Spits draft class of ’24
As always, time will tell. But with six players with 2008 birth dates already signed, the Spitfires haul from the 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft just might end up providing at least as good of a return as Windsor’s yield from 2022.
Consider that most teams usually sign only their top few picks from a particular draft right away and then wait about a year before determining if others are worthy of an OHL educational package deal.
But not this ’24 draft class of Spitires. Billy Bowler of the Spitfires, who is considered to be one of the better general managers among the 20 of the OHL, has already inked six players from this year’s priority selections process. And while not all of them will play in Windsor right away, all six have already been deemed worthy of being signed to OHL contracts.
Which, to be sure, is an anomaly of sorts.
Not one to toot his own horn or to get carried away. Bowler recently relayed to Hockey News Windsor that Windsor’s priority selections draft class of 2024 “just be might something special.” But ever the guarded one and not to get too far ahead of the present, Bowler did make sure to say: “We’ll find out … we’ll see what happens.”
At any rate, it is hard not to like what the Spitfires came away with from this year’s priority selections draft — even, of course, considering that any of the six signed prospects have yet to play a game in the OHL.
The signed plums are first rounder Ethan Belchetz, second rounders J.C. Lemieux and Carter Hicks, third rounder Max Brocklehurst, seventh rounderJake Windbiel and ninth rounder Ethan Garden. Belchetz, Lemieux, Brocklehurst and Garden are all forwards, Hicks is a defenseman and Windbiel is a goalie.
And as a bonus, the Spitfires have signed 2006 birth year forward Ilya Protas, who was their first round pick at this year’s Canadian Hockey League import draft after being a third round selection by the Washington Capitals at the 2024 National Hockey League draft.
Not to give away a source but a reliable one, who happens to be a rival OHL scout, told Hockey News Windsor that the Spitfires “just may have come away with the best group of players from this year’s draft than any team in our league. I don’t see any other team who got what Bill (Bowler) and (Spitfires director of scouting) Frank Evola did. Belchetz is going to be an absolute star and the others should all be really good players. Windsor is going to be set up for a while with that group.”
DRAFT CLASS OF ’22
To be sure, the Spitfires’ 24 draft just could rival the ’22 priority selections process. In that one, Windsor’s first four picks from the ’22 draft have all since developed into top OHL players with 2006 birth dates. They are first rounder Anthony Cristoforo, second rounder Liam Greentree, third rounder A.J. Spellacy and fourth rounder Cole Davis — along with 10th round steal Carson Woodall.
Cristoforo and Woodall are defensemen while Greentree, Spellacy and Davis are all forwards. Additionally, Greentree (first round, Los Angeles Kings) and Spellacy (third round, Chicago Blackhawks) were both selected at this year’s 2024 National Hockey League draft.
Cristoforo and Woodall are regulars on the Windsor defense with offensive sides to them. In 134 games over two seasons, Cristoforo has put up 14 goals, 67 assists, 81 points. Meanwhile, as a rookie in ’23-24, Woodall wound up for six goals, 23 assists, 29 points in 57 games.
Meantime, Greentree has become one of the youngest captains in the Spitfires’ OHL history. And his numbers through two full OHL seasons to date define productivity, particularly the ’23-24 campaign.
Greentree led the Spitfires in scoring during the ’23-24 season while Davis was third and Spellacy was fourth. And Greentree (36 goals, 54 assists, 90 points), Davis (20-21-41) and Spellacy (21-17-38) can rightfully be expected to elevate their respective games even further in ’24-25.
As well , there is a sixth player from the ’22 draft who the Spitfires have signed, namely goalie Carter Froggett. Froggett, who apprenticed in two games for Windsor in ’23-24 while standing tall for the London Nationals of the Greater Ontario Jr. Hockey League, is the Spitfires’ presumptive second goalie in ’24-25 alongside holdover veteran Joey Costanzo.
All in all, the Spitfires are a team to watch, not only come the ’24-25 OHL season, but in years following.