The Windsor Spitfires have hired a new head coach, just a day after he was reinstated by the Ontario Hockey League following a suspension for breaking the league's code of conduct.
Greg Walters was introduced as the Spitfires new head coach during a news conference Tuesday at the WFCU Centre.
Walters was suspended by the league on December 12, 2023, after it was found he breached the league's code of conduct while serving as head coach of the Owen Sound Attack.
The league launched an investigation into a verbal altercation Walters had with another Attack employee during a game on October 14, 2023, that resulted in Walters being fired by the team just days later.
The investigation found Walters failed to maintain an environment free of bullying and abuse while also demonstrating a clear lack of commitment to the safety of his players.
Walters says he's worked in this league since 2002 and never had a blemish on his record.
"Hockey is an emotional game, and sometimes you say things that you don't mean and regret. I definitely took full responsibility for that," he says.
According to a statement released by the OHL on July 1, "Greg Walters has satisfied the terms of his reinstatement," stated OHL Commissioner David Branch. "The league takes enforcement of its policies very seriously and understands Mr. Walters has taken the appropriate measures to be able to resume coaching in the OHL."
Walters says he took part in over 30 hours of sports psychology during his suspension, something he wishes he had done before.
"The game is changing, the world is changing, and I think every coach should put that time in to understand how to coach these young kids and how the world is moving here," he says.
General Manager Bill Bowler says once they dug deep into what happened, it was nothing serious enough that he couldn't come back.
"We signed players, their families are okay, and their agents are okay. Talking to former owners where Greg coached, Hockey Canada, etc., etc. Again, people make mistakes; he's owned it, he's worked on it," he says.
Bowler says people make mistakes, but Walters has owned them and worked on it.
"I think the timing couldn't be better for the Windsor Spitfires. We've got a hungry, motivated coach who's gone through a bit here and has learned how to be a better coach. We're the lucky guys who are going to get the effects of that," he says.
"There will be a lot of accountability for them. I believe that teams with the best culture win. We will be very worked based on everything we do. We will be physical," he says.
Bowler says Walters made a ton of sense for this team.
"With Greg's intensity and accountability, I think it won't take long to get back to where we want to go. And of course, just the basic maturation of the group, the players, Greg getting to know these players—he's a veteran of the Ontario Hockey League, so that's a factor. It just sets us up well for the next two seasons," he says.
Walters, a Calgary, Alberta, native, was hired as the Attack’s head coach prior to the 2021–22 season. He had previously served as the head coach of the Oshawa Generals from 2018 to 2021.
The Spitfires started the 2023-2024 season with Jerrod Smith behind the bench, but he was relieved of his duties in November 2023, just 21 games into the season after a 4-16-and-1 record into the year.
Assistant coach Casey Torres served as interim head coach for the rest of the season.
Windsor missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014–2015, earning the team the first overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, which they used to select Ethan Belchetz of the Oakville Rangers Under-16 team.