The Windsor Spitfires finally know their first-round playoff opponent. Just like in 2022-23, the 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season came down to the final weekend and it’s the Soo Greyhounds who got the call.
This series is going to be a battle of redemption (Spitfires) versus no quit (Greyhounds). In 2022-23, the top-seeded Spitfires were eliminated in the first round by the eighth-seeded Kitchener Rangers in a historic sweep. Last season, they rebuilt (or “reshuffled the deck”, as general manager Bill Bowler said), and finished second last in the league. Now, they’re looking to get back on track as the second seed. However, they’re going to be up against a very tough seventh-seeded Greyhounds team who has played them well all season. They’re a younger, hungry club that wants to show that an upset is possible again. Here’s the breakdown.
The Vitals
Records:
Spitfires – 45-17-4-2 – 96 points – 2nd Seed Western Conference, 1st Place West Division
Greyhounds – 29-35-2-2 – 62 points – 7th Seed Western Conference, 4th Place West Division
Home-and-Away Records:
Spitfires – (home) 29-4-0-1 – 59 points; (away) 16-13-4-1 – 37 points
Greyhounds – (home) 15-15-2-2 – 34 points; (away) 14-20-0-0 – 34 points
Goals For and Goals Against:
Spitfires – 309-223
Greyhounds – 226-268
Head-to-Head Record:
Spitfires – 4-1-1-0
Greyhounds – 2-4-0-0
- Spitfires outscored the Greyhounds 27-14 in the season series.
Leading Producers and Goaltending Stats
Top 3 Producers:
Spitfires –
- Forward Ilya Protas (Washington Capitals) – 61 games, 50 goals, 74 assists, 124 points
- Forward Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings) – 64 games, 49 goals, 70 assists, 119 points
- Forward Noah Morneau – 68 games, 32 goals, 41 assists, 73 points
Greyhounds –
- Forward Marco Mignosa – 58 games, 36 goals, 49 assists, 85 points
- Forward Brady Martin – 57 games, 33 goals, 39 assists, 72 points
- Forward Justin Cloutier – 68 games, 28 goals, 26 assists, 54 points
Goaltending:
Spitfires –
- Joey Costanzo – 51 games, 2,854 minutes, 34-10-3-1, 2.94 goals-against average (GAA), .892 save percentage (SV%)
- Carter Froggett – 21 games, 1,023 minutes, 8-7-1-1, 3.52 GAA, .879 SV%
Greyhounds –
- Nolan Lalonde – 36 games, 2,019 minutes, 16-12-5-2, 3.30 GAA, .888 SV%
- Landon Miller – 37 games, 1,844 minutes, 13-17-1-0, 4.07 GAA, .877 SV%
What the Spitfires Bring to the Table
The Spitfires boast one of the deepest offences in the Western Conference with 10 players scoring at least 34 points (68-game schedule) this season.
Up front, they have three lines who can score on any night. The club is led by Greentree and Protas, but whoever joins them tends to find success. Their top nine could also include any combination of Morneau, Ryan Abraham, Luke McNamara, Cole Davis, Jack Nesbitt, A.J. Spellacy, and rookie Ethan Garden. They also have rookie Ethan Belchetz, who’s out with an injury.
On defence, a major piece, 21-year-old Tnias Mathurin, is out with an upper-body injury. However, veteran Anthony Cristoforo had career highs in goals (12), assists (49), points (61), and plus/minus (53). Carson Woodall also had a career-high 38 points through 66 games. Then they’ve got giant veterans in the 6-foot-5 duo of Conor Walton and Wyatt Kennedy, plus Josef Eichler, who never shies away from the physical game. Add rookie Carter Hicks and it’s an impressive group.
In goal, both Costanzo and Froggett have had consistency issues but they have the potential to shut teams down. Costanzo was near the top of the OHL in most categories until Christmas and finished the season with a shutout at home over the Sarnia Sting. Froggett has had a solid rookie season and has proven to give big performances.
Related: Windsor Spitfires: 3 Comeback Candidates for 2024-25
They’re big (11 players at least 6-foot-3, nine players at least 200 pounds), they’re built to score (309 goals, third in the conference), and can they wear teams down. They also went from 360 goals against last season to just 223 this season thanks to head coach Greg Walters and his staff’s new systems. They’ve had issues playing a full 60 minutes but, if they can do that, they’re going to be hard to handle over a series.
What the Greyhounds Bring to the Table
This is a Greyhounds team with a rich history, a lot of heart, and plenty of pride. Last season, they finished third in the Western Conference, right behind the Memorial Cup champion Saginaw Spirit. This season, they’re eager to show that a lower seed can still get the job done.
Led by the veteran Mignosa, the forward units have enough depth to make you pay attention. Mignosa is joined by Martin, Cloutier, Utah Hockey Club prospect Owen Allard, and Soderhamn, Sweden native Noel Nordh, who had 51 points in 46 games this season. Defensively, they’re led by captain Caeden Carlisle, the 21-year-old fourth-season Mississauga native. Rookie Chase Reid led all defencemen with 40 points but, after him, it’s offence-by-committee with seven other defencemen combining for 11 goals and 78 points.
In goal, Lalonde was brought in from the Kingston Frontenacs at the deadline and has playoff and Memorial Cup experience from his time with the Spirit last season. However, he hasn’t faced the Spitfires this season. They also have the veteran Miller who was hot and cold against the Spitfires this season in five appearances. He’s coming off a big 42-save performance against the Sting in the season finale.
The Greyhounds don’t have the Spitfires’ depth and gave up the fourth-most goals in the conference this season (268). However, they found success against the favourites twice in three weeks early in the season. Since then, they’ve been in every game and showed the heart and pride you need in a lower-seeded team. They won’t make life easy for anyone and can’t be counted out until the final buzzer.
The X-Factors
Spitfires:
The Spitfires’ X-factor has to be their goaltending. Costanzo was their rock in the first half, consistently among the top goaltenders in the league. It was a fantastic rebound following a disappointing 2023-24 campaign. However, the second half has been a rollercoaster with streaks of both outstanding games and learning experiences. When he’s on his game, he’s one of the best in the OHL. When he’s not, it’s a struggle in their own zone.
They also have Froggett, who is getting used to the OHL pace but has shown flashes of winning games on his own. Like Costanzo, he just needs consistency and, for him, that comes with experience and time. He hasn’t faced the Greyhounds this season.
The Spitfires know that they can score goals in bunches. However, if they’re going to get to the second round, they’ll need their goaltending to prevent the Greyhounds from doing the same.
Greyhounds:
Like the Spitfires, we’re going with the goaltending here. The move to bring in Lalonde has served him pretty well and he’s been big for them down the stretch. He hasn’t allowed more than four goals in any game (six appearances) in March. Miller has only two appearances this month and struggled a bit in February. However, his massive game against the Sting in the season finale should be a confidence booster. The Greyhounds will need the duo to be at their best if they want to upset the Spitfires.
Quick Playoff Tidbits
Spitfires
Since making the Western Conference Final in 2010-11, the Spitfires have made it past the first round just once. That was in 2021-22 when they went to the OHL Championship. Even when they hosted and won the 2017 Memorial Cup, they lost in the first round to the London Knights in Game 7. Then there was the Rangers’ sweep in 2023 that nobody has forgotten about. The club wants redemption and getting past the first round shows that 2022 wasn’t a fluke.
Greyhounds
The Greyhounds also have a quirky stat under their belt. They haven’t been eliminated in the first round since 2012-13 when they lost to the third-seeded Owen Sound Attack in six games. Since then, they’ve made every other round, including the OHL Championship, and they’ve also missed the playoffs once. It could be a trend that they want to see continue, especially if means seeing the Spitfires get upset again.
Playoff History Between the Spitfires and the Greyhounds
This is the first series the clubs have played each other at the WFCU Centre and GFL Memorial Gardens. They were all previously at the Windsor Arena and Sault Memorial Gardens.
2004-05 – First Round – The seventh-seeded Spitfires came back from a 3-0 deficit to shock the second-seeded Greyhounds, including a double-overtime winner in Game 7. The final four games were all one-goal contests.
2001-02 – First Round – The sixth-seeded Spitfires took the third-seeded Greyhounds in seven games, outscoring them 21-14. The Spitfires would go on to defeat the Guelph Storm in Round 2 before losing to the Erie Otters in five games in the Western Conference Final.
1993-94 – First Round – The second-seeded Greyhounds beat the seventh-seeded Spitfires, 4-0, outscoring them 16-7.
1986-87 – First round – The third-seeded Compuware Spitfires swept the fifth-seeded Greyhounds including winning Game 4 in overtime in Sault Ste. Marie. The Spitfires went on to the Emms Division Final, losing to the top-seeded North Bay Centennials in six games.
1983-84 – First Round – The third-seeded Greyhounds beat the sixth-seeded Spitfires, six points to nothing (3-0 series), outscoring them 23-7.
The Schedule
Game 1 – Thurs., Mar. 27 at Windsor – 7:05 p.m.
Game 2 – Sat., Mar. 29 at Windsor – 7:05 p.m.
Game 3 – Mon., Mar. 31 at Sault Ste. Marie – 7:07 p.m.
Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 2 at Sault Ste. Marie – 7:07 p.m.
Game 5 – Fri., Apr. 4 at Windsor – 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 6 – Sun., Apr. 6 at Sault Ste. Marie – 7:07 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 7 – Tues., Apr. 8 at Windsor – 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Prediction
The Greyhounds are a team full of heart, pride, and determination, backed by a fan base that’s as passionate as they come. With two wins against the Spitfires under their belt this season, they know they have a fighting chance. However, the Spitfires weren’t expected to be as high as the second seed and are hungry to show what they can do when, as Walters said earlier in March, “the real season begins.” They’re high-octane, big, and built for this moment. This won’t be a cakewalk for anyone but the favourites should come out on top. Spitfires in 5.
Ticket Information
If you’re looking to go to any of the games at the WFCU Centre (Spitfires) or the GFL Memorial Gardens (Greyhounds), we’ve got the information for you.
Spitfires tickets range from $23.50 to $48.50 (plus fees) and are on sale via the WFCU Centre website. Greyhounds tickets range from $14.92 (child) to $28.53 (adult) and are available on the GFL Memorial Gardens’ website.
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