CHL Storylines: Spitfires make a statement to start OHL season

The Canadian Hockey League season is well underway with a pair of organizations looking to make their return to the top of the standings in the respective leagues.

After missing the playoffs for only the third time in 15 years the Windsor Spitfires return to contention in 2024-25 while the Moncton Wildcats have been riding a hot streak to begin their season.

With analysis from TSN's Director of Scouting Craig Button, we look at how their seasons have progressed so far and feature a rising star out of Vancouver in the WHL.

The Windsor Spitfires have been one of the premier organizations in the Ontario Hockey League over the past 15 years.

The organization has won two Memorial Cups, two J. Ross Robertson Cups, and only missed the playoffs three times since the 2008-09 season.

Going into last season, the Spitfires were coming off back-to-back seasons where they won the West Division and landed at the top of the of the OHL’s Western Conference.

But Windsor didn’t follow their winning script last season, finishing with the second-worst record in the league at 18-42-8 and their worst record since the 2006-07 campaign.

The Spitfires allowed a league-worst 360 goals for the season and ended the season winless in their last 13 games.

In the off-season, the team drafted forward Ethan Belchetz first overall in the OHL Priority Draft and then added Washington Capitals prospect Ilya Protas in the CHL Import Draft with the second pick.

Combined with the added maturity and experience of core players like forward Liam Greentree, defenceman Anthony Cristoforo, and goaltender Joey Costanzo, the team looks to have bounced back early this season.

Windsor sits near the top spot of the OHL after 12 games going 10-1-1 to start the season. They have won their past five contests and recorded victories in nine of their past 10 games.

“The key is that they understood the process  where they knew they were good and tried to load up [two seasons ago] with the understanding that they were going to be in a bit of a drought afterwards,” said Button. “Now some of their younger players are a little bit more ready and matured, and now they are a team that’s not only capable of holding its head above water but being a very good team.”

Going into Wednesday’s action, the Spitfires lead the league with 63 goals and have only allowed 33, which is tied with the Flint Firebirds for the league best.

The offence has been led by Greentree, who has seven goals and 26 points in 11 games to start the season. The 6-foot-3 winger is on pace to crush his 36 goals and 90 points he put up last season, which led him to be drafted 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in last June’s NHL Draft.

“He was an excellent player last year on a team that wasn’t very good,” said Button. “There’s no such thing as an overnight sensation. He was a good player as a 16-year-old, was a better player last year, and has just gotten better this year. It’s straight maturity.”

Supporting Greentree offensively has been Protas, who has nine goals and 15 points in his first nine games of his OHL career, while sophomore forward Jack Nesbitt has also added nine goals and 15 points in 12 games.

Belchetz has also made his presence known as a rookie, with a point-per-game performance so far this season with four goals and 12 points.

After going 10-23-3 record last season, Costanzo has shown that he can be one of the best goaltenders in the league this year. The 6-foot-1 netminder has a perfect 9-0-0 record with a 1.89 goals-against average and .936 save percentage.

Despite the hot start to the season, the Spitfires will have their work cut out for them in the Western Conference with the Kitchener Rangers sitting one-point ahead of them in the standings. The defending OHL champion London Knights and defending Memorial Cup champion Saginaw Spirit are also starting to heat up.

“With a good strong start, they’ve shown they can be right in the mix,” said Button. “If they finish first in the division, they will have at the very least, the second seed. Based on their play so far, I don’t think there’s any questions that they can hold that.”

Red hot Wildcats set the pace atop the QMJHL

The Moncton Wildcats are the hottest team to start the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League season.

Moncton are winners of nine of their past 10 games and lead the league with an 11-2-1 record.

They have been led offensively by forward Yoan Loshing, who has nine goals and 18 points in 13 games, and centre Julius Sumpf with six goals and 17 points.

Defenceman Etienne Morin had been red hot to start the year and is in the midst of an 11-game point streak that has seen him record four goals and 17 points.

The 6-foot-1 left-shot defenceman recorded 21 goals and 72 points in 67 games last season, and he was drafted 48th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2023.

“Morin is a top-play defender who is excellent with the puck, has excellent vision, and can make plays all over the ice,” said Button. “The biggest thing with Morin is that he has more support around him so he can reduce his ice time and increase his pace throughout the game.

“When a player plays a lot of big minutes when they’re ideally suited to play less, the player tends to slow down throughout the game in order to pace himself. It’s not just the extra minutes that are hindered, but their entire ice time. They have some balance there now, which has benefited Morin.”

To go along with Loshing, Sumpf and Morin, the Wildcats have some star power in Caleb Desnoyers, who is expected to be a lottery pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Desnoyers recorded 20 goals and 56 points in 60 games in his rookie season last year and rounded out the hockey calendar by scoring the game-winning goal for Canada to beat Czechia at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer.

This year, the 6-foot-2 centre has six goals and 14 points in 10 games so far this season, highlighted by a two-goal and three-assist performance against the Saint John Sea Dogs on Oct. 17.

“I see him like [Nashville Predators centre] Ryan O’Reilly. He’s the pillar centre or the spine of a good team,” said Button. “He was able to step into Canada’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup team and centre the top line with [Medicine Hat Tigers forward] Gavin McKenna and [Brampton Steelheads forward] Porter Martone and score the gold-medal game winner.”

Button has Desnoyers at No. 9 on his September draft list while TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie listed him at No. 10 on his preseason rankings.

Jacob Steinman has rounded out the team as one of the league’s best goaltenders with an 8-2-1 record. He is second behind Drummondville Voltigeurs netminder Riley Mercer with a 1.96 GAA and .935 save percentage.

Player to watch: Cameron Schmidt - Vancouver Giants

Coming in hot to start the Western Hockey League season has been Vancouver Giants forward Cameron Schmidt.

The 5-foot-7 winger is coming off a 12-game point streak to start the regular season that saw him record 12 goals and 21 points during that span.

“There are very few players in the 2025 NHL Draft that have the skill of Schmidt. In fact, you might only be able to count them on one hand,” said Button. “He just captures and pulls your right into his orbit and is exciting.”

Schmidt is looking to build on a breakout sophomore season last year, where he recorded 31 goals and 58 points in 59 games.

The Prince George, B.C. native sits tied for second in WHL scoring with 12 points and his 12 goals have him tied for first in the league. His play has helped the Giants to a 7-4-2 record to start the season and sit sixth in the Western Conference.

“I don’t know how other teams are going to evaluate him at his height, but he’s a dynamo. Underestimate him at your own peril,” said Button. “Everything he does in the game is at a high level – from skating, competitiveness, thinking, puck skills, shooting, and drive. The only one thing he lacks is height, and there's nothing you can do about that."

Button placed Schmidt at No. 12 on his September draft list and will continue to look to push his way into prognosticators’ radars as the season progresses.