The 6-foot, 187-pound Mississauga-native had a homecoming of sorts, as his grandfather is former Spitfires’ bench boss (and Windsor-native) Dave Prpich. Michael Renwick of the Windsor Spitfires. While COVID-19 shut down the 2020-21 season, the veteran defenceman more than made up for it in his first season at the WFCU Centre. That’s when they shipped multiple picks to Steeltown for the 18-year-old defenceman Renwick. When 2021-22 got underway, the Spitfires finally got to see the fruits of a June 2020 trade with the Hamilton Bulldogs. As such, these two are the most likely to get a spot come October. However, they’re going to need veterans to lead the way and they have seven who could return for a final season. The Spitfires are expected to be a younger roster in 2022-23, built around the likes of sophomores Ethan Miedema (2021 draft), Ryan Abraham (2020 draft), and star Wyatt Johnston ( Dallas Stars). Who might get a roster spot? Who could continue their career elsewhere? Let’s take a look.
However, only three can dress on any given night so most teams only carry that amount. The club currently has seven 19-or-20-year olds (born in 2002) eligible to return for a final season – defenceman Michael Renwick, forwards Josh Currie, Matthew Maggio, and captain Will Cuylle, along with goaltenders Mathias Onuska and Xavier Medina. The new arrivals found plenty of success, as the team made it to Game 7 of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Championship, but it also created some future questions. When the club found success this past season, general manager Bill Bowler worked the phone lines to bring in some veteran talent. The choices won’t be easy, though, with numerous talents eligible to take only a few spots. One of their biggest tasks is figuring out their 20-year-old (overage) situation. The Windsor Spitfires have some business to take care of this summer.