Latest news with #WindsorSpitfires
Ottawa Citizen
5 days ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Pick a day of the week and Spitfires have you covered
Pick a day of the week and the Windsor Spitfires have you covered. Article content The Ontario Hockey League released its 2025-26 schedule and the Spitfires will play at least one home game on every day of the week over the team's 34-game home schedule for the regular season at the WFCU Centre. Article content Article content It starts with the home opener on Sept. 20, which is the first of five Saturday home games. As usual, the club plays the majority of its games on Thursdays with a dozen slated. Eight more are set for Sundays, three each for Fridays and Wednesdays along with two on Mondays and one Tuesday game. October and November are Windsor's busiest home months with seven games slated at the WFCU Centre each month. Article content Article content 'We want to continue what we did on home ice,' said Spitfires' head coach Greg Walters, whose team tied for the best regular-season home record with London last season at 29-4-0-1. 'We only lost four (in regulation) last season and we'd like to boost the road record.' Article content Article content Early on the Spitfires will be away from Windsor for six of the club's first nine games to start the season. Article content 'I like that,' Walters said. 'We'll get it going and I like that we get some time together on the bus.' Article content However, in a league that often leans to the weekend, Windsor will have its share of grinding stretches for the season. The club plays three games in in four days on 12 occasions with one stretch seeing the club playing six times in nine days. Article content By contrast, the club will face just two stretches where the team plays three games in three days and both will see the Spitfires sandwich two home games around a road match. Article content Article content 'We only have the two, so that's a good thing,' Walters said. 'The three-in-threes are tough on kids, especial the top-end guys. It tends to be a lot.' Article content Windsor will play its annual Thanksgiving Day game on Oct. 13 against the Oshawa Generals, who are owned by Windsor's Rocco Tullio. The team will meet the Saginaw Spirit for its annual New Year's Eve at home on Dec. 31 in a 2:05 p.m. game and also face the Spirit on Family Day in at 2:05 p.m. start on Feb. 16. The Erie Otters will be in for St. Patrick's Day on March 17 at 7:05 p.m., which is also the team's final regular-season game of the season.
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Canadiens likely to continue mining NHL Draft for size and physicality
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Windsor Spitfires centre Jack Nesbitt was sitting on a stool after his successful physical testing at the NHL Scouting Combine on Saturday morning, talking casually about why the Montreal Canadiens appeared, in his view, to like him as a prospect. His response was very matter-of-fact, very self-aware, and somewhat revelatory of what the Canadiens are likely looking for in this draft, and not just from Nesbitt. Advertisement 'I think they like how big I am,' Nesbitt said. 'I use my size to play physical, I'll always fight if I have to, sticking up for teammates. I think they like the gritty part of my game, so we'll see if that transfers to the NHL.' Nesbitt was a late riser this season, putting up 24 points in his final 23 regular-season games and 10 points in 12 playoff games. However, the context for all this is that he measured in at the combine at 6 feet 4 1/2 inches and 186 pounds. His skating's not ideal, but everything else is right in the Canadiens' wheelhouse for the reasons Nesbitt mentioned. Several players are available at various points of this draft who fit that profile. The Canadiens dug in on that profile to some extent later in last year's draft when they took Logan Sawyer in the third round, Tyler Thorpe in the fifth round and Ben Merrill in the sixth round. They were ranked, respectively, 114th, 111th and 127th on NHL Central Scouting's final North American list, but they also measured in at 6-1, 173 pounds; 6-4, 209 pounds; and 6-3 1/4, 190 pounds. The three players had frames with room to fill out. This came after taking Florian Xhekaj in the fourth round the year before and watching him blossom in his draft-plus-one year in the OHL. And now that Xhekaj has again blossomed in his first year as a professional in Laval, it's only further validation that this is a strategy worth exploring. Xhekaj was called a unicorn by Canadiens co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov in their 2023 draft meetings. And then Xhekaj went out and proved he was a bit of a unicorn. However, it is not smart to simply look for size above all else in the draft. In 2013, the previous Canadiens administration took Michael McCarron, Jacob de la Rose and Connor Crisp in the first three rounds primarily because of their size. They also took one smaller player in the second round, Artturi Lehkonen, and he very quickly became the best of those four players. Advertisement But Xhekaj was not taken solely because of his size. He stood out because of his hands, offensive instincts, combative nature, willingness to be physical and the feet that allowed him to be physical. Size with tools that translate to the NHL is the goal, and it wouldn't be a surprise if that's the Canadiens' goal this year. Because there are other players like Nesbitt out there. The thing with Nesbitt is that taking him with the No. 16 or 17 pick might be a bit of a reach, or it might not, depending on who you ask. The Canadiens pick again at No. 41 and No. 49, and that might be too late to grab some of the other guys who fit that goal, including William Moore or William Horcoff. But we've heard the Canadiens have shown a fair amount of interest in one player who might be right in that second-round wheelhouse. Telling his story is more illustrative than predictive, because he fits a certain type — the Canadiens type. His name is Matthew Gard. We don't know if the Canadiens will draft him. But you shouldn't be surprised if the Canadiens draft someone like him. Gard, a centre for the Red Deer Rebels, is 6-4 3/4 and 195 pounds. And, by his own admission, he's raw. 'I think I'm starting to get closer to what my peak performance is going to be,' Gard said. 'I think I'm probably still three to five years away from it. It's just a gradual climb, year after year.' The Rebels made a few moves at the trade deadline that allowed Gard to take on a bigger role later in the season, and he wound up playing himself into a spot on Canada's U18 national team, which he never thought was possible. 'I always knew it was in me,' Gard said, 'but it was kind of wishful thinking at times.' He comes from an athletic family; both his parents played for the national volleyball team, his two older brothers play university volleyball, and his younger brother was just drafted by the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes. When Gard was 13 or 14, he estimates he grew seven inches in six months, from around 5-7 to 6-2, putting him on the radar for WHL clubs but also completely changing the way he plays hockey. He needed to adjust to going from somewhat average-sized to massive in less than a year, and it's a process that continues to this day. Advertisement 'It took me some time to grow into my body. Honestly, I still am, in a way,' Gard said. 'I'm just trying to build some speed with it and get more powerful and stronger in my big, skinny frame.' That skinny frame has been at the top of Gard's mind for years. At the start of his WHL draft year, he was 6-1 and 140 pounds, so he's added nearly four inches and 55 pounds since. 'Honestly, (adding weight) has been the main part of my summer for the past couple of summers,' he said. 'I've been pretty consistent adding 10 pounds a summer the past couple of years. It's coming, it's going to be gradual, but I think I'm only halfway to where I'm going to be in a couple of years. 'It's going to be exciting to look forward to where I can be.' Matthew Gard goes upstairs and gets Red Deer on the board @Rebelshockey | #NHLDraft — Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 23, 2025 This is essentially a blank hockey canvas with a very promising physical toolkit and an acute awareness of the work he has ahead of him and what he will be in the NHL. 'I think a middle-six guy,' he said. 'I think I'm pretty versatile in what I can do and where I can play in the lineup. I'll have a defensive role, probably, and bring a lot of physicality. Just chaos and mix that in with some skill.' We have no idea if the Canadiens will draft Gard, of course, but at some point in the draft, they are very likely to take someone like him: someone with a big frame with room to grow physically and a skillset that gives them some hope he can contribute to a big, heavy team in Montreal one day. The Canadiens watch the playoffs every year and see how physicality and heaviness help teams advance from round to round, and this year they saw for themselves how that helped the Washington Capitals advance past them. They will always prioritize skill earlier in the draft. But later on, that physicality and heaviness will surely become an increasingly important factor in how they approach their picks. (Photo of Matthew Gard: Larry MacDougal / Associated Press)
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How Jack Nesbitt became one of the 2025 NHL Draft's biggest risers
On the morning of Game 7 between the Windsor Spitfires and Kitchener Rangers, Jack Nesbitt awoke to an unwelcome realization. His head hurt. His throat hurt. His stomach hurt. Everything hurt — so much so that he had to get an IV ahead of the deciding game of the OHL second-round series. Even after the IV and a pregame nap, Nesbitt still could barely get out of bed. It was later revealed he had strep throat. But when the time came for puck drop, there he was, out there at center ice for the opening faceoff. Advertisement 'I just pushed through it, did what I could,' Nesbitt told The Athletic. 'Game 7, gotta play.' In a game that went deep into overtime, Nesbitt ended up logging 23 minutes for the Spitfires. He took 20 faceoffs, put five shots on net and assisted on the team's only goal. 'It was touch and go if he was even going to play,' Windsor coach Greg Walters said. 'And then, the warrior that he is, he was one of our best players.' No doubt the 2-1 overtime loss was a sour way to end the Spitfires' season. But in terms of final statements, it was nonetheless an impressive one for Nesbitt, who over the course of the season was perhaps one of the most improved players in this NHL Draft class. In NHL Central Scouting's 'players to watch' list from October, Nesbitt was graded as a 'B' prospect — indicating a second- or third-round candidate for the NHL Draft. But after a big season, in which Nesbitt more than tripled his production from his OHL rookie campaign — finishing with 25 goals and 64 points in 65 games — Nesbitt has put himself in the mix to be a potential top-20 pick in June's draft. Nesbitt's physical traits stand out immediately as a 6-foot-4 center. But part of that size, especially for someone who had a significant growth spurt of about four inches around age 15, is being able to carry that frame around the ice. Nesbitt's skating, as a result, can look laborious. It's the primary question surrounding his draft profile, and it's a valid one, in a league that's only getting faster. But the rest of Nesbitt's tools, as a physical forward with soft hands, are impressive — and hard enough to find that it's easy to see a team betting on what he can become if that skating improves. 'I think the exciting part for even a guy like me, or an NHL team, is what will this guy look like in four or five years,' Windsor general manager Bill Bowler said. 'It's just, there's too much there. He checks every box for a hockey team, I think.' Advertisement Bowler is quick to point out that the Spitfires' 2023-24 team, which finished with the second-worst record in the league, wasn't the greatest environment for Nesbitt to showcase himself as a 16-year-old. That could be part of the reason Nesbitt's offensive production jumped so much from year to year. Nesbitt also pointed to confidence coming in for his second season. But just as Windsor shot up the standings, finishing as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference this season, Nesbitt took real strides in his game, too. And the path to that improvement began last summer. Every week, Nesbitt would leave his home in Sarnia, Ontario, near the Michigan border, for the Greater Toronto Area — staying with a billet family in Oakville so he could train at Junxion Performance (which is affiliated with Nesbitt's agency, Quartexx) Monday through Thursday, before returning home to Sarnia on the weekends. And the skating was an area of emphasis. Certainly, for a player Nesbitt's size — and with a fairly recent growth spurt — a big part of that was going to be general, raw strength. It takes more muscle to move around a bigger body. But there were also certain principles Junxion wanted to drill down and emphasize specific to his hockey stride. 'For him, it was really sitting low on a single leg, understanding how to maintain that position,' said Jason Martin, the head performance coach at Junxion. 'And then how to use his upper body independent of his lower body. Those were the kind of big ones for us.' Martin said they work off a spectrum of athletes that range from more innately elastic (such as Connor McDavid) to more muscle-dominant and driven by force production (more akin to Sidney Crosby). For Crosby, that might show up in the explosiveness coming out of a tight turn, or ability to protect the puck, whereas for McDavid, it pops most when he's at top speed in full flight. Advertisement 'And what was crazy about Jack, is, although he's a tall kid, big feet, big physical features – like he's going to be a big kid as he fills out — he was actually very elastic for his size, and he was really actually pretty bouncy,' Martin said. 'So we kind of leaned a little bit into the strength side for him, the force-production side.' The goal, basically, was to take the potential that comes with Nesbitt's frame and add the strength needed to effectively propel it while rounding out the other side of that spectrum. And there are examples to reinforce what that can look like over time. Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen was a big body with some offense in his draft year in 2017, but his main question was his lack of speed at 6-foot-6. This past season, NHL Edge data had Rasmussen in the 94th percentile for top skating speed, at 23.29 mph. Likewise, in that same draft, Boston's Morgan Geekie — who Corey Pronman listed as his player comparison for Nesbitt — had some concerns around his skating. This year, NHL Edge data had his top speed in the 84th percentile, in a season in which he had 33 goals and 57 points. 'Obviously with the size, if they have the ability to have some good top-end speed using that elasticity, but also be able to protect the puck and be strong in the corners, that's a dangerous athlete,' Martin said. At 18, Nesbitt is still in the early stages of working to make those gains. Martin noted that the summer is only so long, and even working out four days a week, 'it's not actually that many workouts.' Still, he felt he could see Nesbitt starting to get stronger, and he's eager to see what the next stage will bring. 'Because year over year at that age, they just develop so quickly,' Martin said. 'But I think once his body fills out relative to his height, I think he's going to be a monster.' Advertisement Martin also emphasized Nesbitt's character and receptiveness to the work they gave him, calling him 'one of the most coachable guys that we've had a chance to work with.' For teams betting on his potential, that could be key in believing his ability to reach it. But while the allure of Nesbitt has a lot to do with those longer-range projections — of what he can be when his body is filled out, and if that skating develops as hoped — there is still already a solid present-day picture. Walters was in his first year coaching Windsor, so he didn't have Nesbitt the season prior, but still felt he could see a jump in Nesbitt's skating from watching him. And from Day 1 when he got there, Walters felt that in Nesbitt he had a player who wouldn't cheat for offense, playing 'extremely tough' with 'huge character.' He also emphasized Nesbitt's willingness to fight if needed, to stick up for his teammates — a bit of a throwback element that also can separate Nesbitt in the modern game. 'I think the biggest thing with Jack is obviously he's very good away from the puck, and competes extremely hard,' Walters said. 'Really good hockey sense. Loves getting to the front of the net. Real good on power play, on top of the blue paint and extremely high hand-eye coordination.' That should give him a steady floor, knowing he can use his size and smarts to check. And when you combine that with the potential if his feet can catch up to his frame, there's the recipe for a potentially versatile player who could use his skill, size and toughness to complement offensive players high in a lineup, too. 'Jack is the same regardless,' Bowler said. 'Whether Team Canada uses him how they see (fit), how the Windsor Spitfires (use him), this guy knows what his role his, (what) his job is on each and every shift. And he seems to be so consistent and thrive in that, and he doesn't get caught up in everything else. He just does what's expected.' Taken all together, it starts to feel easy to see how Nesbitt went from a 'B' prospect entering the season, to Central Scouting's 15th-ranked North American on their final ranking. Advertisement Now, it's all about where he goes from here. 'From what I can tell, he's already a great athlete, even with the growth spurt and trying to find his body,' Martin said. 'And he's such a good mover that once he starts being able to express what his body's trying to do, meaning he gains the strength and muscle mass and positions that he's learning, I think kind of sky's the limit for him. I think he could fit in a lot of different roles.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Center options for Rangers with No. 12 pick in 2025 NHL Draft: Jack Nesbitt, Roger McQueen
Now that the interesting new NHL Draft Lottery is complete, the New York Rangers have an already documented decision to make on whether to retain the No. 12 overall pick or send it to the Pittsburgh Penguins to close the circle on a pair of trades made this season. If the Rangers hold on to this year's first-round pick, the decision to take the best center available seems to be the most likely course of action. Though this draft doesn't seem to be as deep as next year's, it's not often the Rangers find themselves with an opportunity to select this high in the first round. And that gives them the chance to land a quality center, even if several are gone by time that 12th pick is on the clock. Immediately following the lottery, held their own mock draft with draft gurus Adam Kimelman and Mike Morreale making their picks. Each projected the Rangers to select a big center, Jack Nesbitt and Roger McQueen. Assuming one or both of these centers fall to pick 12, let's breakdown the options between Nesbitt and McQueen. Advertisement Related: Why Rangers must take best center available if they keep No. 12 pick in 2025 NHL Draft Jack Nesbitt Windsor Spitfires; 6-foot-4, 185 pounds Analysis from Adam Kimelman: 'The Rangers need to get younger through the middle of the ice, and Nesbitt was able to use his size and skating to stand out on a strong Windsor team this season. He plays a smart 200-foot game to go with his strong offensive skill set.' Nesbitt may not have the same acceleration, but I see a lot of Filip Chytil in the Windsor Spitfires center. Aside from having the similar build and left handedness, the 18-year-old is basically a slower (yet efficient) but stronger version of Chytil, that projects to be solid 3C with 2C upside. He has enough momentum in his big stride to drive through the neutral zone. Though Nesbitt may not drive play at an elite level, he makes up for that in compete and high IQ, and is solid in all three zones. He's not afraid to get dirty to protect his net, and uses his smarts in the offensive zone to provide consistent puck support. Nesbitt has a deceptive shot, just like Chytil, and can find the open man when he draws attention as the puck carrier. Nesbitt's certainly not afraid to take a hit to make a play, but like Chytil, could protect himself better once he fills out. He'll have no problem over time gaining muscle and perhaps adding to his acceleration to be an effective forward in the NHL. Once he does, similarities to Jamie Benn have been stated already, a late pick who needed some seasoning in his own right. After finishing the season fifth on Windsor with 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) in 65 games, Nesbitt had 10 points (one goal, nine assists) to go along with 30 penalty minutes in 12 OHL playoff games. Projected timeline to the Rangers lineup: 2-3 years Roger McQueen Brandon Wheat Kings; 6-foot-5, 197 pounds Analysis from Mike Morreale: Advertisement 'There's a lot to like about the right-handed center, who has size, a big shot and deft scoring touch to complement an extremely good motor. McQueen could be a steal at this point in the draft. He had 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) despite missing 51 games.' Once he fills out more and adds 15 pounds or so of muscle, the maturity of McQueen's game will dictate how quickly he's an effective NHL hockey player. He has great hands for his size and could be the guy who goes as high as sixth overall to the Philadelphia Flyers, per Kimelman's mock draft. McQueen has a strong shot that he can beat goalies from anywhere, even on the zone entry. On the power play, he is very effective on the half wall as a scoring threat. Opposing players have to respect his mix of size, hands and creativity. Simply, he's a handful. Before the season, McQueen was projected as a top-10 pick. However, McQueen is now viewed as a high-risk, high-reward player because he only played 17 games due to a back injury that sidelined him for five months. Teams will be enticed to take McQueen sooner, but if the injury leaves him sitting there at 12, Drury shouldn't hesitate. He's more of a play driver than Nesbitt, so that and his larger upside makes McQueen my pick if deciding between the two. Both should be effective, but McQueen seems to have the pedigree to be a solid right-handed top-six center. While his style compares to Kirby Dach, hopefully his injury history doesn't. It should be noted that McQueen returned in the WHL playoffs, scoring one goal in three games. Brandon lost in five games to Lethbridge in the first round. Projected timeline to the Rangers lineup: 1-2 years
Toronto Star
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
The Hockey Canada trial lays bear a battle in the escalating war for men's humanity
The woman alleging sexual assault by a group of junior hockey players says she's unsure if all of the men in the room were involved. Her suit names four, not five, John Does because when she regained consciousness, John Doe 5 was 'standing in the corner … crying throughout the remainder of the [alleged] assaults.' These details aren't from the ongoing criminal trial of five members of Canada's championship 2018 World Junior hockey team. They're from another case, a $3.75 million civil suit filed in March that names four men, the Ontario Hockey League and the Canadian Hockey League as liable for the alleged actions of Windsor Spitfires players at a party in 1984. Such a long, short time ago. Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
