Spitfires flight plan altered
It was setting up for Jack Nesbitt and Ethan Belchetz to again be cornerstone forwards for the Windsor Spitfires come the ’26-27 Ontario Hockey League season — until two National Collegiate Athletic Association schools came calling.
Projected first-round NHL draft pick Ethan Belchetz is leaving the Windsor Spitfires to play U.S. college hockey.
Belchetz, the Spitfires’ first overall selection in the 2024 Ontario Hockey League draft, announced Tuesday he has committed to Michigan State.
The six-foot-five, 227-pound forward had 34 goals and 59 points in 57 games this season before suffering a broken left clavicle in early March. The injury sidelined him for Windsor’s playoff run.
The 18-year-old is ranked ninth among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the June 26 draft in Buffalo.
Spitfires general manager Bill Bowler said the move was unexpected.
“Obviously, we’ve always anticipated high-end athletes leaving to go to the National Hockey League,” Bowler said. “Drafting Ethan first overall, we never thought he’d leave after two years. It becomes challenging. It’s a different landscape, and we’ll adjust.”
Belchetz’s decision follows teammate Jack Nesbitt’s April announcement that he will join the University of Michigan. Nesbitt, a 19-year-old centre, was selected 12th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2025 NHL draft.
Bowler said the losses will be difficult to replace.
“We had no idea a 2008-born Ethan Belchetz or a 2007-born Jack Nesbitt — two NHL first-rounders — would be leaving,” he said. “You can’t replace that kind of ability. We’ll figure it out and put together a good team, as we always do.”
Rule changes introduced in 2024 allow players from the Canadian Hockey League to compete in the NCAA. Previously, CHL participation made players ineligible for U.S. college hockey.
Bowler said the timing is difficult but out of the organization’s control.
“This is something the CHL and OHL have to deal with,” he said. “I don’t know how many teams are losing two players like this in mid-May, but it’s part of it.”
Other Spitfires players committed to NCAA programs for next season include Cole Davis (UConn), Jakub Fibigr (Ohio State) and Carson Woodall (Boston College).
Spits owners so good.
Returning players Garden, Max, McLaughlin
2024 draft minus J.C. Lemieux (now with Sudbury) minus Carter Hicks.
It’s been a week since the club learned second-year forward Ethan Belchetz, who was the No. 1 pick overall in the 2024 OHL Draft, would be leaving the team to play at Michigan State University next season. Former first-round pick Jack Nesbitt, who was a first-round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers last year, is also expected to head to the NCAA with the University of Michigan in the fall.
“You just need time, but I’m confident we’ll figure this out and get back to putting a competitive team on the ice,” Bowler said. “We won’t dwell on it, I can assure you that. We’ll get back to putting a competitive team on the ice.”
Winners of four of the last five West Division titles, Windsor is far from the only club in the division or league dealing with players headed to the NCAA in the fall as well as normal graduations.
The Saginaw Spirit would have been considered a favourite to take the West Division in 2026-27, but OHL scoring leader Nikita Klepov is also headed to Michigan State while Egor Barabanov, who was fourth in league scoring, appears headed to UMass Amherst.
Sault Ste. Marie is set to see Chase Reid, who could be the first defenceman taken in this year’s NHL Draft, head to Michigan State. Meanwhile, the club is waiting to hear if Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Jordan Charron, who is committed to St. Lawrence University, and defenceman Callum Croskery, who is committed to Boston College, will return. The Flint Firebirds will lose forward Jimmy Lombardi to Michigan while Sarnia’s Beckham Edwards appears headed to Notre Dame in the fall.
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The new OHL season, which will allow teams to make player trades, does not begin until next month. So, for now, Bowler’s focus is on prospects already in Windsor’s system.
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“That’s why it’s important to always be developing your whole roster and the players in your system and on your 50-man list,” Bowler said.
Up front, the Spitfires will return Ethan Garden (41 points in 65 games), Beks Makysh (39 points in 68 games as a rookie), Caden Harvey (34 points in 68 games as a rookie) and 2025 first-round pick Johnny McLaughlin, who took on minutes as a top six forward in the playoffs and tied for sixth in team playoff scoring with eight points in 13 games.
After spending parts of two seasons with the club’s top affiliate in LaSalle, former third-round pick Max Brocklehurst is expected to take on a full-time role next season and might be the club’s best hope at this point for an offensive boost from within
Meanwhile, 2007-borner forwards Cole Dubowsky, who got into 34 games with the Spitfires, and Shawn Costello, who also finished in LaSalle, could provide a veteran presence and grit. The club will also gauge if 2025 second-round pick Ian Inskip is ready for full-time duty next season after spending last season in LaSalle.
Slovakian forward Micah Svrcek, who is a Detroit Red Wings prospect and was the club’s first-round import pick last year, remains a realistic target to join the team next season.
As well, the club is hopeful that 2025 third-round pick Ty Bergeron, who is playing in the USHL final for Muskegon, could also fit in the plans next season.
The team has more stability on the back end with former first-round pick Anthony Cristoforo and Conor Walton both ready to return for an overage season. Andrew Robinson would pair nicely with Cristoforo on the power play while Jonathan Brown provides more grit on the back end.
Six-foot-three Grady Spicer appears set for a full-time role while Jesse Debruyn could also push for a regular spot.
At this point, six-foot-two Michael Newlove looks set to assume the No. 1 role in net after posting a 12-4-2-2 record backing up Joey Costanzo last season with a 2.76 goals-against average and .886 save percentage. Six-foot-four Jake Windbiel, who has spent the past two seasons in LaSalle, also appears ready to make the jump to the OHL.
“You’re going to have to look from within and hopefully there might be a player or another player that slips through the cracks not with another club that we think can play in the OHL,” Bowler said of potential free-agent additions.
“My job is to manage this hockey club and try to put competitive teams together,” Bowler said. “You have to adapt and the Windsor Spitfires will figure this out. We just have to try another way to put a competitive hockey team together.”
