The Spitfires open the Ontario Hockey League playoffs Thursday night at the WFCU Centre in Windsor.
The Spitfires face the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the opening round of the postseason.
Windsor is back in the postseason after finishing with the second-worst record in the league last season with just 18 wins and 44 points on the season.
Spitfires captain Liam Greentree, who finished third in OHL scoring with 49 goals and 70 assists for 119 points, says they had a tough year last year.
“Not making the playoffs was a bit of a gut shot for me. I just want to lead this team into a deep playoff run. I think we have the group to do it; I think we’re a gritty team, so that’s what we’re going to go out and do,” he says.
The Spits grabbed the second seed in the Western Conference after claiming the West Division title this year, while the Greyhounds earned the seventh seed.
Greentree says he’s so excited to get the playoffs going.
“I think the guys have really worked on the things we need to work on, and a lot of that is in our D zone and little things like that. We’ve really dialled that in, and we know how the Soo plays; we’ve played them six times this year. We’re getting excited; it’s going to be fun,” he says.
Windsor won the season series against the Soo, going 4-1-1-0 and outscoring the Greyhounds 30-11 in the six meetings.
Averaging 4.54 goals per game in 2024-25, Windsor’s 309 goals-for made them the third-highest scoring club in the Canadian Hockey League this season.
6′3, 204 pounds Spitfires forward AJ Spellacy, who put up 18 goals, 19 assists, and 37 points in 62 games during the regular season, says he wants to bring his physical game against the Greyhounds.
“They have some great players; I think we have a lot more depth that will really help us. They have some big players like {Brady} Martin and {Chase} Reid on the backend. I think we match that better,” he says.
Spellacy says head coach Greg Walters has a plan for how the Spitfires need to play the Greyhounds, but that’s a secret.
“Very detailed and organized. I think just sticking to his plan and everything he’s been saying. I’m not going to say what that is,” he says.
Game 1 of the Spitfires-Greyhound series is Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at the WFCU Centre.
AM800 will have the broadcast from every Spitfire playoff game, including Thursday’s, starting with the pre-game show at 6:50 p.m.
— Rusty Thomson/AM800 News
