Spitfire Spotlight – An Exclusive Interview with Pasquale Zito
Windsor Spitfires General Manager Bill Bowler was busy re-shaping the team leading up to the Ontario Hockey League trade deadline on January 10, 2024 making nine separate trades which, for the most part, saw the Spits sending out many of their older players in return for future draft choices.
Bowler also sent out the team’s three overage (last season) players in separate trades while acquiring three new overage players in three other trades. These moves, in particular, were made with the intention of keeping the Spitfires in the play-off hunt this season while replenishing the team’s supply of future draft picks for seasons to come. One of the overagers brought in was centre Pasquale Zito, who was acquired from the North Bay Battalion on January 8 in exchange for a 15th round draft pick and two conditional draft choices.
Zito had yet to play a game during the 2023-2024 OHL season and was sitting at home in Nepean (Ottawa) pondering his life choices when the trade occurred. The transaction marked the start of Zito’s second tenure with the Spitfires, with whom he played two seasons before being traded to the Niagara IceDogs in June of 2022 in exchange for draft choices. Zito split the 2022-2023 OHL season between the IceDogs and the Brampton Battalion, who acquired him in exchange for a player and five draft choices in December of 2022.
Zito spoke with In Play Magazine after making his 2023-2024 OHL season debut with the Spitfires in an 11-7 win over the Sudbury Wolves on January 13. Zito started the start of his second stint with the Spitfires by notching two goals and adding three assists against the Wolves.
In Play! Magazine – Where were you when you found out that you had been traded back to the Spitfires?
Pasquale Zito – I was at home, sitting on the couch when I received a phone call telling me about the trade.
In Play! Magazine – Talk about your time at home to start this season. What was going through your mind?
Pasquale Zito – I just wanted to take some personal away from the game and re-evaluate what I wanted to do with my life. I finally talked to (North Bay Battalion general manager) Adam Dennis about playing again and he mentioned that he had talked to Bill Bowler about a possible trade with the Spitfires. Billy started the talks with North Bay and I immediately thought that it would be fun to come back to Windsor and help the Spitfires with a play-off run this season. If I was going to play another season in the OHL, it was going to be for Billy and in Windsor.
In Play! Magazine – What were you doing and how did you keep in shape during your time at home and away from hockey?
Pasquale Zito – I was working in construction and learning the building trades.
In Play! Magazine – Talk about your first game against Sudbury to start your second go-around with the Spitfires.
Pasquale Zito – I had butterflies in my stomach during the warm-up but they started to go away when I stepped on the ice for my first shift. And they were completely gone right after I scored my first goal of the game. The boys were so happy for me and the crowd reaction was amazing!
Not long into the first period it was like I had never been away. Stepping back out on the ice is like riding a bike – you never forget how.
In Play! Magazine – Who were your linemates against Sudbury?
Pasquale Zito – I started with AJ Spellacy and Valentin Zhugin but after Ryan Abraham was kicked out of the game (a match penalty for slew-footing) were were constantly inserting players on different lines. It was especially tough because we had already started the game with a short lineup.
In Play! Magazine – Did (interim head coach) Casey Torres and Bill Bowler tell you what they expected from you in terms of your role on the team for the remainder of the season?
Pasquale Zito – They told me that they wanted me to help out with our younger players as much and in as much ways that I can. They also want me to lead offensively while not forgetting about my defensive responsibilities. I’m here to help with our play-off push and to go as far as possible once we do make the play-offs.
In Play! Magazine – Describe your style of play.
Pasquale Zito – I think that I am a two-way, two hundred foot player who works hard and contributes at both ends of the ice and I’m also an energetic player.
In Play! Magazine – What areas of your game do you have to work on?
Pasquale Zito – Any player can work on anything to improve their game, whether that is skating or shooting or taking face-offs and of course that applies to me too.
You should never be content with your own game as you are always looking to improve.
Photos: Tim Cornett
