The Windsor Spitfires are about one-third of the way through their 68-game 2025-26 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season. Through 22 games, there is plenty to be proud of while realizing some areas still need improvement.
After losing in the second round of the OHL Western Conference playoffs last season, the Spitfires came into this season with higher expectations. It was mission accomplished in the first few weeks as they won their first seven games. However, that was followed by a bit of a reality check as teams figured them out and points became harder to come by. While they remain at the top of the conference at 15-4-2-1, there are still areas to improve on as they head towards Christmas and the ever-popular January 10 trade deadline. Here are 10 thoughts – five good, four not-so-good, and one “this needs to happen” – from the first 22 games.
Belchetz Coming As Advertised
When the Spitfires finished second last in the OHL in 2023-24, the one benefit was winning the first overall pick in the 2024 OHL Draft Lottery. That gave them their unicorn – 6-foot-5, 225-pound forward Ethan Belchetz, who could score, hit, skate, and lead with equal abilities.
Last season, he showed glimpses of greatness, from a four-goal home-opener performance to backing up teammates without hesitation. Unfortunately, his season ended early because of a late-March injury. This season, however, he has become the star everyone had hoped for as he heads towards the 2026 NHL Draft.
Related: 7 Spitfires Named to Preliminary 2026 NHL Draft Watch List
After 17 goals and 38 points in 56 games last season, he’s shot out of the gate with 16 goals and 27 points in 21 games so far. He’s shone on the top line with captain Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings) and has done everything the team and its fans have wanted. He has a point in 17 of 21 games so far and has 18 points in his last 12 games. Whether it’s skating through the slot and burying a wrist shot or standing in front of the goaltender and crashing for opportunities, he’s become a fan favourite.
This has become a near-perfect pick by general manager Bill Bowler. The youngster is highly touted for the 2026 NHL Draft, so he may not last more than another season (or two, at best) with the club. They’re enjoying this while they can.
Costanzo Defying Critics
One of the biggest X-factors coming into the season was overage (20-year-old) goaltender Joey Costanzo. The Toronto native has had an inconsistent OHL career, but came into the season on a high.
After struggling in 2023-24 with a 5.09 goals-against average (GAA) and .855 save percentage (SV%) in 39 appearances, he rebounded with a golden 2.94 GAA and .892 SV% last season through 51 appearances. He started strong, but second-half inconsistencies raised questions about his final return this season. However, his playoff performance turned everything around. There, he had a 2.99 GAA and .911 SV%, and it’s continued into this season.
Every team in the OHL is allowed to have three overage players dress per game. Costanzo was named as one of them and has responded with golden numbers. Through 15 games, he has a 1.97 GAA and .913 SV%, including just three games where he’s allowed four goals. It’s exactly what the team, and its fans, had hoped for.
While there was curiosity towards a possible upgrade in goal closer to the deadline, that may have lessened with his play. He’s become a shining star for the Spitfires and given Bowler one less area to think about over the next two months.
Garden Coming Into His Own
It can be a challenge for mid-round OHL draft picks to make a name for themselves. However, for Spitfires’ sophomore forward Ethan Garden, it’s one he’s happy to take on.
At the 2024 OHL Draft, Bowler selected the 5-foot-7, 158-pounder in the ninth round out of the Little Caesars 15U AAA program. The Belleville, MI native was leaning towards the NCAA, but at the Spitfires’ Draft Orientation weekend, the club convinced him the OHL was his best move. It worked beautifully.
Despite Garden’s small stature, the youngster never stops skating. He hits, he forechecks, he excels in his own zone, and he’s become offensively creative. After 14 points in 55 games in his rookie season, he already has four goals and 13 points in 19 games this season. Head coach Greg Walters even put him on the top line with Belchetz and Greentree earlier in November while Jack Nesbitt (Philadelphia Flyers) was injured. The result was instant chemistry and production.
Garden had 43 goals and 92 points in 58 games in his OHL draft season; he has the talent. It was just a matter of adjusting to the league. Last season, the club had numerous injuries, which gave him a chance to join the top-six. He didn’t look out of place, and now he’s using that experience to his advantage.
It’s still very early in the 17-year-old’s career as he gets ready for the 2026 NHL Draft. However, despite his size, he’s proven that heart and a competitive spirit go a long way.
Woodall Showing True Value
The 2022 OHL Draft has been a bright light for the Spitfires. From Greentree to Spellacy, defenceman Anthony Cristoforo to forward Cole Davis, they’ve had numerous talents break out for solid careers. This season, defenceman Carson Woodall is entering the spotlight.
Normally, tenth-round picks have lower expectations. However, Woodall doesn’t seem phased by that and has been taking his game season-by-season. In his own end, he’s proven reliable and a team-first guy. Offensively, he quietly produces without being flashy. In 2023-24, he had 29 points in 57 games and followed that with 38 points in 66 games last season. This season, he’s taken the production up a level and is now in the spotlight, too.
Woodall had six points in his first three games and hasn’t slowed down a whole lot. He has only a few games this season without a point, registering four goals and 30 points in 22 games, which is tops for defencemen in the OHL. It’s gotten to the point where, if a Spitfire scores, you almost expect to hear his name in the “assisted by…” sentence.
Off the ice, Woodall is engaged with the community, including Woody’s Hoodies, an incredible cause that involves apparel and cancer research in the Windsor-Essex County region. He’s become an icon.
It’s not often you see a tenth-round pick have this kind of influence on his team, but Woodall has defied all standards. If he can continue this production, you could hear his name mentioned a lot by the league in the second half.
Power Play Among League Elite
When you have a team that includes Belchetz, Greentree, Nesbitt, and a host of others, you expect to have production with the man advantage. For the most part, that’s been the case.
Currently, the Spitfires sit second in the OHL with a 30.3 percent conversion rate on the power play, going 27-for-89. They’re second behind the Brantford Bulldogs who are an impressive 41.8 percent (26-for-63). While the last two games have been a struggle for Walters’ club, going just one-for-eight, that’s been the exception, not the rule.
From late October into early November, they had at least one power-play goal in 10-of-11 games, and six of those had two power-play goals. Walters has worked with assistant coaches Casey Torres and Kris Newbury to get the most out of their two units. Through 22 games, they’ve had just four games with no extra-man goals. Unfortunately, two of those four have come in November.
Does that mean there’s an issue? Not necessarily. There might be a bit too much patience, and opponents are scouting them better, but they’ve had chances. Sometimes, you have to credit the other team for finding ways to stop you.
After going zero-for-five against the Soo Greyhounds on Thurs. Nov. 13, including a nearly full two-man advantage late in the third period (no goals), calling the power play a good thing might seem odd. However, we’re looking at the overall picture here. You’re going to have ups and downs throughout the season. Just about any team will take a 30-percent conversion rate during the long haul, though.
Spitfires’ Defence Hot and Cold
In 2023-24, the Spitfires allowed 360 goals in 68 games, their highest total in over 30 seasons. When Walters took over to start 2024-25, he joined Torres and Newbury in implementing new systems that emphasized defence. They promptly cut the number down to 223 goals against.
This season, it continued as they allowed just seven goals in the opening seven games. That wasn’t sustainable, though, and defence has become a bit of a guessing game.
Since their eighth game, a 6-3 loss on the road to the Owen Sound Attack on Sun., Oct. 5, they’ve had eight games where they allowed three or fewer goals but six games where they’ve allowed more than three. The question is – why?
The coaches have continued to work on their systems, and Walters has said the players are fully buying into everything. However, they have games where the zone coverage is sloppy, opponents enter the slot too easily, or simple defensive plays result in turnovers, which lead to goals against or penalties. It’s frustrating everyone.
The Spitfires’ franchise record for goals against in a season is 171 (68 games) by the 2009 Memorial Cup roster. In 2016-17, they allowed just 185 (68 games) by another Memorial Cup roster. This group is on pace for just over 182, despite allowing 12 goals in their last two games.
The talent and the systems are there. It’s a matter of not cheating for offence, trusting the coaches, and going back to the basics. They need to figure this out, whether it’s through mental work, practice, or even trades. That’s a topic to discuss later, though.
Secondary Scoring Showing Inconsistencies
While players like Belchetz, Greentree, and Nesbitt have generally found their game, the Spitfires can’t rely on them for 60 minutes. Your secondary scoring is essential. Unfortunately, for the last month, it’s been inconsistent.
A big surprise has been forward A.J. Spellacy (Chicago Blackhawks). After 37 points in 62 games last season, he could have been a point-per-game player. Instead, he struggled with just three points in the opening 11 games. Since then, he’s been working with the coaches and has three goals and four points in his last six games. He’s one of several that need a boost.
From Spellacy to Davis, Garden, Jean-Christoph Lemieux, and Owen Outwater, plus rookies Beksultan Makysh (2025 Canadian Hockey League Import second-round pick) and Caden Harvey (2025 OHL third-round pick), they could have run three productive lines a night. It’s been a guessing game, though.
Every player has shown lengthy hot-and-cold tendencies. Davis recorded five points in 10 games before hitting seven points in his last eight games. Makysh started with eight points in six games, but now has just five points in his last 12 games. There are others like this, and you don’t know who will show up for each game. Outwater was supposed to be productive, but after just two points in eight games and often being a healthy scratch, he and the club parted ways.
The Spitfires are third in the OHL in goals scored with 88 through 22 games. Imagine if their secondary scoring was consistent? This is a talented group when they’re on their game. They just need that consistency because the top line can’t do it all.
Depth Players Need Replacement
Another key concern is the lack of depth when injuries, illnesses, or suspensions hit the team. When everyone is healthy, they have potentially three productive lines plus a fourth line that could include a combination of Harvey, rookie John McLaughlin (2025 OHL first-round pick), rookie Max Brocklehurst (2024 OHL third-round pick), 17, and veteran Nathan Gaymes, 19.
However, when injuries creep in, Harvey, McLaughlin, and Brocklehurst all have offensive potential, so they move up in the lineup. That leaves Gaymes with extra 18-year-old forwards Shawn Costello and Cole Dubowsky as the fourth line, which is rough.
Gaymes is a veteran who has some offensive potential (10 points in 52 games last season) and an agitating style that is ideal for a fourth line. Costello and Dubowsky can play a tougher style, but haven’t shown much since the preseason. They’ve also produced almost no offence at the OHL level. In short, this line does little more than give the other lines a breather. In fact, if there are injuries, Walters has occasionally gone with 11 forwards just to get more production from his defence.
Dubowsky and Costello have plenty of jam in their game and could be fan favourites, but the team needs to be able to roll out that fourth line with confidence, regardless of who’s in the lineup. Having a fourth line that’s almost non-existent when injuries or suspensions happen is not a recipe the Spitfires want to sustain for the long-term. Something has to give here.
Overage Shortage Needs Sorting Out
As we mentioned earlier, every team in the OHL is allowed to have three overage (20-year-old) players dress per game. This season, that means players born in 2005. When last season ended, the club had Costanzo, Outwater, defencemen Wyatt Kennedy and Josef Eichler, along with forward Luke McNamara as options for this season. Eichler and McNamara both moved to the United States Hockey League, and the team ran with Costanzo, Kennedy, and Outwater.
Unfortunately, despite Outwater being the North Bay Battalion’s first-round pick in 2021, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Shortly after being acquired by the Spitfires in November 2023, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in January 2024. He returned in 2024-25 but, sadly, suffered another season-ending injury in December. It was devastating for him and the team. This season, he returned healthy but unproductive. He’s now playing with the Trenton Golden Hawks of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Now, the Spitfires have Costanzo and Kennedy as their lone overage players. They’ve made it work, but bringing in a productive third overage player would add a jolt to the ice and experience to the locker room. It hasn’t been an urgent area for Bowler, yet, but it’s going to need to be addressed.
It’s Bowler’s Move
While the 2025-26 OHL trade deadline isn’t until January, the unofficial deadline season begins in late November. Over the last four seasons, Bowler hasn’t been shy about making early moves. He brought in future 49-goal scorer Alex Christopoulos from the Battalion in late November 2021. In November 2023, he made a blockbuster deal with the Saginaw Spirit, strangely involving Christopoulos, too. Does it happen again this season?
Despite their hot start, the Spitfires are a respectable 5-3-1-1 in their last 10 games. There have been consistency issues, but they know what talent they have, and their goal is to win the OHL Championship. You have to wonder when the first domino will fall.
Bowler’s style combines no panic with a willingness to change things up. He adds (or subtracts) when he sees fit. While there are highly-discussed names out there (such as Flyers’ prospect Jett Luchanko on the Guelph Storm), he has often taken the path-less-travelled and brought in names that you may not think about, such as 2022-23 when he acquired forward Brett Harrison from the Oshawa Generals.
The trade deadline is less than two months away. While we know he doesn’t panic, we also know that getting ahead of the curve could serve this team well heading into Christmas. The Bulldogs already made a major deal with the Generals, and the London Knights got a young producer from the Niagara IceDogs. Simply put – it’s Bowler’s move.
Through 22 games, the Spitfires have shown they can both compete with the best and struggle against the worst. As they head towards Christmas, there’s plenty to be optimistic about, but also areas that need to improve. On the plus side, they remain in the first seed in the conference, which most fans will gladly take right now.
