The Windsor Spitfires will take points however they come. On Thursday night, they added another to the win column, earning a hard-fought victory on home ice over a conference rival.
It’s been a fun 2025-26 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season for the Spitfires. They rang off seven-straight wins to start the season, tying a franchise record, before losing on the road to the Owen Sound Attack last Sunday. It was a bit of a lesson learned and they didn’t take that for granted. They returned home on Thursday and found another tough competitor in the Guelph Storm. However, the results were better this time. Here are three takeaways from the WFCU Centre.
Spitfires’ “Ethan” Duo Find Sophomore Success
Coming into the game, the Spitfires had outscored their opponents 36-13 in eight games, including 14-1 at home, and had no desire to slow down. However, the Storm have always played them well and it was no different here.
The Storm used their size and positioning early to keep the Spitfires away from goaltender Colin Ellsworth. It worked and they even managed to grab a somewhat surprising 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.
In the second, the Spitfires found their offence. Sophomore forward Ethan Garden scored a pair in the first four minutes to rally the home side, scoring once off a pass from defenceman Anthony Cristoforo that hit his skate, then another off a rebound by the crease. That gave the Spitfires a 2-1 lead after 40.
Late in the game, the Storm scrambled, crashed the crease, and beat goaltender Joey Costanzo with under four minutes left to force overtime. It stunned the crowd. However, in the extra frame, Spitfires’ forward Ethan Belchetz finished the story. He took a pass from Cristoforo, waited, and put a shot past Ellsworth to give his club a tough 3-2 win and send the crowd home happy.
Garden’s two goals earned him the second star. After the game, he pointed to his teammates for all of the credit.
“I thought I was good but it’s all a credit to my teammates,” he said. “Going to the net, good things can always happen. It’s something I try to put into my game more. (For the first goal) Cristoforo had it at the point and I found my way to the back post. He fired it off my skate. It’s a great play by him.”
Ethan Garden had a pair and Ethan Belchetz had the game winner in OT as the Windsor #Spitfires take a 3-2 win over the Guelph #Storm on Thursday at the WFCU Centre. #OHL pic.twitter.com/21gRW8L11M
— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) October 10, 2025
Belchetz also gave credit to his teammates after his goal. He said “nothing happens without” forward Jack Nesbitt (Philadelphia Flyers), who won the faceoff to start the play, and winners like this feel that much better.
“It’s always awesome (to get the game winner),” he said. “Especially when it’s such a tight game. You’re battling every shift, going to war with your guys and come out in overtime … It’s a push over the edge that we earned that win today.”
Next Man Up Philosophy Continues for Spitfires
Last season, the Spitfires saw plenty of injuries and illness, including having as many as nine regulars out at points during the playoffs. They leaned on their rookies, like Garden and Belchetz, to get the job done. That “next man up” mentality has become a part of their approach this season, too.
Coming into Thursday, they had forwards John McLaughlin and J.C. Lemieux out with injuries, which head coach Greg Walters described as “day-to-day.” They may also lose captain Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings) for some time as he was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for cross-checking during a scrum after the second period.
It’s forced the club to put players in roles that they may not normally play. However, the one benefit of the injuries last season was the club is now used to it. No matter where you are in the lineup, you’re ready to go when called upon. Belchetz said that when a player goes down, or out, nobody panics.
“We have that ‘next guy up’ mentality,” he said. “No matter who’s in the lineup, who’s on the ice, every time someone goes over the boards, we’re taking a big step. We have so much depth that, no matter who’s going on the ice that shift, it really doesn’t matter. Our whole line is ready to go.”
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Walters has consistently given praise to Garden, along with defenceman Carter Hicks and others. It’s not an easy situation to put kids in, but Thursday was another example of unfortunate experiences paying off. He said last season’s issues have helped build players today.
“They gained so much experience from the playoffs last season when we had so many guys hurt,” he said. “Garden, the experience he had going into the second round (of the playoffs last season) and how good he is now.”
You always want a fully healthy team, but it’s not realistic for an entire season. Having the ability to call on any player for any situation is something the Spitfires take great pride in.
Life Isn’t Always Easy on Top
The Spitfires are realizing that, while getting to the top is hard, staying there might be even tougher. They’re currently ranked first in the OHL Power Rankings and second in the Canadian Hockey League Top-10, as of Tues., Oct. 7. The game against the Attack showed them that everyone wants to knock off the top team.
The Storm were no different. They forced the Spitfires to earn every inch of ice. This wasn’t a typical game the club has played at home. In three previous home games, they outscored opponents 14-1 including back-to-back shutouts. For the Storm to put up two and take them to overtime meant something. Belchetz said they have to be ready for everyone’s best game.
“If you’re going to be the best team in the league, you’re going to get every team’s A-game,” he said. “Every team is looking forward to playing you. I know last season that was (the) London (Knights) and, every time we played them, we brought our best. We know every game that their A-game is going to come. The only thing we can control is how we play.”
Walters has the full trust of his team, and vice versa. They’ve become a family. However, like Belchetz, he knows that they have a target on them now.
“We’re at the top, second in Canada, every time we play someone, they’re coming out as,” he said. “(The Storm) played a real good game.”
The Spitfires know they have the talent to get far this season. They just need to keep reminding themselves that nothing is going to come easy, especially with games within the conference. Teams want to knock them down a few rungs, and their A-game is going to be required from here on out.
