3 Takeaways from Spitfires’ 3-2 Preseason Loss at Home vs Greyhounds

This wasn’t about a win or a loss. While the Windsor Spitfires dropped their 2026-27 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) preseason opener to the Soo Greyhounds at home on Sunday, this game was focused on the future.

This game has been circled on the calendar for a while. Not because it was the Greyhounds but it’s the start of a new era. The Spitfires went all-in last season, eventually losing to the Memorial Cup Champion Kitchener Rangers in the Western Conference Championship. However, four months later and the roster looks very different, which means this game wasn’t about winning or losing but seeing what could happen over the rest of the season and beyond. Here are three takeaways from the WFCU Centre.

Spitfires Scoring By Committee

This summer, the Spitfires lost over 100 goals worth of production in their graduates including captain Liam Greentree’s (New York Rangers) 38 goals and forward Ethan Belchetz’s (Michigan State University) 34 goals. You’re not going to replace that in one or two moves.

The idea is that returning veterans can take the next step, such as 2025 OHL first-rounder forward John McLaughlin, 2024 OHL ninth-rounder forward Ethan Garden, and 2024 OHL third-round pick defenceman Andrew Robinson. Then, you add in new players like energetic Russian forward Bogdan Yakushevsky (2026 first-round Canadian Hockey League Import pick), newly signed 2025 OHL pick forward Ty Bergeron, and, once he arrives, Detroit Red Wings’ prospect forward Michal Svrcek, and it’s going to be scoring-by-committee, at least early on.

Sunday’s game was a solid example of how it’s a patient process. While the Spitfires outshot the Greyhounds 13-5 in the first period, there was a bit of a feeling out time. The home side got their chances but little was high-quality. The visitors got the first goal late to take a lead into the dressing room.

While the Greyhounds added another one early in the second, the Spitfires responded. Robinson and veteran Anthony Cristoforo each had a single while Garden, Yakushevky, and defenceman Jonathan Brown added helpers. It was a team effort.

Unfortunately for the home side, they couldn’t find the game breaker in the third, managing just six shots on net as the Greyhounds capitalized with 41-seconds left to take a 3-2 win.

This wasn’t about a win or a loss, though. It was the first game together after losing nearly half the roster to the pros or NCAA. When you lose that much scoring, you need the team to come together to find a way. That’s going to be the season approach, at least to start.

Walters’ Defence-First Approach Remains Intact

One thing was clear throughout the game – head coach Greg Walters still wants that defence-first mentality during the games. He hasn’t started teaching the in-depth X’s and O’s yet, just basic system work to give the players an idea of what they want. The detailed discussions can come during the week as they get ready for more preseason games.

Last season we saw the club record their lowest goals-against total (173) in a 68-game schedule since 2008-09 (171). It’s an impressive, consistent mark that shows the effect that Walters and assistants Casey Torres and Kris Newbury have on the roster. They kept that approach going on Sunday.

The Soo #Greyhounds scored late in the third period to take a 3-2 win over the Windsor #Spitfires at the WFCU Centre on Sunday in #OHL preseason action. pic.twitter.com/HF6h0fdrLD

— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) August 31, 2026

The Greyhounds had just five shots on goal in the first, seven more in the second, and nine in the third. The Spitfires blocked shots, kept the visitors to the outside, and did all they could to make life easier for goaltenders Michael Newlove and Jake Windbiel, who split the game. While the visitors grabbed the win on a defensive miscue late in the game, that doesn’t take away from the overall strong effort.

From Robinson and veteran defenceman Conor Walton to newcomers Sam Wathier and Grady Spicer, they know their assignments and they execute. The forwards come back and help, which often leads to quick transitions back to offence. While there were things to work on, the general execution was solid.

Adjustment Period Takes Time for New Spitfires

Hockey teams don’t become a “well-oiled machine” overnight. It takes time, patience, repetition, and everyone being on the same page. That’s going to be a big part of the Spitfires’ season.

Training camp started on Thursday and Sunday’s game was just 24-hours after their Blue-White Game to wrap up camp. There was little time for getting used to line mates, developing any chemistry, or knowing what to expect. It showed with turnovers and broken plays. However, that’s part of the preseason.

With 25 players still in camp, they’re going to mix-and-match lines and pairings, not just to see who works well together but what everyone brings to the lineup. While Cristoforo and Robinson took charge of the power play throughout the game, getting everyone on the same page takes time.

This was a great way for the fans to see the new players, for the players to see new opponents, and for the coaches to get a small idea of how everything fits together. Whether they won or lost didn’t matter as much as figuring out how the puzzle fits.

The club has three more preseason games to get the roster set and work out systems and combinations. Those start Saturday night on the road against the Greyhounds, then Fri., Sept. 11 on the road (in Leamington) against the Flint Firebirds, and finally a “home” game on Sat., Sept. 12 in LaSalle against the Firebirds again. After that, the regular season starts with the opener on Fri., Sept. 18 on the road against the London Knights. The home opener is the next day, Sat., Sept. 19, in the rematch with the Knights.