Where Are They Now: Windsor Spitfires’ 2010s Part 2

The 2010s were an experience for the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Windsor Spitfires. From rebuilds to a Memorial Cup, they had some serious talents and, as the summer rolls on, we wonder – what happened to some of those players?

The 2010s saw the Spitfires getting used to their new home at the WFCU Centre (opened December 2008), a Memorial Cup hosting and title in 2017, and a rebuild before and after. It also saw some talented youngsters come through, four of whom we talked about in the original “Where Are They Now? 2010’s” in November 2020. Now, we look back at four more talents who made a name for themselves and are still going strong in their own way. Here are four more players and where their lives have taken them.

Forward Tom Kuhnhackl

Every season, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) holds an Import Draft. Until 2025, every team was allowed two players (“Imports”) whose parents or guardians resided somewhere besides Canada or the United States. The rule has since changed to three players.

In 2009, the Spitfires took 17-year-old forward Tom Kuhnhackl out of Landshut, Germany. While he spent 2009-10 in Germany with the Landshut Cannibals with 2. Eisenhockey-Bundesliga (now Deutsche Eishockey Liga), the second-highest league in Germany, he came to the OHL in 2010-11 and was an instant fan favourite.

At 6-foot-1, 190-pounds, he skated well, had a fantastic shot, and used his size when he was able. He put up 39 goals and 68 points in 63 games and contributed another 23 points in 18 playoff games as they went to the Western Conference Final (losing to the Owen Sound Attack).

In 2011-12, then-general manager Warren Rychel was looking at the future so he sent Kuhnhackl to the Niagara IceDogs in return for three second-round picks, a future CHL Import pick, Czech goaltender Jaroslav Pavelka, and the rights to forward Phillip Di Giuseppe (who did not report from the University of Michigan). Kuhnhackl wound up with 25 points in 30 games for the IceDogs with another 11 points in 20 playoff games, losing to the London Knights in the OHL championship. That marked the end of his OHL career.

What happened to Kuhnhackl after his OHL days were over? He played in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ system from 2012-16 in the American Hockey League (AHL), ECHL, and the NHL. He stuck in the NHL from 2016-19 with the Penguins and New York Islanders before joining the Islanders’ AHL club in Bridgeport from 2020-21. In 2021, he headed overseas, playing for Skelleftea AIK (Sweden) from 2021-23 before joining Adler Mannheim in Germany from 2023 until the present time. Last season, he was their alternate captain and has 21 goals and 32 points in 107 career games.

Forward Kenny Ryan

Rychel drafted Franklin, MI native forward Kenny Ryan in the seventh round of the 2007 OHL Draft. However, the youngster was leaning towards going the American route and played for the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons.

In 2009-10, he jumped to the OHL and made immediate waves. At 6-foot, 205-pounds, he was a strong 200-foot player who put up 35 points in 50 regular-season games and another five points in 19 playoff games as the club won the 2010 Memorial Cup. He returned for a final 2010-11 season, adding 60 points in 63 games, plus 12 more playoff points in 18 games. That marked the end of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect’s OHL playing days.

Where did Ryan wind up after leaving the Spitfires? He spent from 2011-14 in the Maple Leafs’ system, between the AHL and ECHL. For the next four seasons, he was with various AHL and ECHL clubs until he headed to Switzerland to play for HC Thurgau for 38 games (38 points).

Since then, he joined Kaizen Sports Agency and became certified with the NHL Players’ Association in February 2025. Over the last two seasons, he’s been with the Cleveland Barons 15U AAA and 16U AAA as the Director of Player Development and, last season, he also coached their 13U AAA team.

Defenceman Nick Ebert

At the 2010 OHL Draft, the then-Mississauga (now Brampton) Steelheads drafted defenceman Nick Ebert in the first round out of the Waterloo Blackhawks Jr. A. However, he didn’t report to the team, so Rychel swooped in and acquired his rights.

Ebert joined the Spitfires as a highly-touted defensive prospect. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, he could produce plenty of offence, throw the body, and play strong in his own end. He played over 200 games for the club from 2010-13 with 136 points. However, when the Guelph Storm were going for a Memorial Cup run in 2013-14, Rychel saw a chance to rebuild and sent Ebert (along with his son, Kerby Rychel) to the Storm in December 2013.

What happened to Ebert after the move to the Storm? He went on a big run with them, winning the OHL title and heading to the Memorial Cup. Unfortunately, they lost in the championship to the Edmonton Oil Kings, marking the end of his junior career. However, now it was on to the pros. While he was jokingly dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant” for being the last pick in the 2012 NHL Draft (211th overall by the Los Angeles Kings), he spent from 2014-17 with various AHL teams before heading overseas.

From 2017-19, he spent 44 games in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and 56 games in the Swedish Hockey League, playing for Orebro HK. After a brief return to the AHL (Hartford Wolf Pack) in 2019-20, he came back to Orebro HK from 2020-22.

Nick Ebert gör comeback ikväll! Här vill han skicka en hälsning till alla som gjorde hans återkomst i Örebrotröjan möjlig. pic.twitter.com/jBm819Elwg

— 14-3 Örebro (@143Orebro) January 19, 2021

Following that, he played for Avtomoblist Yekaterinburg (KHL) until 2025, where he joined CSKA Moskva (KHL) last season. He had three points in six games along with two more points in nine playoff games.

Forward Derek Lanoue

We finish up this look back with forward Derek Lanoue. While the other players we talked about were drafted into the OHL, his story is different.

In 2009, Lanoue was a free-agent walk-on for the Spitfires’ Prospect and Training camps. At 6-foot, 187-pounds, he wasn’t an intimidating presence but he didn’t need to be. After 42 points in 51 games with the LaSalle Vipers Jr. B team (the Spitfires’ affiliate) in 2008-09, he earned his way onto the Spitfires’ roster for the Memorial Cup season of 2009-10. He even had six points in 39 games and appeared in all four Memorial Cup games. In 2010-11, he added another 17 points in 55 games, continuously earning more ice time and showing a great intelligence at both ends of the ice. However, that was his last season before he moved on.

Where did Lanoue head after leaving the OHL? He spent from 2011-14 with the University of Windsor Lancers where he scored 22 goals and 42 points in 61 games. After that, he put the skates and sticks away and went to the University of Ottawa to become a doctor. He studied there from 2015-19 and became a medical resident in Ottawa. Since then, he’s become a Chief Fellow at McGill University in the Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy.

Paying tribute to heroes in our community: Dr. Derek Lanoue, one of the most versatile players ever to wear #BlueAndGold, and key member of the 2013 Queen's Cup team. Derek, an active alumni, is now applying his skill set as a first responder in Ottawa. #FrontLineHeroes pic.twitter.com/UQHVw2RXAP

— Lancer Men’s Hockey (@WindsorMHKY) May 24, 2020

While getting to the NHL is generally the dream, these four players have found great success in a variety of areas of life. It’s great to see, and we wish them the best in the future.