A look at some of the potential new faces in the Windsor Spitfires' lineup for the 2026-27 season
The Windsor Spitfires will be ready to turn the page. In an effort to make a title run this season, the Spitfires traded some talented, young prospects in J.C. Lemieux and Carter Hicks along with some draft assets at the OHL trade deadline to get older, but it will see the club’s graduation class grow at the end of the 2025-26 season. The Spitfires have as many as a dozen players that could wrap up their junior hockey career after this season, but the club has been preparing for this moment. “It’s a balancing act,” Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler said. “Yeu have to live in the present and we have to give up assets, et cetera, but it’s not dire like a couple of years ago.” The Spitfires will lose goalie Joey Costanzo, defenceman Wyatt Kennedy and forward Alex Pharand to graduation as overage players. Meanwhile, captain Liam Greentree, A.J. Spellacy and Nathan Villeneuve are signed NHL prospects, which means they likely won’t return for an overage season. Defenceman Jakub Fibigr, who is an NHL pick by Seattle, is also hoping to earn a contract before the summer. Meanwhile, forwards Cole Davis and Nathan Gaymes along with defencemen Carson Woodall, Conor Walton and Anthony Cristoforo all could return as overage players, but there are no guarantees. “Some of those could be overagers, but even that’s changing now with players having opportunities in the NCAA,” Bowler said. “It’s kind of a wait-and-see.” While Lemieux, Hicks and the traded draft picks might have helped smooth the transitions after those graduations, Bowler has been stockpiling draft prospects in recent years and what the team has in the pipeline could go a long way in keeping the team competitive going forward in 2026-27 and beyond. Following is a look at some of the prospects the Spitfires hope fit into the club’s future plans, with where each is playing and how each is performing. Forward Max Brocklehurst – third-round pick 2024 OHL Draft The Nova Scotia native has gotten into games in each of the past two seasons with the Spitfires including 26 games this season where he posted two goals and five points. However, he got shuffled down the lineup with arrival of Villeneuve and Pharand and Bowler wanted to maximize the young forward’s time on the ice to develop and opted to put him with the club’s top affiliate in LaSalle. “Max has done everything we’ve asked him to do,” Bowler said. “He continues to grow and has won the trust of the coaches. “He’s a late (December) birthday and undersized a bit (at five-foot-nine and 150 pounds), but as he matures, he should make an impact. We think he’s a point guy in our league and needs to get those touches (in games).” Forward Shawn Costello – acquired from Oshawa in 2025 A former fifth-round pick by Oshawa, Costello ran into the same problem as Brocklehurst when it came to playing time after the arrival of Villeneuve and Pharand and was also sent to the LaSalle Vipers. The 19-year-old Costello is six-foot-two and 190 pounds, which will add some experience and size to the Windsor lineup next season. He was never expected to be a big scorer at the OHL level, but can defend and is a solid faceoff man. While he had just one goal and two points in 21 games with the Spitfires this season, he has found a scoring touch with the Vipers with three goals and four points in three games heading into Wednesday’s game. “He has some runway,” Bowler said. “Just for his own playing time (like Brocklehurst), he needs those touches. I think him going down and getting more playing time will give him confidence and refine his game and, so far, it looks like he’s doing well.” Forward Ian Inskip – second-round pick in 2025 OHL Draft At six-foot-two and 185 pounds, Inskip already has the physical size to play in the OHL, but the club opted to place the 16-year-old with the Vipers for the majority of this season. “We’re hoping a year of GOHL (Greater Ontario Hockey) play will have him competing for a roster spot,” Bowler said. “Coming out of minor midget to play in any league with older players is difficult.” Inskip, who has seen some action with the Spitfires this season, headed into Wednesday’s game tied for sixth in scoring for the Vipers with eight goals and 20 points in 38 games. “I think Ian, from Day One to now, is a different player,” Bowler said. “He’s progressing nicely.” Forward Ty Bergeron – third-round pick in 2025 OHL Draft The 16-year-old from Flat Rock, Mich. is another that already has the physical size to play in the OHL at six-foot-two and 185 pounds. However, Bergeron signed a tender agreement before being drafted by the Spitfires with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks. He has three goals and 11 points in 34 games in the USHL and has also spent time with the USNTDP and competed for the U.S. under-17 team. “We took him in the third round hoping he would choose the OHL at some point,” Bowler said. “He’s a first-year player that’s playing against older players. He’s a player we liked in his draft year and continue to like.” Defenceman Grady Spicer – fourth-round pick in 2024 OHL Draft The six-foot-four, 190-pound Spicer showed great progress from minor midget to junior A with the Brockville Braves a year ago. He has spent time with the Spitfires this season, but continues to show solid progress with the Vipers where he has 20 points in 34 games and a team-leading 90 penalty minutes. “He could play in the league now, but on our team he would not get the reps he needs,” Bowler said. “He’ll be an OHL hockey player. “I think he’s physically ready to play in our league today, but we want players to excel and have a chance. By playing in all situations in LaSalle, I think he’ll be ready to contribute next year.” After two seasons with the USNTDP, Sam Wathier will move on after this season and the Windsor Spitfires are hoping the talented defenceman will head to the OHL. Defenceman Sam Wathier – fifth-round pick in 2024 OHL Draft Goalie Jake Windbiel – seventh-round pick in 2024 OHL Draft Defenceman Jesse Debruyn – fourth-round pick in 2025 OHL Draft Forward Michal Svrcek – first-round pick in 2025 CHL Import Draft Forward Loan Burkhalter – third-round pick in 2025 CHL Import Draft Any other options for roster help?
