Windsor Spitfires Sign Team Canada World Juniors Gold Medal Winner Shane Wright
What is old is new again for the Windsor Spitfires. The team has started the 2023 portion of the 2022-2023 Ontario Hockey League season in the same way that they concluded the 2022 half-season – with a pair of wins in a three-game stretch.
While it not an overly busy week for Spitfire players and coaches, it was rather busy for Spits gm Bill Bowler as he acquired Jacob Holmes, Brett Harrison and Aiden Castle and Rodwin Dionicio in separate deals with the Sudbury Wolves, Oshawa Generals and Niagara IceDogs respectively last week before following up those moves by picking Shane Wright from the Kingston Frontenacs in one of the biggest trades in Spitfires history on January 9, 2023.
Wright, the fourth pick overall in the 2022 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Seattle Krakken, captained and won a gold medal with Team Canada at the recently-concluded 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships in Halifax.
The Spitfires defeated the Saginaw Spirit 5-3 at the WFCU Centre on Wednesday, January 4 to kick off their week. AJ Spellacy, Matthew Maggio, Oiliver Peer, Liam Greentree and Brett Harrison, in his debut as a Spitfire, all scored for Windsor while Theo Hill and Michael Misa replied for Saginaw. Joey Costanzo made 25 saves to pick up the win in net for the Spitfires while Tristan Lennox made 17 stops at the other end of the ice for the visitors.
Two nights later, Sasha Pastujov and Porter Martone both scored twice and Ty Voit, Zach Filak and Marko Sikic added single markers as the Sarnia Sting hammered the Spitfires 7-1 at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena. Maggio’s team-leading 28th goal of the season was the only shot to elude Sarnia netminder Nicholas Surzycia, who made 24 saves on the night. Matt Onuska started in net for the Spitfires and made 21 saves before being replaced by Costanzo, who made 14 saves in a relief effort.
Two days later, Dionicio, Alex Christopoulos, Michael Renwick, Anthony Cristofaro, Greentree and Spellacy all scored once and Costanzo made 31 saves as the Spitfires doubled-up the Flint Firebirds 6-3 at the WFCU Centre. Kaden Pitre, Braeden Kressler and Dmitry Kuzmin all replied for the Firebirds while Will Cranley made 24 stops.
The Spitfires return to action on Thursday night when they again play host to the Spirit at the WFCU Centre. The game will mark the debut of Shane Wright in a Windsor uniform.
Photos: Tim Jarrold – In Play! magazine
In Play! magazine is giving away four Gold Zone Windsor Spitfires tickets ($116 value) for . . .
WINDSOR SPITFIRES vs SAGINAW SPIRIT
THURSDAY JANUARY 12, 2023, 7:05p.m.
Get your first look at Shane Wright in a Spitfires uniform.
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