"Whatever it takes."
The motto for the Windsor Spitfires as they begin their quest for an OHL championship.
The Spits open the playoffs Thursday night at home against the Guelph Storm.
Windsor finished second in the Western Conference, while the Storm finished seventh.
The two teams met four times during the regular season, with the Spits winning two games at the WFCU Centre and the Storm winning two games at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph.
Spitfires captain Liam Greentree says it's been a good year, and he's excited for the playoffs.
"A lot of ups and downs, and I think we're really finding our game in the last little bit here, and once we get some guys back, I think we're going to be a really tough team to beat, and I'm really excited to see what we can do here," says Greentree.
Spits forward Jack Nesbitt says the team is ready for Guelph.
"We can't really take anyone easy these days, and we just got to come out, do our thing, and play our game and take them like they're better than us and hopefully clean sweep and get right on to the second round," says Nesbitt.
The Spits have been without some key forwards over the last several games, including Ethan Belchetz, Nathan Villeneuve, AJ Spellacy, and Cole Davis.
Nesbitt says despite the injuries, the team is playing well.
"I think it just shows like throughout the whole lineup, anyone can play with anyone, and we'll still do well, so that's a huge part of that, but even just getting them back here, we're excited, and we just know that we'll make a good run if everyone is healthy," says Nesbitt.
Spitfires head coach Greg Walters said earlier this week, 'It's looking positive that a couple of players will be back.'
Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., with the AM800 pre-game show with Steve Bell and Manny Paiva starting at 6:50 p.m.
Game 2 is set for Saturday night at the WFCU Centre, with the series then shifting to Guelph for Games 3 and 4.
— with files from CTV Windsor's Bob Bellacicco
Believe the hype…. #whateverittakes pic.twitter.com/RibRfZJbYk
— xy - Windsor Spitfires (@SpitsHockey) March 23, 2026