Four OHL teams to regard
Okay, it is summer time and the living is easy. But for those with any sort of relationship with the Ontario Hockey League, we remind you that the restless hands of time are ticking towards the start of another season. So whether your OHL connect is up north in Sault Ste. Marie, into the southwestern Ontario region of Windsor, in the mid Michigan area of Flint, or where the Bulldogs bark in Brantford, we have words of (some) wisdom to write ahead of the ’25-26 season on four teams to watch.
Spitfires ink Ian Insksip
Windsor Spitfires have signed their second round pick from the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
Johnny be good for Spits
The Spitfires have officially signed their first round pick from the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft to a standard scholarship and development agreement. Forward Johnny McLaughlin, who missed most of the ’24-25 season with a knee injury, is fully recovered from surgery.
Spits crease competition
As it currently stands, the Spitfires will have four signed goalies vying for roster spots when training camp opens ahead of the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League season.
Spitfires pre-season slate
Four games — including a pair of home matches in nearby towns — are on the exhibition schedule for the Spitfires ahead of the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League regular season.
Import draft: 3 OHL teams
The three round, 2025 Canadian Hockey League import draft is in the books. And following is a Hockey News Windsor focus on three Ontario Hockey League teams — alphabetically, the Brantford Bulldogs, Flint Firebirds and Windsor Spitfires — and what they were able to come away with from the recent CHL import draft.
Spits snag seasoned scout
Mark Seidel has been scouting hockey players since he was 20 years old. And the veteran bird dog — he will turn 55 years of age on August 25 — is bringing his scouting savvy and well known work ethic to the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.
This could be the Spitfires ‘D’
They are eight deep at the defense position. And while we are still about three months away from the start of the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League regular season, the Windsor Spitfires are set up rather nicely on the back end.
St. John signs with U18 Spits
Barring a move up to an area junior B or junior C team local product Luke St. John is poised to play the ’25-26 season with the Windsor Jr. Spitfires of the Under 18 level of the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario.
’08 lads of the OHL Spitfires
It already has the distinct makings of being an epic draft haul for the Windsor Spitfires. For starters, the Spitfires were the only team among the 20 members of the Ontario Hockey League to dress the maximum-per- game-allowed four 2008 birth year rookies from the 2024 priority selections draft for all 68 matches of the ’24-25 regular season.
Spitfires sign sizeable Spicer
Good size, up and coming defenseman Grady Spicer has officially signed an Ontario Hockey League pact with the Windsor Spitfires.
‘Great signing’ for Spitfires
He was bypassed entirely at the 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft due to a verbal commitment to Penn State University. But after being taken by the Windsor Spitfires in the fifth round of the 2025 draft, 2008 birth year forward Caden Harvey has signed with the OHL team ahead of the ’25-26 season.
Frank Evola is off to Niagara
Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League are losing their trusted director of scouting to the rival Niagara IceDogs. Hockey News Windsor has learned that Frank Evola, who has been with the Spitfires since 2017, is headed to Niagara as its new general manager.
Spitfires overage prospects
The trade route is a possibility. As is the Spitfires staying in house to utilize their three overage players (2005 birth dates) for the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League season.
Spits draft pick a track star
Skilled skater Ty Dubreuil, who the Windsor Spitfires snagged in the 14th round of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft, displayed his blazing speed and all around athleticism at the recent Northern Ontario Secondary Schools Association track and field meet.
Local options for Spits pick
Windsor product Luke St. John will most likely get to stay home — or close to it — for a ’25-26 season of development.
Windsor Arena retentions
To me, they will always be the “good, old” Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. Man, so many games and players watched at Windsor Arena, the iconic old barn located at the corner of McDougall and Wyandotte streets in the downtown core.
Locals at Spitfires camp
Windsor area products Luke St. John and Jordan Maine will be two defensemen from among 16 players — seven blue liners, seven forwards and two goalies — who will take part in the Spitfires annual Ontario Hockey League orientation camp this weekend.
Late round long shots
There is a premise among those who have a real feel for the game that it does not matter what round a player is picked in a particular Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. Zeroing in on just two prime examples of late round OHL draft picks from the past few years who have advanced to regular duty and beyond are 2007 birth year defenseman Rylan Fellinger of the Flint Firebirds and 2004 birth year forward Noah Morneau of the Windsor Spitfires.
Spits ousted in Game 7
It does not get any closer than overtime of a Game 7 playoff match. A major turnaround season for the Windsor Spitfires came to a conclusion with a Game 7 overtime loss to the Kitchener Rangers in the second round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
Spitfires going to Game 7
One game will decide the best of seven Ontario Hockey League Western Conference semi final between the Windsor Spitfires and Kitchener Rangers.
Injury riddled Spitfires
The injury bug continues to ravage the Spitfires as no less than nine players — seven of them veterans — were sidelined for Game 5 of Windsor’s second round Ontario Hockey League playoff series with the Kitchener Rangers. …[read more]
Liam lights up Kitchener
Never before in the 50 year Ontario Hockey League history of the Windsor Spitfires had a player scored five goals in a playoff game. Never that is, until superstar forward Liam Greentree did so in Game 3 of this year’s second round Western Conference playoff series. …[read more]
Scouting Luke St. John
Frank Evola, who is the scouting director for the Windsor Spitfires, had ample opportunity to assess homegrown defenseman Luke St. John ahead of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Hidden gem of the north
Ty Dubreuil was one of a mere five players from the Northern Ontario Hockey Association to be picked at the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Jr. Spits are OHL picks
Three players from the Windsor Jr. Spitfires of the Under 16 level Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario were picked at the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Spits all over Rangers
Back to back 5-1 victories on home ice have given the Windsor Spitfires a two games to none lead on the Kitchener Rangers. …[read more]
Spitfires via Sun County
Windsor Spitfires stayed close to home to snag Sun County Panthers defenseman Jordan Maine in the 15th round of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
Ty goes to the Spitfires
Windsor Spitfires looked way up north to take a skilled right winger in the 14th round of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
U16 Spits to OHL Spits
Windsor Spitfires stayed at home to take local defenseman Luke St. John in the 13th round of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Morneau nets two more
Overage scoring sensation Noah Morneau (in photo at left) helped propel the Spitfires to yet another playoff victory on Wednesday. The former 15th round draft pick tallied twice as Windsor took Game 1 of its Ontario Hockey League Western Conference semi final series from the visiting Kitchener Rangers. …[read more]
Spitfires add draft picks
The Spitfires will now have a full board of 15 picks for the upcoming 2025 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. …[read more]
Spitfires into round two
They have already gone from worst to first in the West Division of the Ontario Hockey League in the space of a single season. And following an opening round conquest of the Soo Greyhounds, the Windsor Spitfires are into the second round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Kitchener Rangers. …[read more]
Spits to Michigan Tech
Well seasoned Windsor Spitfires forward Ryan Abraham is headed to play at the Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association level effective the ’25-26 season. …[read more]
Top line sparked Spits
They are Windsor’s version of the Production Line. Captain Liam Greentree, import rookie Ilya Protas and overage Noah Morneau scored 18 of Windsor’s 28 goals and combined for 41 points as the Spitfires dismantled the Soo Greyhounds four games to one in the opening round of their Ontario Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
Spitfires take 3-1 lead
Playing without five injured regulars, the resilient Windsor Spitfires sent a message tonight with a 4-1 road victory over the Soo Greyhounds in Game 4 of their first round Ontario Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
Hounds nip Spits in OT
Down their top two defensemen and also minus a pair of top six forwards due to injury, the Windsor Spitfires nearly stole Game 3 in their opening round playoff series with the Soo Greyhounds. …[read more]
OHL tops NHL rankings
To be sure, it an elite group of high end prospects from the Ontario Hockey League for the 2025 National Hockey League draft. The OHL leads the way with three skaters in the top five of The Sports Network’s latest NHL Draft rankings as compiled by TSN’s director of scouting Craig Button. …[read more]
Spitfires up two on Soo
Local lad Noah Morneau netted three goals and the Spitfires soared to a 7-1 win over the Soo Greyhounds tonight to take a two games to none lead in their opening round Ontario Hockey League playoff series. …[read more]
Spits click to start series
The Spitfires capped a playoff series opener with three third period goals en route to a 7-2 victory over the visiting Soo Greyhounds in Game 1 of the best of seven set. …[read more]
Greyhounds v. Spitfires
It is playoff time in the Ontario Hockey League. And in this particular Western Conference showdown, don’t be overly swayed by the regular season points differential between the no. 7 seed Soo Greyhounds and the no. 2 seed Windsor Spitfires in their first round playoff series. …[read more]
Spits light up Knights
Jack Nesbitt and Cole Davis netted two goals apiece and the Spitfires skated to an 8-5 victory over the London Knights today before more than 6,200 fans at the WFCU Center in Windsor. …[read more]
Rise of the Spitfires
Rebuilds apparently don’t take very long in Windsor. A mere year removed from a season in which they missed the Ontario Hockey League playoffs, the Spitfires have more than doubled their point total from ’23-24 to ’24-25. …[read more]
Spits sign ’08 defender
And the picks just keep on coming. Andrew Robinson has become the latest 2008 birth year player from Windsor’s 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft class to sign with the Spitfires. …[read more]
Hounds are desperate
Soo Greyhounds have six games remaining to try to avoid the disaster of missing the Ontario Hockey League playoffs for the second time in three seasons. And the push begins tonight in Windsor. …[read more]
Skating coach supreme
Kathy McLlwain trains multiple National Hockey League and other high performance players during the off season as their personal skating coach. This is in addition to the very reputable McLlwain being the skating coach for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
Spits soar to 41st win
Import lamplighter Ilya Protas potted a pair of goals, A.J. Spellacy also tallied twice and rookie goalie Carter Froggett stood tall with 24 saves as the Spitfires halted a two game losing skid tonight with a 7-1 cuffing of the Kingston Frontenacs. …[read more]
Cool Hand Luke
Spitfires forward Luke McNamara could well prove to be a valuable depth addition as Windsor heads into the final stretch of the ’24-25 regular season ahead of the looming Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
…[read more]
100 point Spitfires
The noteworthy assembly of Windsor Spitfires who have reached the 100 point mark in a single season has two new members. Captain Liam Greentree and his import line-mate Ilya Protas have joined an honour roll that has had 100 point seasons for the Spitfires in an Ontario Hockey League history that dates back to the mid 1970s. …[read more]
Windsor via Espanola
Among the notable interior brackets for the second seed Windsor Spitfires of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League is a tested trio of 2006 birth year defenseman. Besides former first rounder Anthony Cristoforo and homegrown Windsor product Carson Woodall, the ’06 group of blue liners includes mammoth defender Conor Walton, formerly of the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. …[read more]
Flight of the Spitfires
First place in the West Division of the Ontario Hockey League is all but clinched for the Spitfires. So too is the no. 2 seed for the Western Conference playoffs. …[read more]
Faces of the OHL races
There is a sundry of races for playoff seedings in both the Western Conference and Eastern Conference of a uniform, balanced Ontario Hockey League. And there are faces who could be major difference makers down the stretch of the ’24-25 OHL season into the playoffs. …[read more]
Spits hit 80 point mark
A reverse course continues in Windsor. Joey Costanzo made 25 saves for his 29th win of the season and the Spitfires ran their Ontario Hockey League record to 38-12-4 with a 4-1 Family Day victory over the visiting Owen Sound Attack. …[read more]
Spitfires go outdoors
The Spitfires held their annual outdoor practice on Saturday. The Ontario Hockey League team scrimmaged at a morning session at venerable Lanspeary Park on Langlois Ave. Fans were invited to attend the event which included a pre practice autograph session. See below for a few photos from the outdoor practice event. …[read more]
Garden and Greentree
Windsor played host to a Garden party on Thursday and among the guests was a Greentree. Rookie forward Ethan Garden tallied twice as did captain Liam Greentree while homegrown plum Noah Morneau also netted a pair as the Spitfires skated to a resounding 8-2 triumph over the visiting Sarnia Sting. …[read more]
Spits at Lanspeary Park
The Spitfires will be holding their annual outdoor practice this Saturday morning at 11:00 at venerable Lanspeary Park. …[read more]
Spitfires of S.S. Marie
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]
Spitfires double it up
The Spitfires have clearly ascended in putting a forgettable ’23-24 season on the tarp. A pair of weekend victories on home ice have improved Windsor’s record on the ’24-25 season to 36-12-3, which is third best in the entire Ontario Hockey League to date. …[read more]
Spitfire cargo depth
As the offensive and defensive skilfulness and select star players of the Spitfires stands out there is also the depth in the Windsor lineup that makes it a team to be reckoned with in the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
Spitfires stun Knights
Spot the powerhouse London Knights a 3-0 lead and chances are the no. 1 team in the Ontario Hockey League is going to come away with the win. Just don’t tell that to the Windsor Spitfires. …[read more]
Rest easy, Brent Jarrett
Brent Jarrett, who rose from the frigid outdoor and chilly indoor rinks of Sault Ste. Marie to become an unlikely superstar with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League and the minor pro Kalamazoo K-Wings, has passed away at the age of 65. …[read more]
Spits smack Steelheads
Rookie goalie Carter Froggett made 23 saves and Ilya Protas potted a pair of pucks as the Spitfires skated past the Brampton Steelheads 5-2 today before more than 5,200 fans at the WFCU Centre. …[read more]
Mathurin nets OT winner
The Spitfires outshot the Sarnia Sting by a resounding 39-19 margin but needed an overtime goal by overage defenseman Tnias Mathurin to pull out a 4-3 road win tonight. …[read more]
Spellacy signs NHL deal
Say hey to A.J.! Spitfires forward A.J. Spellacy has inked a three year entry level contract with the Chicago Black Hawks. The 2006 birth year skater was snagged by Chicago in the third round of the 2024 National Hockey League draft. …[read more]
Spitfires by the numbers
The Spitfires are two thirds into the ’24-25 Ontario Hockey League regular season and have rebounded in fine fashion from a ’23-24 campaign in which they won just 18 of 68 games and missed the Western Conference playoffs by more than 20 points. …[read more]
Spitfires cuff the Wolves
And the winning continues. The Spitfires won for the ninth time in their last 10 outings on Thursday with a decisive 6-2 drubbing of the visiting Sudbury Wolves. …[read more]
Setting up the Spitfires
They have size. They have skill. They have depth. To be sure, the Spitfires are set up for this season and next as genuine Ontario Hockey League contenders. …[read more]
Spitfires via the Battalion
The Spitfires have added a seasoned defenseman to their corps of Ontario Hockey League tested blue liners. Hulking, 6 foot 5, 2005 birth year defender Wyatt Kennedy is headed to Windsor from the North Bay Battalion in exchange for 2007 birth year rookie defenseman Adrian Manzo as well as stockpiled second, third and fourth round draft picks. …[read more]
Spitfires add forward size
Seasoned skater Luke McNamara is bringing his 6 foot 3 frame to the Spitfires via Ontario Hockey League trade with the Kingston Frontenacs. …[read more]
Coach Walters is a winner
Greg Walters knows how to win. Now in his fifth full season as a head coach in the Ontario Hockey League, the 54-year old Walters is headed towards a fifth straight season with a winning record, this time with the Windsor Spitfires. …[read more]
Spits just keep on coming
Eight straight victories have the streaking Windsor Spitfires flying high along the jet smooth skyways of the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
Six straight for Spitfires
The Windsor engine is humming. The Spitfires have now won six straight games to boost their record to 27-7-3, which is second best among the 20 teams of the Ontario Hockey League. …[read more]
Spitfires motor into 2025
They have been referred to by many — and rightfully so — as the surprise team of the Ontario Hockey League through the 2024 segment of this season. And while the Spitfires record of 26-7-3 was the second best in the OHL as the calendar year turned to 2025, I for one am not astounded by the winning ways of Windsor. …[read more]
Greentree assists Spitfires
Captain Liam Greentree continues to sear the score sheet for the Spitfires. The skilled skater scored once and assisted on three others today to help Windsor to a 6-4 New Year’s Eve afternoon victory over the Flint Firebirds. Greentree, who many feel should be playing for Team Canada at this year’s World Junior Hockey Championships, is one of the top point getters in the Ontario Hockey League as a 2006 birth year forward.