Weekend road trips are an important part of any Ontario Hockey League (OHL) schedule. For the Windsor Spitfires, this weekend’s Eastern road swing might be the most important part of their pre-Christmas schedule.
With the Spitfires being in the Western Conference, they face all Eastern Conference clubs twice (one at home, one on the road) per season. This weekend marks their annual Eastern swing, where they hit the road to face three East teams in one shot – the Peterborough Petes on Thurs., Dec. 11, the Kingston Frontenacs on Fri., Dec. 12, and the Ottawa 67’s on Sun., Dec. 14. While the Spitfires hold the third seed in their conference, a point behind the Flint Firebirds for the top spot, nothing about this trip will be easy and getting the full points will require some work. Here are three keys to coming back to the WFCU Centre with six points.
Defence-First Mentality Doesn’t Slip
One of the bright spots of the Spitfires’ season so far has been their defence. Thanks to systems from head coach Greg Walters and his staff, they come into the weekend having allowed the fewest goals in the conference and third-fewest in the league (75 through 30 games). There have been hiccups along the way, but it’s been their overall pride and joy.
However, they come into this weekend with some rollercoaster performances since early November. Through their last six road games, they’ve allowed 24 goals, but three of those contests saw five or more get into the net. The question is – which team shows up this weekend?
Earlier this season, they shut out both the Frontenacs (3-0) and the 67’s (2-0) at the WFCU Centre. While they’re nice checks on the list, the Frontenacs have lost five of their last six at home, so they will be hungry for redemption, while the 67’s and Petes are a combined 21-6-0-1 at home.
One of the factors that could play a role is not having last change during stoppages. After Saturday’s game against the London Knights, Walters said he’s still very confident in throwing out any line or pairing he needs to.
“Let’s just go and continue the good defensive hockey,” he said. “The other team’s getting last change and we feel extremely confident with our six defencemen and four lines. Whatever way we look at it, we’re deep.
Being a point back of the Firebirds isn’t an easy spot for Walters’ club. If they want to regain the top seed, they’ll need all hands on deck defensively.
Spitfires Emphasize Next Man Up
The reality in any season is you’re not going to always have a full lineup. Whether it’s injuries, suspensions, or something special, there will be holes that need to be filled. That’s the story this weekend for the Spitfires.
Captain forward Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings) and forward A.J. Spellacy (Chicago Blackhawks) were named to Team Canada’s selection camp and Team USA’s preliminary roster, respectively, for the 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship. While the tournament doesn’t start until Fri., Dec. 26, the players are reporting to their camps this weekend. According to the Windsor Star, Greentree leaves after Thursday’s game, while Spellacy leaves after Friday’s (from ‘Are first-place Spitfires ready for 5-day 1,700km bus trip? Here’s what’s ahead”, Windsor Star – 12/9/25).
With the two veterans gone, Walters’ famous “next man up” mentality will come into play. Whether it was injuries last season in the playoffs or players gone away to NHL camps this season, the team uses the chance to bond and build their secondary scoring. With secondary scoring from players like forwards Beksultan Makysh, Cole Davis, Ethan Garden, and J.C. Lemieux, they know what needs to be done to succeed this weekend. They ran off seven straight wins when players were at NHL camps earlier this season. Walters said this is another chance for them to bond and build on that.
“We’re excited to get away and get some team bonding going,” Walters said on Saturday. “We’ve done it in the two seasons I’ve been here – next man up. Try to find a way to get some wins.”
Veteran defenceman Conor Walton has seen his fair share of road trips over three seasons. On Saturday, he scored a big goal for the Spitfires. After the game, he said he loves the Eastern swing, and bonding is definitely a part of that.
“I love that trip,” Walton said. “It’s a long bus trip, but if you’ve got the right guys around you, it’s a great time. I know, for me, some of my best buddies are from road trips. Late-night talks, maybe something on the bus. It’s a lot of fun.”
Having two of your top players away isn’t easy for any team. However, when you’ve got a chance for everyone else to bond and come together, it helps the on-ice product.
Power Play Has to Succeed
Finally, we have to look at the Spitfires’ power play. When you have players like Greentree, Spellacy, forwards Ethan Belchetz (top pick for 2026 NHL Draft), Cole Davis, and Jack Nesbitt (Philadelphia Flyers), plus defencemen Anthony Cristoforo and Carson Woodall, you should be converting near the top of the league.
Related: Ethan Belchetz Might Be a Top-3 Prospect in Stacked 2026 NHL Draft
Up until early November, that’s what they were doing. They sat third in the OHL at over 30 percent with the extra man (or men). Life was pretty good. However, something happened in early November where it all dropped off. They went on a streak that started off two-for-17 and ended the month seven-for-34, for 20.6 percent. It hasn’t improved in December, going just two-for-13 in three games. While they remain third in the league, their conversion is down to 31-for-118 or 26.3 percent.
Is the slump from systems, execution, or trying too hard to make the perfect pass or shot? It’s not any one thing, specifically. They have the systems set, the players set, and they’re getting the opportunities. Either they can’t get into the zone, they can’t get the shot off or, with credit to the opposition, they’re scouted very well. Assistant coach Casey Torres has worked hard with them, and they’re keeping the faith.
Maybe this weekend will be the jolt they needed. Even with two stars out, they’ve got the tools to convert at a 30-percent clip. All three teams they face sit in the bottom half of the league in penalty killing, each below 80 percent. The 67’s are fourth last in the league at 73.3 percent. Will that matter, though? The Spitfires will either rejuvenate their own power play or fix their opponents’ penalty killing.
This is a weekend the Spitfires can’t afford to let slip away. If they want to regain the top seed heading into Christmas, points are vital. Otherwise, they could be looking at the third seed when Santa comes down their chimneys in a couple of weeks. The trip starts Thursday at the Peterborough Memorial Center with a 7:05 p.m. puck drop against the Petes.
