The puck has dropped on the 2025-26 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season. For the Windsor Spitfires, there’s plenty of promise but also stories to focus on in the early going.
Last season, the Spitfires won their third West Division title in four seasons. Despite losing in overtime to the Kitchener Rangers in Game 7 of their second round series, they come into this season with a renewed energy. They know what they’ve got and there’s a purpose. With two games – and two wins – under their belts, they’re confident, but they also know there’s a long way to go. Here are five stories to focus on as they head into the first 20 games of the season.
Adjustment of Rookies
The Spitfires are likely to return several high-end veterans this season (we’ll talk about that more below), but one of the biggest things to watch for in the early going is the development of the first-season players.
Last season, the club’s 2024 OHL Draft class was one of the best in general manager Bill Bowler’s history (the 2022 class is tough to beat, including captain Liam Greentree). They had as many as eight players dress for games during the season, including first-overall pick forward Ethan Belchetz. Now, the new freshman group is looking to make their own mark.
Included in this class are 2025 OHL draft picks, first-rounder forward John McLaughlin, fifth-rounder forward Caden Harvey (he’s a year older), plus free agent defenceman Jonathan Brown, 18, and 2025 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft second-round pick forward Beksultan Makysh.
McLaughlin already has his first assist while Harvey has chipped in with three more. It’s been Makysh’s performance, though, that has fans raising eyebrows. Not only did he get two goals in his OHL debut on Fri., Sept. 19, but he added another in the home opener 24 hours later.
Windsor #Spitfires' second-round 2025 #CHL Import pick F Beksultan Makysh (Kazakhstan via Boston Hockey Academy) with a goal in Saturday's home opener at the WFCU Centre. With 3G in 2GP so far, he's looking alright. #OHL pic.twitter.com/KikKKJNs4z
— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) September 21, 2025
The Astana, Kazakhstan native played for the Boston Hockey Academy for the last two seasons. After Saturday’s game, he told the media that he learned about the OHL during his time there. After some viewings, he knew it was the spot for him.
“My advisors helped me,” he said. “I didn’t know much about the OHL when I first came to the US. I was like ‘what is it?’ Then I started watching it and wanted to go there … It’s a more creative and offensive league. That’s what I like.”
Nobody is expecting Makysh, McLaughlin, or any other first-season player to dominate from start to finish. That’s why this will be worth watching. Strong starts are nice, but how do they transition over the first 20 games? It’s going to be fun to watch unfold.
Return of NHL Prospects
While the first-season players transition to the league, the Spitfires will be watching to see which players return from NHL camps.
So far, defencemen Carson Woodall, Conor Walton, Wyatt Kennedy, and Anthony Cristoforo have all returned from their respective NHL teams, along with forward Cole Davis and goaltender Joey Costanzo. Bowler, head coach Greg Walters, and the rest of the staff are still waiting for Greentree (Los Angeles Kings), Jack Nesbitt (Philadelphia Flyers), and A.J. Spellacy (Chicago Blackhawks).
Related: Jack Nesbitt’s High Floor Gives Flyers Hope, But His High Ceiling Will Make Them a Contender
Greentree and Spellacy were chosen by their NHL clubs in the 2024 NHL Draft, so they will likely get long looks, maybe into the regular season. Nesbitt was the Flyers’ first-round pick, 12th overall, in June, so he could stick around into October, as well. The club has had a recent history of players making the pros early, including forwards Wyatt Johnston (Dallas Stars) and Jean-Luc Foudy (Colorado Avalanche), so nothing is a given.
The returns could also affect the players who have stuck around as depth, such as forwards Max Brocklehurst (2024 OHL Draft), Nathan Gaymes, Shawn Costello, and Cole Dubowsky. Cristoforo and Kennedy returning already gives the club eight OHL-ready defencemen. Add in the forward depth, and Bowler will have some decisions to make.
Can Costanzo Keep His Crease?
During the preseason, we talked about how the Spitfires’ crease was going to be a battle between four goaltenders – veteran starter Joey Costanzo, 20, veteran Carter Froggett, 19, plus rookies Michael Newlove, 18, and Jake Windbiel, 17. It lived up to the hype.
While Costanzo went to the Flyers’ camp, the other three fought for the backup role. Windbiel played well but needed more seasoning, so he was sent to the LaSalle Vipers Junior B. Newlove and Froggett went toe-to-toe through preseason, and both could have argued for a spot. Just before the season opener, the club announced that Newlove was starting. In Bowler’s State of the Spitfires address on the club’s YouTube channel, prior to the home opener, it was stated that Froggett had been placed on waivers. It’s a tough ending, but at least answers a crease question.
With Newlove and Costanzo as the pairing, now we wait to find out how long Costanzo can keep his crease. He had an outstanding first-half in 2024-25, jumping to the top of most OHL goaltending categories along with Kitchener Rangers’ veteran Jackson Parsons. While he slipped after Christmas, he dusted himself off and proved critics wrong with a 2.11 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in the playoffs. He could have been argued as the club’s playoff Most Valuable Player.
It would be fantastic to see Costanzo return to his playoff form and keep the crease for as long as possible. He’s seen the highs and the lows of the organization and deserves that chance. However, should something happen, they know Newlove is ready and able to take over.
Can the Spitfires Stay Healthy?
We mentioned how important Costanzo was to the Spitfires during last season’s playoff run. One of the biggest reasons for that was the club’s lack of healthy players.
At one point during the first round, they had at least eight regulars scratched because of an injury. When someone got healthy, someone else got hurt or sick, and it was an almost never-ending wave. This was on top of the multiple injuries and illnesses they dealt with during the season.
Are those a part of the game? Absolutely. Do they factor into games? There’s no denying that. The club has to figure out a way to stay healthy in the early part of the season. Injuries and illnesses are going to happen, whether that’s fluke accidents, a sudden flu bug that hits the team, or something else. If they can minimize those, it will be a nice change of pace and really help them in the standings.
Will the Early Hype be Justified?
Earlier in September, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) released its first Top-10 rankings for the season. It gives everyone an idea of the top teams around Canada.
Last season, the Spitfires were as high as third, but also fell out of the rankings late in the season. It’s a bit of a guessing game at times but also shows the trend for the team. This season, the CHL put the club at fifth as of Tues., Sept. 16, and they moved up to second on Tues., Sept. 23. For the initial rankings last week, Walter said they have to stay modest and focused.
“Some people didn’t have us making the playoffs (last season),” he said. “It’s great and a credit to the kids. We have a good team coming back. We can’t fall in love with ourselves. We have to make sure our work ethic and our attention to detail is the same as it was last season.”
The rankings are nice to be a part of, but you still need to play the game the right way. So far, with 8-1 and 4-1 wins over the Sarnia Sting and London Knights, respectively, the club is showing they can handle the pressure. However, it’s still very early. Can they keep this going? Nobody expects them to win 4-1 or 8-1 every night, or even win every game, period. However, expectations are higher, and they want to justify the hype. It’s a tricky balance, but one the team seems ready to attempt.
