The Windsor Spitfires are ready for the 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) playoffs. After a convincing win at home over a division rival on Thursday, they’re full of confidence, but also some concerns.
Coming into the final weekend of the regular season, the club was locked into the second seed in the Western Conference. That means there’s little, standings-wise, to play for. However, their opponents on Thursday, the Sarnia Sting, are battling for the final playoff spot. That meant a high-scoring, physical game that might leave the Spitfires shorthanded for a bit. Here are four takeaways from an emotional night at the WFCU Centre.
Veterans Push Gas Pedal
While the Sting have been a thorn in the Spitfires’ side, including a 6-5 overtime loss earlier this month, the home side was 3-0-2-0 this season against them. That trend continued on Thursday.
The Spitfires were without suspended captain Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings) and could have rested other veterans. Instead, most dressed and had some fun. In the first, they limited the Sting to three shots while getting nine of their own. In the second, the floodgates opened.
The Sting put 14 shots on starter Joey Costanzo, but he shut the door, allowing his team to thrive. Spitfires’ veteran Noah Morneau scored twice in three minutes for a 2-0 lead. Shortly after, Ryan Abraham added one, before Morneau completed the hat-trick. In the third, A.J. Spellacy (Chicago Blackhawks) scored while the defence limited the Sting to just four more shots for a 5-0 Spitfires’ win.
From Costanzo’s 21-save shutout (more below) and Abraham’s two-point night to Morneau’s hat-trick and Ilya Protas’ (Washington Capitals) season-high five assists, the veterans came to play. Head coach Greg Walters said they gave the Sting nothing to work with.
“I thought we were real good defensively,” he said. “The start of the second period, they came at us, and I knew they were going to. They’re fighting for their playoff lives, but I thought most of it was from the outside. We protected good ice and they had a few point shots that were tipped. Joey was able to see them. Protas and the boys got rolling, maybe one of our best third periods. (The Sting) didn’t have anything. Really proud of them.”
A few shots from the Windsor #Spitfires' 5-0 win over the Sarnia #Sting at the WFCU Centre on Thursday night. #OHL pic.twitter.com/m3BGTTRVKb
— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) March 21, 2025
The win gives the Spitfires 96 points, a 52-point improvement over last season (44). That’s a club single-season record for improvement, the previous being 2006-07 (43) to 2007-08 (94).
Spitfires Honour Overagers
Every team in the OHL can have three overagers (20-year-olds) who are in their final season. For the Spitfires, that’s Morneau, Abraham, and defenceman Tnias Mathurin. Before Thursday’s game, the Spitfires recognized the trio, including Mathurin, who is out with an injury. They joined their families and/or billets for a ceremony involving gifts from the team.
The Windsor #Spitfires honoured their three overage players on Thursday – D Tnias Mathurin, F Noah Morneau, and F Ryan Abraham. #OHL pic.twitter.com/vl4IVflf9V
— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) March 21, 2025
Fittingly, Abraham and Morneau followed with big games. After, Morneau said the hat trick in this spot was special.
“It felt pretty cool,” he said. “I had a lot of friends and family all pulling for me to do something. With that being my last regular season game in Windsor, it was pretty special … There’s a little bit of sadness, but mainly just pretty excited. I’ve been here for two seasons (plus this) and I saw two overage nights before me and I wanted to play for those guys a couple of seasons back. I know these guys wanted me to do well tonight.”
When asked if he’s had a chance to soak in his final season, he said you have to.
“I try to every day,” he said. “It’s times like this you never get back. You have to make the most of it. I just do my best to be there for guys as best I can and the guys are the same with me. Yeah, it’s tough but I do my best to stay in the moment.”
Abraham said it’s been an emotional day. He said time flies by and he wishes he had listened to the veterans better when he joined the league.
“My overagers during my rookie season said just take it slow,” Abraham said. “I don’t think I took it slow enough (laughs). It’s weird, I’m already almost done. It really does fly by.”
Costanzo Returns to Old Self
One of the biggest pieces to the Spitfires puzzle for much of the season has been Costanzo. He’s had his ups, being near the top of the league in most categories, and his downs, where he’s struggled to play a full 60 minutes over multiple games. It’s no secret that he has the talent to be among the best, but it’s been a matter of getting that play consistently.
Thursday night, he showed what he can do under tough circumstances. He didn’t have to make many first-period saves, but he kept his head focused and did the job. As expected, he was bombarded in the second period and found a way to keep going so his team could thrive offensively. In the third, again, he got help from his defence, made the necessary saves, and earned his fourth shutout and 32nd win of the season. Both are second in the OHL behind Kitchener Rangers’ overager Jackson Parsons. After the game, Walters said he was happy with how the veteran played heading into the playoffs.
“Our guys played good,” he said. “Really happy with Joey, really special for him to get another shutout. He won’t be going (Friday night at the London Knights) so he goes into the playoffs on a great note. I thought our guys played well in front of him.”
Nobody expects 40 or 50-save performances every night from the 19-year-old. However, it’s been a rollercoaster since the calendar turned to 2025. He had a month-long stretch of games where he allowed three or fewer, but in March, he allowed at least four in four of five appearances. The Sting were a desperate team on Thursday and he found a way to stop everything. It’s a confidence boost when he and the club really need it with the playoffs next week.
Spitfires Short-Staffed Entering Playoffs
What the Spitfires don’t need, though, is more injuries or suspensions. It looks like that may be the case, though.
Coming into Thursday, the club was without Greentree (suspension), Mathurin (injury), J.C. Lemieux (injury), and Owen Outwater (season-ending injury). They also had multiple players out recently with various injuries so they were just hoping to get into the playoffs without adding more. That didn’t happen, unfortunately.
In the second period, rookie forward Ethan Belchetz got hit by Sting sophomore Hughston Hurt. Belchetz went awkwardly into the boards, favouring his left leg. He was eventually helped off the ice by the trainer and teammates and didn’t return to the game. After a review, Hurt was given a minor for cross-checking. Just a minute later, Spitfires’ defenceman Carson Woodall was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for head-checking another Sting player. It will likely be reviewed by the league.
After the game, Walters didn’t have a firm update on Belchetz but said he just hopes the youngster is okay.
“It’s sad,” he said. “We talked to them about keeping our emotions, not hitting. That (Belchetz) was a hockey play and not vicious on Hurt’s point. Belchetz lost his edge; just hoping it’s not too bad and we’ll get him back here.”
Related: Windsor Spitfires Name Ethan Belchetz Top Pick in 2024 OHL Draft
The Spitfires face the Knights in London on Friday in the final regular season game. The playoffs get started on Thurs., March 27. The hope for Friday is nobody gets hurt, nobody gets suspended, and they can go into the playoffs with as full of a roster as possible. These games mean nothing for the standings and very little stats-wise. Go in, play the game, get home, and get ready for playoffs next week. As Walters said after the game… “The real season begins next Thursday.”
