NHL eyes on Spitfire guys
Windsor Spitfires’ top three picks from last year’s 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft are most likely up there on the watch list of most National Hockey League scouts ahead of next year’s 2026 NHL draft.
They are forwards Ethan Belchetz and J.C. Lemieux and defenseman Carter Hicks.
Belchetz was the first overall pick in the first round of the 2024 OHL draft, while Lemieux (22nd overall) and Hicks (24th overall) were both prime picks by the Spitfires in the second round. All three have 2008 birth dates.
Belchetz is being pegged as a sure fire first rounder to the NHL in 2026 with Lemieux and Hicks to follow in the ensuing early rounds.
To be sure, and as one example, Mike Dawson — who is a well regarded cross over scout for the Seattle Kraken — has Belchetz, Lemieux and Hicks all projected to be early round picks at the 2026 NHL Draft.
Dawson, as a scout for Seattle, was in Slovakia for the recent Hlinka Gretzky Under 18 World Cup summer tournament and came away impressed with both Belchetz and Lemieux, who were part of Canada’s national team that earned the bronze medal.
“Belchetz looked good as a power forward who was very hard to handle for opponents,” Dawson relayed to Hockey News Windsor. “And although in a lesser role, so did Lemieux, who played a high energy, pesky game.”
Notably, Belchetz led Canada in scoring at this summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup with four goals, four assists, eight points in five games.
Prior, all three players performed key roles as rookies for Windsor in ’24-25 as the Spitfires ascended from missing the playoffs in ’23-24 to being a top OHL team this past season.
The 6 foot 5, 228 pound Belchetz bulldozed his way to 17 goals, 21 assists, 38 points in 56 regular season games for the Spitfires before missing all of Windsor’s two round, 12 game playoff run with an injury.
As for the 6 foot, 188 pound Lemieux, he netted nine goals, 10 assists, 19 points in 46 regular season outings for the Spitfires and added an assist in six playoff matches while missing six others due to injury.
Over to the 6 foot 1, 170 pound Hicks, the right hand shooting defender had three goals, 11 assists, 14 points in 52 regular season contests for the Spitfires in ’24-25 and was a clutch performer in the playoffs with two goals, two assists, four points while playing in all 12 of Windsor’s post season matches.
Windsor, which is expected to be even more of an OHL threat in ’25-26, has had four forwards picked relatively high at the past two NHL draft proceedings — Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings, 2024) and Jack Nesbitt (Philadelphia Flyers, 2025) were both first round picks while Ilya Protas (Washington Capitals, 2024) and A.J. Spellacy (Chicago Blackhawks, 2024) were both third rounders.