The first unofficial part of the 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season has wrapped up. Now, it's time for Santa to visit the teams and the Windsor Spitfires have a few things to use under their trees in the second half.
This season has been nothing short of spectacular for the Spitfires. After finishing second last in the league last season, they shot to the top of the Western Conference almost immediately and found a way to stay there. From a potent offense to a dramatically improved defense and a back-to-back season in goals, there are few complaints surrounding the WFCU Center. However, there is always room for improvement. The club wrapped up the first half on Thursday, December 19 against the Guelph Storm and is now getting ready for old Santa Claus to pay a visit. What do we put on their wish list? Here are five things (in random order), along with the things they asked for themselves.
Liam Greentree's 100-point season
In 2022-23, the Spitfires saw then-forward Liam Greentree get his feet wet at the WFCU Center. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Oshawa native stood out as a potential first-round NHL pick.
Since then, Greentree, now 6-foot-3, 216-pounds, has taken a mic drop in his OHL career. In his rookie season, he posted 45 points in 61 games and followed that up with a breakout 2023-24 campaign with 36 goals and 90 points in 64 games. This season, he has been near the top of the OHL leaderboard and finished the first half with 52 points in 32 games. That puts him on average at 109 points, which would make him the third Spitfire to reach that number since the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021-22, forward Wyatt Johnston (Dallas Stars) scored 124 points in 68 games while forward Matthew Maggio (New York Islanders) scored 54 goals and 111 points in 66 games last season.
The first wish on the Spitfires' roster is to get Greentree his 100-point season to join some elite company. The 2024 Los Angeles Kings first round pick was Mr. Everything in the team and they named him captain last season. Reaching that century mark would be a nice feather in the cap of an already impressive resume.
Full Healthy List
Injuries are a part of hockey (and life) and the Spitfires are no exception. For most of the first half, they were fortunate to have a healthy roster, with no bumps and bruises keeping players out for a while. However, that changed when the calendar turned to December.
In early December, forward Owen Outwater was injured during a home game and immediately went to the room. This happened less than a year after he suffered a shoulder injury that ended the season on the road. In subsequent games, the club lost 2024 first-rounder Ethan Belchetz to a lower-body injury against the London Knights, while 18-year-old goalkeeper Carter Froggett went down with a lower-body injury in the same game. Adding to the list, defensemen Tnias Mathurin and Conor Walton were both injured in between games and were scratched for the final game before Christmas. After their last home game, head coach Greg Walters said Mathurin, Belchetz, and Froggett will be back. However, others were still unknown.
Related: Windsor Spitfires name Ethan Belchetz Top Pick in 2024 OHL Draft
This brings us to our second wish on the list – a healthy system of Spitfires as soon as possible. While all teams go through injuries, you don't want to see too many at once, and you don't want to see someone out for a long time. A healthy roster can mean a lot to the team, the players, and their families.
Senior Defense Veteran, Stays at Home
Once the Christmas break ends, the OHL's Holiday Trade Freeze ends. The 2024-25 Trade Deadline is set for Jan. 9 noon for over 20 players (20 years old) and Jan. 10 noon for all others.
The days following the end of the ice is when general manager Bill Bowler does his thing. Throughout the last three seasons, he has been very active. This season, it's hard to know what he's going to do. The team is sitting on a good chance to win the West Division, which will ensure that they will at least finish second in the conference during the playoffs. However, no one expected them to be in this position and their target entry was 2025-26. As they prepare for any type of run, there is one thing they can really use.
The third wish on our list for Santa is a great home protector with experience. They have Walton, who is 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, but he is the only crease clearer they have. Mathurin has size but plays on both ends of the rink, while some of their defensemen are smaller or more offensive. Landing a veteran big man, whether for this season or in 2025-26, would go a long way in helping them win another division title.
Their Confidence Continued to Grow
Last season, the Spitfires had problems almost from the start. They were confident in their abilities, but the systems weren't there and they couldn't find consensus. Now, it's a completely different story.
From day one, Walters has instilled new systems, a family-like culture, and a team confidence we haven't seen since 2021-22. The club went 5-0 early in the season, built confidence, and kept that ball in the first half. They always say that, even if they score two or three goals, they know they have a good shot at coming back and winning. Their momentum has grown each week and they are a proud, tight-knit team.
Our fourth gift on Santa's wish list is to see that confidence continue to grow. They come into the Christmas break with a 7-2-0-1 record in their last 10 games and are eager to continue their streak. However, the teams that will face each other for a playoff spot, including the top-seeded Knights, who just acquired star defenseman Cam Allen days before the break. If they can continue to grow together, despite the tough competition, that will stand them in good stead once the playoffs begin.
Western Division title
From 2021-23, the Spitfires won back-to-back West Division titles for the first time since 2008-10. It marked the beginning of a new era for the organization. It also made last season's failure that much harder to accept. Going from the top of the mountain to almost the bottom of the valley was a shock to the system.
Fortunately, the club picked themselves up, fell in the dust, and found a way to start the journey back to glory sooner than expected. It was not an easy road, and it will be tough, but they are a team that is determined to show that last season it was bad.
The last wish on our Santa list is the West Division title for the Spitfires. They have been in the hunt since opening night and winning the division would be an automatic seed in the conference playoffs, a huge boost for the players and the organization. They currently have a 16-point lead over the Saginaw Spirit in the division lead, but the OHL can be a strange beast and nothing is a given. In 2019-20, just before COVID-19 hit, the Flint Firebirds went on a 15-game winning streak in the second half to get past the Spitfires on home ice in the first round (if it happened). You can't assume any lead is safe this early in the season.
What the Spitfires Are Asking
While we've provided a list of things we think Spitfires can use, what do players and Walters want for themselves? In the last home game, against the Storm, we asked Walters, along with forwards Noah Morneau, 20, and Cole Davis, 18, what was on their wish list for Santa. Here's what they're asking for.
Walters – “I just want the kids to enjoy time off with their families and have a great vacation and be safe. We will be back to work on the 27th.”
Davis – “Some clothes for sure. Some beautiful new clothes. Maybe a kick. Other than that, nothing too good. ” He wore a sleeveless hoodie during the post-game interview. Are there many in the list? “Oh, yeah, show me the guns (laughs).”
Morneau – “I don't know if I have a wish list. Many people have asked me what I want and I have said 'anything.' If you think I like it, you can get it for me.”
No matter what Santa brings the team and players, we hope everyone has a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season. Merry Christmas and happy holidays, hockey fans!
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