The Windsor Spitfires kicked off training camp at the WFCU Centre on Thursday afternoon, the start of what everyone in the organization hopes is a much improved campaign compared to last year.
The 2023-24 OHL season saw the Spitfires finish last in the Western Conference with a record of 18-42-5-3, just two points ahead of last place overall in the league.
With that finish the team landed the 1st overall pick in the OHL draft, selecting massive 6'5 forward Ethan Belchetz from the Oakville Rangers.
There's also a new man behind the bench in head coach Greg Walters, who comes to town with numerous years of experience in the OHL.
"I'm so excited to get going here. Obviously speaking with all the players and starting to build relationships with them and the staff has been exciting, and we're looking forward to a good start to the year," he said.
Walters says they're not going to talk much about last year as it's all about the games ahead.
"Getting to know the players and the players getting to know me, and start building trust within that. The talent, the size of this team, that Bill Bowler and Frank Evola have gone out and gotten with the scouting staff. We have high expectations of where we can get to."
For captain Liam Greentree, this is his first full season wearing the C, and he's back in Windsor now as an NHL prospect having been selected 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2024 NHL draft.
Greentree says they have high expectations after turning the room around a bit entering the year.
"I have very high hopes for this season. You can tell there's a lot more motivation this year, and I see the excitement in a lot of the guys. And the new guys coming in are very excited. So everyone I think is really looking forward to the home opener and getting ready for the season," he said.
He says it was very tough to go through what the team experienced last year, but feels it made him a better leader in the long run.
"I'm getting really excited for this year and getting started. We've got a lot to do, a lot to work on, and obviously we need to practise like we play. So I think these first couple practises setting the bar out here will be huge for the rest of the year, and I think it will pave the way to having a good team."
All eyes will be on Belchetz as the biggest addition to this year's team, and he's ready for the challenge.
"I've been looking forward to this since the day I got drafted, it's been crazy. I've been having a lot of fun since I got here, I moved into the billets on Sunday, had a couple of skates so far which have been awesome so far and I'm very excited to see how the weekend is going to go."
Belchetz says the past is the past for the Spits, and everyone is motivated to prove this group can return to the organization's winning ways of the past.
"I knew going into it they had a tough year last year, but there's always a bounce back year. We don't look into the past we're looking into the future. I see really bright things in this organization, it's important to get off on the right note and I really can't wait to see what goes on in the future," he said.
Training camp runs until August 31, with all practices and games taking place at the WFCU Centre which are open to the public to attend free of charge.
Following the completion of training camp, the Spitfires will open preseason play at home on September 6 against the Sarnia Sting with puck drop at 7:05 p.m.
The Spitfires will open the 2024-25 regular season on the road Wednesday, September 25 in Saginaw.
The team's home opener is scheduled for Saturday, September 28 against the Kitchener Rangers with puck drop scheduled for 7:05 p.m.