3 Takeaways from Windsor Spitfires’ Summer of 2026

As September peeks around the corner, the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Windsor Spitfires are getting ready for 2026-27 training camp. This means saying goodbye to a busy summer.

Coming into this summer, Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler had a difficult task in front of him. Last season, he made a run at the OHL Championship, which left him with a veteran roster and a sparse draft pick cupboard. With players like Liam Greentree (New York Rangers), Nathan Villeneuve (Seattle Kraken), and Ethan Belchetz (Utah Mammoth via Michigan State University) having now moved on, reshaping the roster was a challenge. He figured out a way, though. As training camp starts on Thursday, here are three takeaways from the summer.

Bowler Keeps Limited Assets in Cupboard

When you attempt to go all-in during a season, you’re going to be moving out plenty of assets.

According to the OHL Draft Pick Database, in 2024-25, Bowler moved out three picks in 2026, two more from 2027, and one from 2028 as the club made it to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. Last season, he moved out a second-and-third-rounder in 2026, a second-rounder in 2027, four picks in the first five rounds in 2028, and then picks in rounds three through six in 2029. That got to them to the Western Conference Championship, losing to the eventual Memorial Cup Champion Kitchener Rangers.

That meant Bowler came into this summer with second-round picks in 2027, 2029, and now 2030, a third-round pick in 2030, a fourth in 2027 and 2030, and a fifth in 2029 and 2030. You can’t move many of those and remain competitive down the road.

On top of this, the club lost potentially a dozen players to either the pros or college. While defenceman Conor Walton and defenceman-turned-forward Anthony Cristoforo potentially make up two of their returning overage (20-year-old) players, the rest of the roster is mostly 18-years-old and younger.

Bowler could have moved his limited picks, or younger players, and aimed for a fifth division title in six seasons. However, that would just set up for long-term failure. Instead, he kept those assets and had to get creative with reshaping the roster.

Prospects Put Pen to Paper

While his predecessor, Warren Rychel, was very open and candid about moves, Bowler has often been tight-lipped and kept everything close to the chest. He also never puts an idea to rest as long as there’s a chance it could come to fruition. That was a big piece of this summer.

Over the last two seasons, Bowler has drafted multiple players that considered the OHL but had the college route or being in Europe at the forefront of their mind. While he accepted that, he didn’t give up on them as options. Now, after some patience, and thanks in-part to the NCAA transfer rule, he’s put pen to paper.

There are three big names to consider here – Detroit Red Wings’ prospect forward Michal Svrcek, forward Ty Bergeron, and defenceman Sam Wathier.

Svrcek was their first-round Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import pick in 2025. Unfortunately, the 2007-born Slovakian was signed to a contract in Sweden so couldn’t make it over. However, with his contract ending last season, Bowler brought him over this summer and he’s looking to add offence, energy, and some snarl to the lineup.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Bergeron was their third-round OHL pick in 2025 but signed a tender with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League just days before being drafted by the Spitfires. He kept that commitment for the season, with 20 points in 55 games, and then moved to the Spitfires this summer. He doesn’t currently have an NCAA commitment, which could bode well for the club.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Wathier was their fifth-round OHL pick in 2024. He spent two seasons with the US National Team Development Program before joining the Spitfires this season. He does have a commitment to Boston College in 2027-28 so we’ll see what happens to that next Spring. Right now, he brings a physical, steady presence to the defence that Bowler loves.

These three are on top of the club signing multiple picks from the last three OHL, OHL Under-18, and CHL Import Drafts. It will mean a lot of new faces coming into camp when it opens but we knew that would be the reality.

Coaching Consistency Continues

Following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Spitfires had a bit of a coaching carousel behind the benches.

It started with Marc Savard who was the head coach from 2021-23 before moving on to the NHL. He was followed in 2023-24 by Jerrod Smith, who was the club’s long-time associate coach until he got promoted. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out and he was replaced by then-assistant coach Casey Torres, who stayed on as head coach until the end of the season. Torres was joined by new assistant coach, former OHL and NHL player, Kris Newbury.

That brings us to July 2024 with new head coach Greg Walters. He knew the OHL, he knew how to develop players, and he appeared to be Bowler’s guy. They still have Torres and Newbury as assistants and the trio seem to have everyone buying in, on top of a strong culture in the room.

However, junior hockey is one of those places where movement can happen without much notice. That’s what happened with Savard. Fortunately, Walters, Torres, and Newbury have stayed and that’s a good thing for the club. They have consistency and a regular set of voices that have done well so far. While this season is going to be a challenge with a new roster, the coaches and management seem to be on the same page so there should be no surprises.

The summer has been a busy one for the Spitfires but that had to be expected. Now, they put everything together and the work begins as camp opens on Thursday.