Setting up the Spitfires ‘D’
The projected pieces are falling in place as to who will man the defence department for the Spitfires come the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season.
As of now, it appears as though 2006 birth year overage Conor Walton (in photo at left) will be the mainstay on a Windsor back end that will also include 2008 birth year returnee Andrew Robinson.
And while overall OHL experience may be lacking for the Spitfire ‘D’ once the first puck is dropped on the ’26-27 season, there is no shortage of potential that is poised to form the blue line brigade.
In addition to Walton, who has already skated in 224 OHL games, including playoffs, Robinson has played in 92 contests in a Windsor uniform.
Meanwhile, four others have been signed by the Spitfires and figure to play varying roles in ’26-27. They are Grady Spicer, who has appeared in nine games for the Spitfires over the past two seasons and incoming d-men Drake Gram, Sam Wathier and Jesse Debruyn. Debruyn actually got into six games for the Spitfires in ’25-26 as an affiliate player.
Spicer (in photo at left), Gram and Wathier all have 2008 birth dates while Debruyn was born in 2009.
Then there is 2010 birth year defender Jake LaMontagne, who the Spitfires took in the fourth round of the recent 2026 OHL priority selections draft. While still very young, LaMontagne has OHL written all over him.
Size is notable among the Spitfire d-men as all of the above mentioned defenders are at least six feet tall. In fact, Walton and LaMontagne are both 6 foot 5, while Spicer and Wathier both stand in at 6 foot 4.
All in all, the back end of the Spitfires may be on the young side. But there is an accent on youth throughout most of Windsor’s opponents in the West Division of the OHL as one looks ahead at the ’26-27 season.
