Spitfires have high hopes despite stumbling out of the gate with an 8-2 loss to Sting

Author of the article:

Jim Parker • Windsor Star

Published Sep 29, 2023 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 4 minute read

Windsor Spitfire first-year head coach Jerrod Smith has high hopes for this season. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

The Windsor Spitfires have been down this road of non-believers before.

Several prognosticators are predicting that the Spitfires will be battling just to be one of the eight teams in the Western Conference to make the Ontario Hockey League playoffs and some even have the team falling short of that goal.

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“I think of the previous two seasons and no one has us in the one hole,” Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler said.

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With several players back in the lineup for the first time on Friday after time at NHL camps or sitting out with injuries, the Spitfires dropped an 8-2 decision to the Sting in Sarnia. Also impacting the play could have been the trade earlier in the day that sent veteran defenceman Nicholas De Angelis and rookie defenceman Trevor O’Dell to the Sudbury Wolves for rookie defenceman Conor Walton and five draft picks.

Still, Spitfires head coach Jerrod Smith remains high on this team heading into Saturday’s home opener against the Guelph Storm at the WFCU Centre. Game time is 7:05 pm.

“I don’t care,” Spitfires’ head coach Jerrod Smith said of any predictions. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in our group and we’re ready to get the season started. If people pay attention to that, we’re ready to prove them wrong.”

The Spitfires will be without overage forward Alex Christopoulos, who was third in the league with 49 goals last season, as he recovers from wrist surgery. Forward Ethan Martin is also sidelined.

When he returns, Christopoulos will bolster an offensive that should still be potent despite the loss of OHL scoring leader Matthew Maggio to graduation along with Brett Harrison, Shane Wright and defenceman Michael Renwick.

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Along with overage centre Jacob Maillet was second in team scoring last season with 76 points and joins Christopoulos, who had 74 points last season, and fellow overager Oliver Peer, who had 22 goals and 67 points, Colton Smith, who had 22 goals, Liam Greentree, who led all OHL rookies last season with 25 goals, and Aidan Castle, who finished with 19 goals while former first-round pick Ryan Abraham, who had 35 points last season while being limited to 29 games due to injury, is healthy. More will be expected of A.J. Spellacy and Noah Morneau, who are both entering their second season, and first-round pick Jack Nesbitt looked very comfortable in exhibition play.

Former fourth-round pick Cole Davis is expected to step into a full-time role with veteran Ryan Struthers, Jack Greenwell, Martin and Alec Stewart battling for playing time.

“On the road, teams likes to match lines or jump younger lines and, for me, that’s not a threat,” Smith said. “There’s so much to like and so many options to run through with combinations. For me, any (combination) can play against anybody’s top line.”

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Friday’s trade of the steady De Angelis will have an impact, but the club returns Rodwin Dionicio, who has shown he can provide offence after putting up 43 points in 33 games after being dealt to Windsor from Niagara. Overager James Jodoin provides a physical presence while Anthony Cristoforo was a standout as a rookie last season. Belle River’s Carson Woodall showed in pre-season play he’s ready for a full-time role along with import pick Josef Eichler. Tanner Winegard and Conor Walton, who came over in the De Angelis trade, will compete for ice time.

But while Windsor has topped the OHL in scoring the past two seasons, the club was 13th defensively last season and 12th the year prior to that and that’s where Smith wants to see more emphasis.

“My concern is that, if you look at teams over the last 20 years that have won the league, most have been in the top five in the league in goals against,” Smith said. “I think we’ll score, it’s how committed are we to the other end of the ice and keeping the puck out of our net.”

Eighteen-year-old goalie Joey Costanzo will look to take another step forward after finishing fifth in the league last year with 26 wins, a 3.03 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage.

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“He’s a kid is super committed and focused,” Smith said of Constanzo, who will have 19-year-old Ian Michelone as his backup. “The expectation is for Joey to carry a lot of the load in net.”

Of course, after serving as an assistant coach for over a decade, many eyes will be on Smith in his new role as head coach after replacing of Marc Savard, who took an assistant coaching job with the NHL’s Calgary Flames.

There will be decisions to make as the club moves forward. For now, the club will not name a captain while it waits for things to settle out.

As well, the club will start the season with four overage players in Maillet, Christopoulos, Peer and Jodoin, but must get down to three by the middle of November.

“We need to play some games and see where we’re at and see what makes the most sense,” Bowler said. “We’ll have some decision to make, but until (Christopoulos) is ready to play, it doesn’t matter.”

Division rival Saginaw will play in the Memorial Cup as the host team and the London Knights have already made moves in a bid to contend and Bowler will have to decide what direction his team goes. He spent heavily last year and fell short and also dealt assets the previous season to get to the OHL final.

“You’re aware of what’s going on, but our job is to worry about what’s going on with our own hockey club,” Bowler said.

In Friday’s loss, Greentree had the Spitfires on the board just 41 seconds into the game, but the Sting reeled off seven-unanswered goals and cruised to the victory. Dionicio scored on the power play in the third period with the Spitfires outshot 36-33 overall.

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