Spitfires stats and story lines
Windsor Spitfires will take a record of 1-2-1 from the early going of the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League regular season into play this week. The Spitfires are coming off of their first win of the season, a 6-3 road verdict over the Saginaw Spirit.
Cristoforo Is Still Clicking. Now in his fifth season in Windsor after being the Spitfires first round pick at the 2022 OHL priority selections draft, defenseman turned forward Anthony Cristoforo just keeps on clicking. Cristoforo, who played defense for most of his first four seasons in Windsor before moving up to forward, has now skated in 288 games for the Spitfires, playoffs included. He has totalled 57 goals, 171 assists, 228 points during that span. Thus far this season, Cristoforo has three goals, one assist, four points in four games. He is second on the Spitfire scoring chart, trailing only rookie forward Bogdan Yakushevsky, who has two goals, three assists, five points.
Special Teams Report. The Spitfire power play has sputtered to date with only a 12.5 per cent success rate, which is the worst among the 10 teams of the Western Conference. On the flip side, the Windsor penalty kill is at 76.9 per cent, which is the fourth best in the Western Conference.
On The Windbiel Wagon. With veteran Michael Newlove sidelined with an injury, rookie goalie Jake Windbiel (in photo at left) has started the last two games for the Spitfires. In all, since coming on in relief of Newlove in Game 2 of this season, the 6 foot 4 Windbiel has a record of 1-1-0 with a 2.94 goals against average in 143 minutes of action. Prior to this season, Windbiel — who has a 2008 birth date — had appeared in only one game for the Spitfires and that was almost two years ago, back on December 29, 2024. In that game, Windbiel went the distance as the Spitfires scored a 7-6 road decision over the Soo Greyhounds. So, both of Windbiell’s two career wins for Windsor thus far have been on the road.
Eddie And The Spitfires. Local Windsor icon — and former World Hockey Association and National Hockey League goalie spanning 10 seasons — Eddie Mio is still in the game as a prominent player agent. Now an owner with Detroit-based Octane Sports, Mio represents a number of up and coming players, including three Spitfires — 2008 birth year forwards Ethan Garden and Max Brocklehurst and 2009 birth year pivot Ty Bergeron. He is also the agent for 2010 birth year defenseman Jake LaMontagne, who the Spitfires took in the fourth round of this year’s OHL priority selections draft. A huge defender, LaMontagne is signed by the Spitfires and is currently developing with the nearby LaSalle Vipers of the Greater Ontario Hockey League. Meanwhile, during his early days as a player agent with a different sports management group, Mio represented now retired NHL superstars such as Sergei Fedorov and Joe Thornton.
Looking At Bergeron. The aforementioned Ty Bergeron (in photo at left) is being thought of as a potential pick at the 2027 NHL Draft. Formerly a left winger, now a centre, the 6 foot 2, 200 pound Bergeron is in his first OHL season with the Spitfires after playing in the Tier 1 junior United States Hockey League in ’25-26. When I asked longtime NHL scout Mike Dawson — who is now with the Seattle Kraken — about Bergeron, he noted that “I like his size and physicality. I see the potential … but he’ll need to start producing some points to really help his NHL draft status.” Bergeron has yet to score in his first four OHL games with the Spitfires while mostly playing on the third and fourth lines.
