The clock appears to be ticking for the Windsor Spitfires. Despite two come-from-behind attempts and a low-scoring battle, another winless weekend has pushed the club further out of the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) playoff picture as they continue to search for answers.
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After winning back-to-back Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Western Conference regular-season titles, the Spitfires came into 2023-24 knowing that things would be different. They had heavy graduation and made a few trades to get younger. However, despite the remaining talent, they’ve shocked the league by falling into the basement as losses and questions pile up. While there’s plenty of optimism in the room, one has to wonder how long before the dam breaks. Here are four takeaways from a busy weekend.
4 Takeaways from Knights and Spirit
Weekend Results:
Thurs., Nov. 9 – 10-7 loss vs. London Knights
Sat., Nov. 11 – 3-1 loss @ Saginaw Spirit
Sun., Nov. 12 – 6-5 loss vs. Saginaw Spirit
Current Record – 4-13-1-0 (last place Western Conference, last place OHL)
4. Davis Emerging as a Valuable Piece
The 2022 OHL Draft proved to be fruitful for the Spitfires last season. Their top three picks — defenceman Anthony Cristoforo and forwards Liam Greentree and A.J. Spellacy — were all significant contributors. This season, 10th-round pick defenceman Carson Woodall has shown budding offensive talent, while sixth-rounder goaltender Carter Froggett is getting playing time in Junior B, waiting for his shot. However, another talent has made his presence known, their fourth-rounder forward Cole Davis.
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Davis had 24 goals and 46 points in 47 games last season for the LaSalle Vipers Jr. B. He made the Spitfires this season and has shown both a physical game and sneaky offensive awareness. With three goals on the weekend, he now has 11 points in 18 games, good for fifth in the league among rookies. On Sunday, Nov. 12, head coach Jerrod Smith said that Davis’ growing confidence is paying off.
“He’s been really strong and consistent for us all season,” Smith said. “He’s a kid that competes hard, goes to those hard areas of the ice, and his skill level is starting to really show. You can see the confidence level growing and growing. Super proud of the kid, he works so hard and loves the game. He wants to get better every game and had a huge effort tonight.”
Related: Windsor Spitfires Looked to Reload at 2022 OHL Draft
With the Spitfires (likely) rebuilding this season, getting another big piece from the 2022 Draft can only benefit the club over the long term.
3. Heartbreak Losses Becoming the Norm
When you’re struggling to get points, it feels like you’re accidentally finding new ways to lose. This was the case on the weekend as the Spitfires found three different ways to lose a game.
On Thursday, Nov. 9, they scored a season-high seven goals, yet allowed 10. On Saturday, Nov. 11, their defence recovered but their offence went dry. Finally, on Nov. 12, after recovering from a 5-3 deficit, they allowed the game-winner on a bad bounce with 10 seconds left. After Sunday’s game, Smith said it’s gut-wrenching but it can’t stop them from believing.
“We have to continue to work, believe, and create your own luck,” he said. “Sometimes, when things aren’t going well, stuff like (the game-winner) tends to happen. That’s just fluky, gut-wrenching like ‘what just happened?’ Just a nothing play from behind the goal line on a one (player) on four (defenders), off a stick, off a shoulder, and trickles in.”
Davis had two goals on Sunday, earning the third star. He said the ending was a bit of a gut punch but there’s no quit in the room.
“We have a lot of fight in that room,” he said. “Being down going into the third wasn’t ideal, but we know that if we played our game and stuck to the plan, put in a lot of effort in the third, we could come back. We did and it was just an unlucky bounce (at the end)… Kind of a stab to the stomach, it hurt, but we know that if we just keep playing our game, wins will start to come.”
With the Spitfires sitting nine points out of the playoffs and on pace for just 32 points (second lowest in franchise history to 29 points in 66 games in 1975-76), wins are becoming necessary.
2. Eichler Settling In
In July, as part of getting younger, the Spitfires drafted 17-year-old Czech defenceman Josef Eichler in the 2023 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft. However, CHL clubs can only have two Imports (any player whose parents or guardians reside primarily outside of Canada or the United States), forcing the team to trade 20-year-old Russian defenceman Daniil Sobolev to the Niagara IceDogs in August.
After the deal, Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler signed Eichler and he joined 19-year-old Swiss defenceman Rodwin Dionicio (Anaheim Ducks) as the club’s Imports. With Dionicio being physical but offensive, Eichler’s physical and defensive approach was appealing.
Eichler had a tough start to the season with a minus rating in six of his first eight games. However, over his last eight games, he’s been a plus-8, recorded his first OHL point earlier in November, and scored his first OHL goal on Sunday. It’s a positive sign and, after the game, he said he’s loving where he’s at.
“I feel great,” Eichler said through a translator. “After scoring the goal, I was so happy… It’s great here, I love it here. I’m hoping to help the team.”
Going from European hockey to a North American style can be an adjustment. Eichler said that he’s found a big difference in the OHL but it suits him.
“(The OHL is) a big difference compared to Europe or the Czech Republic,” he said through the translator. “The competition is a big difference, an extreme difference. (It’s) the physical game, but I like it!”
1. Spitfires Can’t Find Turtle Power
This season, the Spitfires are holding theme nights for almost every home game. In October, they had a Taylor Swift Night, which helped propel them to a 5-2 win over the Spirit. On Sunday, they held a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Night, though the team couldn’t harness the power of the shell.
The club wore special jerseys for the event, showing the turtles and the new Gordie Howe International Bridge on both the front and back. The bridge is being built in west Windsor near Ojibway Nature Reserve to help with the cross-border traffic into Michigan. While they couldn’t grab the win like on Swift Night, Davis said it was a fun experience.
“I was a huge Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan,” he said with a smile. “(My favourite) has to be Michelangelo. He’s just the funniest of them all. The jerseys are really unique; it’s a cool concept. I was surprised at first when we had this night but it’s really cool and it brings a lot of people to the rink. I think it was a great idea.”
The Spitfires have several theme nights coming up including Rock and Roll Night this Thursday, Nov. 16, against the Owen Sound Attack; Country Night on Saturday, Dec. 9 against the Oshawa Generals; and the always popular Teddy Bear Toss on Sunday, Dec. 10 against the Flint Firebirds.