrees that London and Flint are two of the top teams in the Western Conference ahead of the ’24-25 season. And while Coccimiglio and I mostly agree on many of the other projections for finish in ’24-25, we strongly disagree on both Kitchener and Erie. While I have the Rangers for sixth, Coccimiglio has them for second. And while I have the Otters for ninth place, Coccimiglio sees them as the no. 4 seed.
