The two-day 2024 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection wrapped up on Saturday and, if the Windsor Spitfires have their way, it will go a long way towards their current rebuild.
After being near the top of the Western Conference from 2021-23, the Spitfires fell to the bottom in 2023-24. Heavy roster turnover and multiple coaching changes, along with general manager Bill Bowler “reshuffling the deck” at the January trade deadline, meant it was a season of frustration. However, the team brought in multiple high draft picks and, when combined with having the first overall pick thanks to the OHL Draft Lottery in March, they were in a prime position to get OHL-ready players. Here’s a look at how the draft unfolded.
Bowler Targets 2024-25 Season on Friday
After selecting 6-foot-5, 230-pound forward Ethan Belchetz (Oakville Rangers U16 AAA) first overall during a press conference on Thursday, Bowler got to work when the draft officially started on Friday.
Once the draft started at 7:00 p.m., Bowler formally entered Belchetz into the system and teams completed the first round. When the second round started, he didn’t have to wait long. Thanks to a pair of trades, he had the first and third picks (22nd and 24th overall).
With the 22nd pick, Bowler took 5-foot-11, 173-pound forward Jean-Christoph Lemieux from the Quinte Red Devils U16 AAA. Lemieux had 24 goals and 60 points in 35 games and he played under Spitfires’ assistant coach Kris Newbury prior to Newbury joining the Spitfires mid-season. Two picks later, Bowler went to the London Jr. Knights to select 6-foot-2, 161-pound defenceman Carter Hicks. He had 25 points in 30 games and was the captain of his team. Here’s a video of him celebrating the selection:
In the third round, the Spitfires took 5-foot-8, 142-pound forward Max Brocklehurst, who had 67 goals and 145 points in 53 games for the New Hampshire Mountain Kings. He’s from Nova Scotia and, while that’s not OHL territory, his dad Craig played in the league, making Max eligible to be drafted. Finally, also in the third round, they took 5-foot-11, 167-pound defenceman Andrew Robinson out of the Vaughan Kings U16 AAA. He had 20 points in 33 games.
Related: Windsor Spitfires Name Ethan Belchetz Top Pick at 2024 OHL Draft
On top of Belchetz’s press conference, Lemieux, Hicks, and Robinson visited the WFCU Centre on Saturday. If Bowler can get Brocklehurst to report, that could mean five impact players in the system immediately. This is the start to the draft that the Spitfires needed. With multiple holes in their lineup, these players could go a long way to helping in the short and long term.
Saturday’s Alright for Depth
The draft continued Saturday as the fourth round got underway at 9:00 a.m. While Friday’s focus was on the 2024-25 season, Saturday was more about getting future depth.
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They started Saturday morning with the ninth pick in the fourth round, 71st overall. That’s where Bowler took 6-foot-3, 180-pound defenceman Grady Spicer from the Upper Canada Cyclones U16 AAA. He had 10 points in 27 games. In total, they had 10 picks during the day and 15 in the draft.
While most of the picks should report to the Spitfires, a few may play in the United States for a couple of seasons. That includes fifth-round pick defenceman Sam Wathier, who’s heading to the US National Team Development Program.
They also chose a couple with local connections. In the 11th round, Bowler took right-winger Nicolas Rosati from the Windsor AAA Zn Jr. Spitfires U16. In Round 14, the club selected center George Matsos of the Brantford 99ers U16 AAA. He’s the son of former Spitfires’ assistant coach Dave Matsos. You can see all of the Spitfires’ picks on the OHL Draft page.
This was an important draft for Bowler. He didn’t have many high-round picks in 2023 so this time he needed to take big swings and connect. While there were some long-shots that might take some recruiting, the majority of this draft class seems poised to head to the OHL. If the team can get multiple contributors next season, plus depth, it’s going to help shorten this rebuild.
Next up is the OHL Under-18 Draft, which happens shortly after the Priority Selection. Bowler has the first overall pick there, too. Finally, he has the third overall pick at the 2024 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft on Wed., July 3.
