Spitfires get a point at home
One point is better than none. The Spitfires outshot the visiting Saginaw Spirit 36-25 today only to lose 3-2 in a shootout. …[read more]
Spits sputter in loss to Gens
The Spitfires will have a day to reflect on a 5-1 home ice loss to the Oshawa Generals before playing host to the Saginaw Spirit in a 2:05 p.m. matinee match on Thanksgiving Monday. …[read more]
Spitfires are even at 3-3-1
A 4-2 loss to the Guelph Storm followed by a 4-1 win over the Owen Sound Attack is the result of a short two game weekend road swing for the Spitfires. …[read more]
2-2-1 Spitfires away for two
Riding the crest of two straight wins — including a 3-2 home ice verdict over the North Bay Battalion on Thursday — the Spitfires are away for games tonight in Guelph and on Saturday evening in Owen Sound. …[read more]
Jake LaMontagne stands tall
LaSalle Vipers dropped a recent 6-3 decision to the visiting Komoka Kings but 2010 birth year defenseman Jake LaMontagne stood out as one of the youngest players in the Greater Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
Ethan Garden is Spits captain
A former ninth round pick from the 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft has been named captain of the Windsor Spitfires. …[read more]
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. …[read more]
Spitfires are in the win column
It took a bus trip to Saginaw for the Spitfires to taste victory for the first time and boost their record to 1-2-1 through four games of the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season. …[read more]
Five OHL rookies I am watching
With a good number of established veterans having moved on to Division 1 programs within the National Collegiate Athletic Association, there appear to be more younger players in the Ontario Hockey League than usual. Having said that, following are five OHL rookies who are of particular intrigue to this time honoured scribe. …[read more]
Spits spend the Knights but lose
The Spitfires held London to 36 shots in total in their season opening home and home series with the Knights but managed just one point from the two Ontario Hockey League matches. …[read more]
OHL West is a wild open race
Call it the Wild West. While there are many who are of the notion that the Saginaw Spirit is the presumptive choice to finish atop the West Division of the Ontario Hockey League in ’26-27 there does not appear to be a clear cut difference between the other four teams, namely the Soo Greyhounds, Windsor Spitfires, Flint Firebirds and Sarnia Sting. …[read more]
Newlove is net gain for Spitfires
Head coach Greg Walters has tapped holdover puck stopper Michael Newlove as the Spitfires starting goalie ahead of the looming ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season — one that begins with a home and home set against the London Knights later this week. …[read more]
Sudbury Cubs to LaSalle Vipers
Ty Dubreuil, a 6 foot, 170 pound forward and 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft pick of the Windsor Spitfires, has signed with the LaSalle Vipers of the Greater Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
Four Spitfires off to NHL camps
Forwards Michal Svrcek and Caden Harvey and defensemen Andrew Robinson and Conor Walton represent four members of the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League who are headed to National Hockey League rookie camps later this week. …[read more]
Flashback to 1976-77 Spitfires
Fans of the Spitfires did not have to wait long for Windsor’s first playoff spot as fledgling members of the Ontario Hockey League. While, for example, it took the Soo Greyhounds four years after their ’72-73 OHL debut to make it to the playoffs, the Spitfires did it in just their second season.
Spitfires steal a road triumph
Despite being outshot by a 37-29 margin the Windsor Spitfires left Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday with a 4-2 Ontario Hockey League exhibition game victory over the Greyhounds. …[read more]
Windbiel’s way to Windsor
He has been deemed ready for the Ontario Hockey League two years after being taken by the Windsor Spitfires from the AAA Chicago Mission in the seventh round of the 2024 OHL priority selections draft. A 6 foot 4, 215 pound, 2008 birth year goalie, Jake Windbiel has spent the past two seasons on apprenticeship with Windsor’s top affiliate, the nearby LaSalle Vipers of the Greater Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
Spitfires roster at 23 players
General manager Billy Bowler and head coach Greg Walters have set the roster for the Windsor Spitfires at 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies ahead of three more exhibition games and the Sept. 18 start to their ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League regular season schedule. …[read more]
Spits have a few spots open
There are a few roster spots up for grabs as the Spitfires are into training camp — and then exhibition games — ahead of the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League regular season that starts in three weeks. …[read more]
Spitfires pre season calendar
The Spitfires are ready to take to the ice this week beginning with training camp that will be held from August 27 to 29 at the WFCU Centre.
Bergeron a ‘big get’ for Spits
As Canadian Hockey League import draft picks Michal Svrcek and Bogdan Yakushevsky are incoming forwards who are poised to be prime players for the Spitfires come the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season so too is centre Ty Bergeron who hails from the Metro Detroit area. …[read more]
Russian on the Spitfires wing
First it was 2007 birth year skater Michal Svrcek who committed to the Spitfires ahead of the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season as an incoming forward via the Canadian Hockey League import draft. Then came 2009 birth year winger Bogdan Yakushevsky — a Russian speedster who can play on the left or right side — who is signed, sealed and delivered to Windsor for an OHL season that begins in a mere month. …[read more]
Svrcek can soar for Spitfires
With so many skilled skaters having moved on from the ’25-26 edition of the Spitfires one incoming forward who could light it up in Windsor in ’26-27 is import Michal Svrcek. …[read more]
Changing times of the OHL
As the National Collegiate Athletic Association has changed its eligibility rules, the Ontario Hockey League over the past two years has started drafting a record number of American born players. …[read more]
Spitfires like American lads
There is no such thing as cross border tension when it comes to American born kids playing for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
Spits forward on Team USA
Incoming Windsor Spitfires forward Ty Bergeron is one of five Ontario Hockey League players who are on the Team USA roster that will compete in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup that begins this week. …[read more]
The legend of Billy Bowler
Nowadays, he is employed by the Windsor Spitfires as their well respected, no nonsense, vice president and general manager. But it was back at the 1991 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft that the legend of Billy (The Kid) Bowler was born en route to the lad becoming the leading scorer in the history of the OHL Spitfires. …[read more]
Bowler resets the Spitfires
It has been anything but a summer vacation away from hockey for Spitfires general manager Billy Bowler. Not that he is complaining, but Bowler has had little time to spare over the past few months as evidenced by the efficient manner in which he has reset the roster of the Ontario Hockey League team that he masterfully manages. …[read more]
‘ONE NIGHT IN WINDSOR’
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following passage is an excerpt from a chapter in the first book that I wrote, Tales Of An Old Hockey Writer. (Mature audiences only.) …[read more]
Spitfires add to depth on ‘D’
Highly regarded free agent defenseman Jack O’Dell has signed to play in the Ontario Hockey League for the Windsor Spitfires — but it will not be a full time gig until the ’27-28 season, Hockey News Windsor has confirmed.
Russian to play in Windsor
A roll of the Russian roulette dice has paid off for the Spitfires with the unpredictable signing of 2009 birth year forward Bogdan Yakushevsky ahead of the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season. …[read more]
Spitfires signing plum picks
A summer breeze of signings continues to strengthen and supplement the Spitfires ahead of the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season. The latest inclusions are a dandy duo of 2010 birth year youngsters from the 2026 OHL priority selections draft — forward Lauchlan Whelan and defenseman Jake LaMontagne. …[read more]
No rest in the OHL West
A glance ahead to the looming ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season suggests that parity might be an operative word when zooming in on the five teams of the West Division. …[read more]
An American side of the OHL
The development path has taken a right turn as the game embraces more of an international look. First came the Canadian Hockey League import draft. Then, almost simultaneously, the National Collegiate Athletic Association changed its eligibility rules and the Ontario Hockey League started drafting and signing a record number of American born players. …[read more]
Windsor Spitfires via Detroit
The cross border shuttle from Detroit to Windsor figures to be even more eventful for the Spitfires come the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season. …[read more]
Russian forward to Windsor
The Spitfires made one pick at today’s 2026 Canadian Hockey League import draft and went young with a 2009 birth year forward. …[read more]
OHL drives the NHL Draft
There is this league. There is that league. There is this school. There is that school. Blah, blah, blah. But one league continues to lead the way when it comes to National Hockey League draft picks.
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. …[read more]
Spitfires sign Sam Wathier
As a well worn old saying goes, better late than never. Well, two years after being picked by Windsor in the fifth round of the 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft, 6 foot 4 defenseman Sam Wathier has committed to the Spitfires ahead of the ’26-27 season. …[read more]
Here ‘n there in the OHL
A summer breeze of major movement is blowing through the Ontario Hockey League. Among the June activity is a new head coach in Sault Ste. Marie as well as signings of key incoming players to the OHL from the rival United States Hockey League, including ones by the Brantford Bulldogs and Windsor Spitfires. …[read more]
Spitfire flight plan altered
It was setting up for Jack Nesbitt and Ethan Belchetz to be cornerstones as big time returning forwards for the Spitfires come the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season — until two National Collegiate Athletic Association schools came calling. And as that has happened, so too has the Windsor flight plan been altered. …[read more]
Just some OHL draft notes
Results for the 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft — which was held in Kingston — are officially in the books. A total of 301 players were taken by the 20 teams of the OHL as the league returned to an in person format for the first time since the year 2000. (For that, we say, better late than never.) At any rate, following is a small sample of one writer’s focal points from this year’s draft. …[read more]
Sweet on HoneyBaked ‘D’
Windsor Spitfires rode the cross border shuttle across the St. Clair River to Detroit to haul aboard hulking defenseman Jake LaMontagne from the high end HoneyBaked AAA program in the fourth round of the 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Spitfires first round pick …
Windsor Spitfires opted to take forward Lauchlan Whelan with the 16th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Spits ink Red Wings pick
Import forward Michal Svrcek is crossing the ocean and heading to Windsor for the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season. …[read more]
Spits sign two ’08 skaters
A forward and a defensemen with 2008 birth dates represent the two latest signings of Ontario Hockey League draft picks by the Windsor Spitfires. …[read more]
Spits high on Ty Bergeron
Ty Bergeron will be crossing over from Michigan to Ontario to play for the Windsor Spitfires effective the ’26-27 season. A 2009 birth year forward, Bergeron was picked by the Spitfires in the third round of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft from the cross-border Detroit HoneyBaked program. …[read more]
Spits sign d-man Debruyn
The Spitfires have officially signed a 2009 birth year defenseman from the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
Spitfires from the Sault
They are both border cities, one from the southwestern and the other from the northeastern region of Ontario. And to be sure, Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie have a timeless association. The number of people from Sault Ste. Marie who left home over the decades and centuries to attend post secondary school at either the University of Windsor or St. Clair College is literally in the thousands. And as far as the Ontario Hockey League goes, the register of players from the Sault who have suited up for Windsor since the Spitfires first became members of the OHL in 1975 is a rather extensive and monumental one. …[read more]
World Jr. Showcase in Windsor
Hockey Canada — in partnership with the City of Windsor and the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League — has confirmed the schedule and ticket information for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase, to be held July 26 to Aug.1 at the WFCU Centre. …[read more]
Spitfires are in a reload mode
Look behind and you aren’t looking forward. Look ahead and you are. Sixty eight regular season games and three rounds of the playoffs — 13 more contests — are in the rear view mirror for the Windsor Spitfires, who are now shifting gears towards the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season. …[read more]
OHL humanitarian Woodall
Spitfires defenseman Carson Woodall has been named this year’s winner of the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy. The annual award goes to the Ontario Hockey League’s Humanitarian of the Year. …[read more]
Spitfires solve Ranger riddle
Finally. After six straight post season losses to Kitchener dating back to the second round of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League playoffs, the Spitfires have a win over the Rangers. …[read more]
Spits home for Game 3
Sooner or later the Spitfires need to solve the riddle of the Rangers if they are going to rebound in the Western Conference finals of the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
OHL: Rangers v. Spitfires
It will be the no. 1 seed Kitchener Rangers and the no. 2 seed Windsor Spitfires facing off in a best of seven series to determine the Western Conference playoff champion of the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
On the OHL playoff beat
Brantford Bulldogs, Kitchener Rangers and Windsor Spitfires are all up three games to none in their respective second round Ontario Hockey League playoff sets. …[read more]
Spitfires go up 2-0 on Flint
It was a seesaw match of shift and momentum. And in the end, with overtime looming, it took a goal by Conor Walton — a low scoring defenseman who has tallied a mere 11 times in 217 career Ontario Hockey League games — with a minute left in the third period to propel the Windsor Spitfires to a frantic 6-5 win over the Flint Firebirds in Game 2 of their Western Conference semi-final playoff series. …[read more]
Spitfires flip Firebirds
The Spitfires cooled off the high octane Flint Firebirds and a pair of late third period goals from Jack Nesbitt propelled Windsor to a 4-2 win over the visitors in the opening game of the Ontario Hockey League Western Conference semi-final series. …[read more]
It is Spitfires v. Firebirds
Only two points separated the Windsor Spitfires and Flint Firebirds during the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League regular season. And now the no. 2 seed Spitfires and the no. 3 seed Firebirds will face off in a best of seven Western Conference semi-final. …[read more]
Spits soaring into semis
It was a tiring road trip to Sault Ste. Marie on the final day of regular season — through two ports of entry as well as having to cross the menacing Mackinac Bridge — that ultimately gave the Windsor Spitfires home ice advantage for the second round of these Ontario Hockey League playoffs. …[read more]
Up 3-0 in OHL playoffs
Six teams — Kitchener Rangers, Windsor Spitfires, Flint Firebirds, Soo Greyhounds, Brantford Bulldogs and Ottawa 67’s — all have three games to none leads in the opening round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. …[read more]
Winning ways of Walters
He is a winner as a head coach at the Ontario Hockey League level. Through six full seasons as an OHL bench boss with three different teams, Greg Walters — now of the Windsor Spitfires — has never had a losing record. …[read more]
Spits & Firebirds up 2-0
They both hold home ice advantage in the first round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. And the no. 2 seed Windsor Spitfires and the no. 3 seed Flint Firebirds both have two games to none leads in their respective Western Conference sets via home ice dominance. …[read more]
OHL playoffs underway
Windsor Spitfires and Flint Firebirds both began the 2026 Ontario Hockey League playoffs with home ice victories on Thursday. …[read more]
Spitfires await the Storm
A pair of first round National Hockey League draft picks are among those who the Windsor Spitfires are counting on to continue their high performance play when the Ontario Hockey League playoffs begin. …[read more]
OHL playoff matchups
Now we know who will play who in the first round of the upcoming Ontario Hockey League playoffs, which are slated to begin this week. Following is our collection of quick hits as to what to possibly expect from the matchups. …[read more]
Spits & Firebirds in a race
One point is all that separates the Windsor Spitfires and Flint Firebirds with both teams having two games left to play on the Ontario Hockey League regular season schedule. …[read more]
Spitfires light up Knights
Facing the London Knights minus injured forwards Ethan Belchetz, A.J. Spellacy, Nathan Villeneuve and Cole Davis did nothing to halt the Windsor Spitfires before a Sunday matinee match of more than 6,100 fans at the WFCU Centre. …[read more]
OHL Spits add a rookie D
Jesse Debruyn is joining the Spitfires from the Komoka Kings of the Greater Ontario Hockey League, Hockey News Windsor has confirmed. …[read more]
Down on the farm in LaSalle
A plentiful presence of plum prospects via the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League are in position to be prominent performers for the nearby LaSalle Vipers in their opening round, Greater Ontario Hockey League playoff series against the powerhouse Elmira Sugar Kings. …[read more]
This is Motor City Smitty
He played hard over 242 National Hockey League games as a fan favourite and fearsome forward who racked up 640 minutes in penalties while backing down from absolutely no one. Brad Smith has since been an NHL scout since 1991, first with the Edmonton Oilers and, for the past 30 plus years, with the Colorado Avalanche. …[read more]
Spits shoot down Rangers
A lengthy losing skid against the Kitchener Rangers — dating back to the second round of last spring’s playoffs — is finally over for the Windsor Spitfires. …[read more]
Belchetz breaks clavicle
A significant injury to star forward Ethan Belchetz looms as a major blow to the Ontario Hockey League championship aspirations of the Windsor Spitfires. …[read more]
Spitfires send a message
It was three games in three days against three teams well above the .500 mark. And who knew to expect from a Windsor Spitfires team that was coming off back to back losses to fellow contenders in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League? …[read more]