Spitfire Spotlight with Andrew Robinson

Rookie defenceman Andrew Robinson was drafted in the third round, 58th overall, in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection and the Oakville native signed on with Windsor just over a year ago – on March 14, 2025. The 6-foot, 185-lb. rearguard was immediately inserted into the Spits lineup and saw action in four regular season and 12 play-off games during the 2024-2025 OHL campaign.

The 18-year-old scored nine goals and added 15 assists in 63 games during his true rookie with the Spitfires in the 2025-2026 regular season. Robinson celebrated his one-year anniversary with the Spitfires by scoring three times (a feat never before accomplished by a Windsor rookie rearguard) in an 8-2 win over the London Knights at the WFCU Centre.

While going pointless in the Spits’ two victories over the Guelph Storm in the OHL’s Western Conference Quarter-final series, Robinson nonetheless continued his stellar play by being a plus two in the series’ opening contests.

In Play! Magazine: “What is your reaction to the Spitfires winning their fourth West Division regular season title in the past five seasons?”

Andrew Robinson: “It’s great! I think it really says a lot about the quality of our coaches, scouting staff and players. Winning the division for the fourth time in five seasons is very, very and I am so happy to be part of such a great organization.”

In Play! Magazine: “Your ice-time and your play have both increased significantly as the season went on. What do you attribute that to?”

Andrew Robinson: “I think it is all about my working hard to fulfill the trust that the coaching staff has in me. At the beginning of the season, we had a very good team and I had to work hard to show the coaches that I am a top 6 D on this team. I make the extra effort to be consistent every game and every shift so I can go out there and do whatever they want me to at any point in the game.”

In Play! Magazine: “How excited are you knowing that you are going to have a bigger role with the Spitfires during the playoff push this spring?”

Andrew Robinson: “I am very excited and motivated to know that I will be out there more this spring. Last spring I got a taste of the playoffs when I signed and was called up to be the 7th d due to a lot of unfortunate injuries that we had ran into. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to prove myself more in my second OHL play-offs.”

In Play! Magazine: “For someone who hasn’t seen you play, what is your style of play? What are the strengths of your game?”

Andrew Robinson: “I like to think that I am a solid, two-way defenceman and I like to use my hockey I.Q. To find my teammates who are in the lanes and I like to produce points in the offensive zone. In the defensive zone I like to shut down the opposition guys and get the puck out and up to my teammates as quickly as possible.”

In Play! Magazine: “In the last month you scored a hat-trick against the London Knights. When was the last time that you scored three goals in a game?”

Andrew Robinson: “(laughs) I don’t think that I have ever scored a hat-trick before. (laughs) Maybe I did while playing minor hockey, but I don’t remember it. I’ve certainly never scored a hat-trick in junior hockey before. It was especially great to score three times against London because two of the first four games that I played as a Spitfire was against them, so I already knew about the big rivalry with the Knights.”

In Play! Magazine: “What is your role on the Spitfires this season?”

Andrew Robinson: “In addition to playing a regular shift, I do get to see some time on the specialty units. I have at different points in the season, played on both the power and penalty-killing units. We have so many players that we can run out there. We’ve had to change things up at times due to guys being out of the lineup dues to injures or being sick or suspended. I like to contribute to the team in any way that I can.”

In Play! Magazine: “Who is your defence partner?”

Andrew Robinson: “For the last month I have been playing with Wyatt Kennedy and it’s been great because he is an overager and has so much experience. He has been to the conference finals twice (both times with the North Bay Battalion in the OHL’s Eastern Conference before being traded to the Spitfires on January 9, 2025) and he is a great leader for our whole team. I’ve learned so much from Wyatt and he has been huge for helping develop my game. He has been a mentor to me both on and off the ice.”

In Play! Magazine: “Do you have any hobbies?”

Andrew Robinson: “I love playing the acoustic guitar. When I get home to my billets, I love to play the guitar to help me decompress from both the game and everything that has happened at the rink. My dad taught me how to play because he used to play a lot when he was younger and it’s something that he wanted to pass down to me.”

In Play! Magazine: “Where do you go to school?”

Andrew Robinson: “I graduated from high school last semester, and it’s been great as I have been able to focus on hockey for the second half of the season and now the play-offs.”

In Play! Magazine: “Are you still headed to Providence College for the 2027-2028 season?”

Andrew Robinson: “There’s no set-in-stone date for that. Right no I am focused on playing for the Windsor Spitfires and winning as many games this spring and next season too.”

Windsor Spitfires Schedule

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SPITFIRE SPOTLIGHT WITH NATHAN VILLENEUVE

Looking to add a veteran leader or two who could provide a deft scoring touch along with a proven face-off skills, Windsor Spitfires general manager Bill Bowler orchestrated two trades leading up to the January 9 Ontario Hockey League trade deadline. The first deal saw veteran forwards Nathan Villenueve and Alex Pharand come over from the Sudbury Wolves in a transaction completed on Jan. 5 in exchange for young sophomore forward JC Lemieux and eight future draft picks.

At the time of the trade, Villenueve, who was Sudbury’s first round pick, third overall, in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, was leading the Wolves in scoring this season with 16 goals and 28 assists in 28 games. The second round pick, 63^rd overall, in the 2024 National Hockey League by the Seattle Krakken, Villeneuve has notched four goals and added one assist in five games since joining the Spitfires.

He spoke with John Humphrey, In Play Magazine’s OHL Editor, before the Spits left for a brief two-game road trip that resulted in wins over both the Erie Otters and Brampton Steelheads.

In Play! Magazine: “Did you ask for a trade out of Sudbury this season?”

Nathan Villeneuve: “We got off to a slow start with the Wolves this season and while I did not come right out and ask for a trade, I did let the general manager (Justin Papineau) know that I wanted to play for a championship. I didn’t ask to be moved, but I did drop a lot of hints about it.”

In Play! Magazione: “What was your reaction when you found out that you were heading to Windsor?”

Nathan Villeneuve: “I was and am very excited because I know that the Spitfires are a great organization and it’s run like an NHL team and the rink (WFCU Centre) is first- rate. I knew (Liam) Greentree before the trade and coming here to play with him is such a great opportunity. I played with Connor Walton up in Sudbury before too.”

In Play! Magazine: “One of your linemates in Sudbury, Alex Pharand, was also included in your trade to the Spitfires. How do you feel about that?”

Nathan Villeneuve: “Alex has always been a great teammate and I am excited that we will still be teammates on the Spitfires. He was traded before in the OHL so he has been a great mentor in helping me join a new team in a new community. We’ve been here for couple of weeks now and we’re settling in really well.”

In Play! Magazine: “With Sudbury being in the OHL’s Eastern Conference and Windsor being in the Western Conference, you would have played the Spitfires only twice a season for the four seasons that you’ve been in the OHL. Do you have any memories from playing against the Spitfires and at the WFCU Centre?”

Nathan Villeneuve: “I scored in the game down here last season and it’s always great to help your team out on the road. And every time we played in Windsor, we had to walk past the Spits gym and because the door was always open and it was kind of hard not to be jealous of the facilities here.”

Editor’s note: Not only did Villenueve also add an assist in the Wolves’ 6-2 loss in Windsor during the 2024-2025 season but he scored a goal and added three assists enroute to being named the game’s first star in a 9-3 route of the Spitfires in Sudbury last season.

In Play! Magazine: “For someone who wasn’t seen you play often before, can you describe your style of play and is there anything in your game that you have to work on?”

Nathan Villenueve: “I think there is always going to be room to improve in all areas of your game in order to advance to plying at the next level. But as junior hockey player right now, I think that I am a physical player who has a high compete level.

“I like to get under the skin of the other team as as much as possible, but also not too much. I also love to shoot and score and set up my linemates and teammates to make plays.”

In Play! Magazine: “The Spitfires brought you to Windsor to be one of the team leaders and go-to guys. Does that put more pressure on you to perform than if you had been brought in to be a depth guy?”

Nathan Villeneuve: “I talked to (head coach Greg Walters) Wally and the team had a great record when I got here. I’m here to make an impact, but I’m not the only guy who can do that. There is so much depth throughout the roster and I’m going to help this team in any way that I can.

“All four of our lines can score and all four of our lines can shut down the other teams’ best players.”

In Play! Magazine: “Who have been your linemates since coming to Windsor?”

Nathan Villenueve: “I started out playing with (Liam) Greetree and (AJ) Spellacy and then I was moved to play between Spellacy and (Cole) Davis. Everyone is so talented that I think they can play with just about anyone on the team.”

In Play! Magazine: “In your first game with the Spitfires, you scored your first goal on a penalty shot at the WFCU Centre. Describe that experience.”

Nathan Villeneuve: “(Liam) Greentree gave me a great pass to send me in on a breakaway and I had my feet taken out from under me so I was awarded the penalty shot.

“I have been pretty-much making the same play in Sudbury and now in Windsor. I like to go in wide and cut in front of the net and if the goalie bites, I’ll throw a back-hander over his pads. It’s always worked for me, so I really haven’t changed it much over the seasons.”

In Play! Magazine: “Is it easier to take a penalty shot during a game now since the shootout is also part of the game?”

Nathan Villeneuve: “I think it is. Not only are shootouts sometimes happening after games, but teams usually practice them during team practices. I was a shootout shooter in Sudbury last season and again this season but last season I wasn’t one of the first shooters because the Wolves had guys like Quintin Musty and David Goyette in the past.

In Play! Magazine: “You’ve been drafted by the Seattle Krakken and you’ve already signed with them too. Talk about that experience.”

Nathan Villenueve: “I’ve been to two development camps and two main camps and the experiences have been awesome because the Seattle organization is so well-run. I’m hoping to make the jump (to the NHL) next season.”

In Play! Magazine: “Do you have anything special coming up on February 6?”

Nathan Villeneuve: “That’s when we play up in Sudbury. I’ve known about that date and game since the trade and of course I am really looking forward to it. I don’t have all my plans finalized yet but my family will be going to the game (traveling from Ottawa) and I hope to go out to dinner with my billets from Sudbury after the game. I just hope that it’s a good game and that we win and I score too.”

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The stellar play of third-year defenceman Anthony Cristofaro was one of the many reasons that the Windsor Spitfires improved so dramatically in the 2024-2025 Ontario Hockey League season as the team finished in first place in the OHL’s West Division after finishing with the worst record in the league the season before.

The 19-year old rearguard from Woodbridge, Ontario, who was the Spits’ first round pick, 20th overall, in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection finished the recently-concluded OHL regular season with 12 goals and 49 assists in 65 games enroute to finishing as a plus 53. Those lofty statistics were a marked improvement over his previous campaign with the Spitfires when he had seven goals and 31 assists in 67 games while finishing as a minus 56.

After notching one assist in the Spits’ first two OHL quarter-final games against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Cristofaro missed game three in the Soo with an upper body injury.

In Play! Magazine: What is your reaction to the recently-concluded 2024-2025 regular season the Spitfires just had?

Anthony Cristofaro: Obviously there was only one direction for our team to head after last season and that was up. I think it is great that we finished in first place in the West Division in the regular season because I don’t think that a lot of people thought that we could improve that much in just one season but in training camp we realized that we had a special group of players and we were capable of accomplishing a lot.

In Play! Magazine: How do you feel about your own personal regular season that you just had?

Anthony Cristofaro: We had a long off-season so that gave me a lot of time to work on my overall game. I had to work on improving both my offensive and defensive game and also on my shooting and skating too. There’s always room for improvement in everyone’s game and you should never stop trying to get better. I had a great summer of training last year and I’m happy how that helped me have a better regular season as a result.

In Play! Magazine: You attended the rookie camp of the Ottawa Senators last fall. How did that go?

Anthony Cristofaro: It was a great experience to be playing and working out in an NHL rink (Canadian Tire Centre). I learned a lot by listening to everyone – the coaches, trainers and players and I think I brought the knowledge that I learned there back to me in Windsor this season.

In Play! Magazine: What’s been your role on the Spitfires this season?

Anthony Cristofaro: I’m honoured that the coaches trust me to play in every single game situation and I play on the first powerplay and penalty killing units in addition to my regular shift. I get to play a lot of minutes and I’m out there whether we’re up by goal or down by a goal. I like to contribute offensively and play hard defensively.

In Play! Magazine: Who was your defence partner this season?

Anthony Cristofaro: I played most of the regular season with Tnias Mathurin and it was great because he is so skilled and experienced and has been around the league so long (Mathurin is an overager who just completed his fourth season in the OHL although he has been out of action for weeks due to an upper body injury and his return status in the play-offs is questionable) and I could ask him any question about improving my play.

Recently I have been playing with Wyatt Kennedy (acquired in a trade on January 9) and he has been awesome too because of his experience from having gone to the last three Eastern Conference finals with the North Bay Battalion.

In Play! Magazine: Maple Leaf Wrestling superstar PCO- the French Canadian Frankenstein – recently butchered your name while he was calling out the starting roster in the Spits’ dressing room before the regular season game against the Greyhounds. While you were seen laughing heartily, did you ever consider calling him out and kicking his butt?

Anthony Cristofaro: (Laughs) Not a chance! I did tell him, though, that I’ve had my last name mispronounced many times over the years and that was the first time I’ve ever heard it pronounced that way. So no, I wasn’t about to take him on! (laughs)

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Spitfire Spotlight with Luke McNamara

Twenty-year-old centre Luke McNamara was brought in at the Ontario Hockey League trade deadline to provide a veteran presence and leadership both on and off the ice for the Windsor Spitfires. He was acquired from the Kingston Frontenacs on January 8 in exchange for a package of four draft picks, including second, fifth and seventh round selections in 2025 and a third rounder in 2026.

McNamara, who stands six-foot-three and weighs 182 pounds, is currently in his fifth OHL season after being selected in the first round, 15th overall, of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection by the Saginaw Spirit. Although the Mississauga, Ontario native has not been drafted by a National Hockey League team, he attended the rookie training camps of the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

In Play! Magazine: “Were you expecting to be traded by the Kingston Frontenacs this season?”

Luke McNamara: “I really did not know if I was going to be traded by the Frontenacs. I had a good season with them last season, but things had gotten a bit stagnant for me this season in Kingston. When they decided to trade me I was very happy that they were trying to send me to a winning hockey team.”

In Play! Magazine: “When you found out that the team you had been traded to was the Windsor Spitfires, what was your reaction?”

Luke McNamara: “I was – and am – stoked. I knew that they have a great fan base and it’s also an historic organization with a long list of achievements. I knew that Bill (Spits general manager Bowler) was looking to bring in an 05 birthdate player to add to the mix of the great roster that they already had here and I’m thrilled that he decided that I was that player. Bill is such an amazing general manager and he really looks after the players here.”

In Play! Magazine: “Did you know any of your new Spitfire teammates before you came here?

Luke McNamara: “I knew Joey Costanzo because we played together in the GTHL (Greater Toronto Hockey League) with the Toronto Titan before we came to the OHL.

“And while I did not know him personally before, I knew who Liam Greentree was because of what he has already accomplished in the OHL and because he also played in the GTHL. I didn’t many of the guys personally but I knew a lot of their names and faces. Everyone has been so welcoming since I arrived.”

In Play! Magazine: “You played two full seasons in the OHL before you were traded to the Frontenacs. Do you have any memories of playing against the Spitfires or at the WFCU Centre when you were with the Spirit?”

Luke McNamara: “While I always thought that this was a great rink with an amazing atmosphere – one of the best in the OHL – I never liked coming in here as a visiting players because the fans are so loud and they were cheering against you. A lot of the games went back and firth between the Spirit and the Spits when I was in Saginaw but Windsor won more of the games. The Spits had guys like Wyatt Johnson and Will Cuylle when I played with the Spirit and we were near the bottom of the league standings because we had a young team in Saginaw.

“Coming into the WFCU Centre to play is a lot more fun for me these days. And I am very happy that it is now my home rink”

In Play! Magazine: “What type of player are you and what are the strengths of your game?

Luke McNamara: “I’ve been working on my consistency all season and I think that I’m a two-way player who plays a 200-foot game.

“I have been hitting the weight room since I came to Windsor and I want to add another 10 pounds of muscle as I think that will help me when I drive to the net and have to battle the other teams’ defenders.

“I’m a versatile player and I love to play physically on the forecheck.”

In Play! Magazine: “The Spitfires have a good team this season and there is great potential for the club to be even better next season. Are you interested in returning for an overage season in 2025-2026?”

Luke McNamara: “It’s too early to make a final decision on that but coming back next season is definitely something that I would consider doing. I’m enjoying my time here and would love to come back and help the team try and win a championship.

“The recent CHL/NCAA rule change (allowing Canadian Hockey League players to play university (NCAA) hockey in the United States) has gotten me thinking about maybe going to university one day to play hockey. But that is something that I would be better off doing after playing one more season in the OHL, hopefully in Windsor with the Spitfires.”

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SPITFIRE SPOTLIGHT with WYATT KENNEDY

Looking for an experienced rearguard to a add to the talented but young defence corps of the Windsor Spitfires leading up to the January 10th Ontario Hockey League trade deadline, general manager Bill Bowler acquired the veteran presence in the form of Wyatt Kennedy who was picked up from the North Bay Battalion in exchange for defenceman Adrian Manzo and four future draft picks on January 9.

The Six-foot-five, 205-lb Kennedy was in the midst of his fourth season in North Bay after being the Battalion’s third round pick, 50th overall, in the 2021 Ontario Priority Selection.

The Ottawa native, who has yet to be drafted by a National Hockey League team, did attend the developmental camp of the Chicago Black Hawks last fall. He was and is viewed by Bowler an a potential overage player for the 2025-2026 OHL season.

In Play! Magazine: Were you expecting to be traded by the North Bay Battalion this season?

Wyatt Kennedy: “Heading into this season, I wasn’t expecting to be traded but after the way the first half of the season played out in North Bay and as things got closer to the trade deadline , I thought it was the bet thing for my career that I moved on. I think the deal is going to work out well for both teams in the end.”

In Play! Magazine: What was your initial reaction when you found out that you had been traded to the Windsor Spitfires?

Wyatt Kennedy: “I was super-excited because it a great team and organization and I’ve heard nothing but great things about both from a friend (Tnias Mathurin) who I had played with for three seasons in North Bay before he was traded to Windsor before the start of this season. The Spitfires organization really does treat the players like professionals!”

In Play! Magazine: Did you know anyone else on the Spitfires before you were traded here?

Wyatt Kennedy: “I met AJ Spellacy, who is now my billet-mate in Windsor, at the Chicago Black Hawks rookie camp last fall. I already knew who he was as I’ve played against him for a couple of seasons already in the OHL and I like to find out and learn about the players that I play against.”

In Play! Magazine: With the North Bay playing in the OHL’s Eastern Conference and Windsor being in the Western Conference, you’ve only played the Spitfires twice a season ( home and away) for four seasons. Do you have any memories from playing against Windsor or at the WFCU Centre?

Wyatt Kennedy: “I’ve always thought that there was a great atmosphere here, with a first- class building that is one of the biggest and best rinks in the OHL. It has been something of a change from North Bay, where they have one of the smaller rinks in the league. Both rinks are full of high-energy fans and I love playing in front of them .But everything is on a bigger scale for me now.”

In Play! Magazine: For fans who have not seen you play before, can you describe your style of play?

Wyatt Kennedy: “I think that I am a shut-down defenceman. Last season and this season, I’ve worked on mastering the defensive side of my game.

I like to play a tough, physical game too and I love to provide a physical presence for my team. Since coming to Windsor, the coaches have wanted me to also expand the offensive side of my game because they think I have the skill set to contribute more offensively. Think that I do too.”

In Play! Magazine: Who have been your defence partner since joining the Spitfires?

Wyatt Kennedy: “I’ve been playing consistently with Carson Woodall. He is a more offensive guy and we’ve worked well together. I can stay back a bit while he heads up the ice but I’m also getting more opportunities to improve the offensive side of my game by playing with him.

Sometimes I also find myself playing with Conor Walton and we’re a good defensive shut-down pairing.

I’ve found that all of our defencemen in Windsor can pretty-much play with any partner and that’s a great thing for the team to have.”

In Play! Magazine: The Spitfires brought you in to help out not only for the remainder of this season, but also for you to possibly  return in 2025-2026 for an overage season. Is that something that you might want to do?

Wyatt Kennedy: “Everything is up in the air for me now with the new changes that now all Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players to go to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association or United States university) and that is definitely something that I would consider doing too. But if the opportunity to come back here next season when we are going to have an even better team is also something that I would be very interested in doing too.

I haven’t made any decision regarding next season yet and I won’t be making that decision for awhile yet but playing for a great team in Windsor next season would be amazing too.”

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