Rookie headlines new Windsor Spitfires season

The excitement for the upcoming Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season has been ramping up.

“It's going to be so fun, I can wait,” said Ethan Belchetz, prior to their season opener against the defending Memorial Cup champion Saginaw Spirit. “I've been waiting for this since I've been drafted and I’m super excited. Really can't wait for the start.”

The first overall pick is ready to go. Belchetz finished the pre-season with nine points in five games and led the league with six goals, along with teammate Noah Morneau, as the Spits went undefeated.

“It was huge, was a big confidence booster for me and all the guys off of the tough year they had last season and hopefully we can just keep going uphill from here,” said Belchetz.

The fanfare of being chosen first overall weighs on the 16-year-old, but he has a levelheaded approach to the season.

“You want to have the best season you can have, personally and as a team, so playing the best of your abilities is huge for me and just taking one step at a time,” he said.

New head coach, Greg Walters, feels Belchetz is very mature for a 16-year-old and knows his rookie has high expectations.

“We’ve got to be careful with situations for him,” Walters said of Belchetz, who has yet to experience the rigors of a 68-game schedule.

“He's not used to the grind of the whole season, but through training camp and through the exhibition, there's been no complaints whatsoever. He cares about his play away from the puck and his backtracking and playing in the zone. He wants to be really good, and he has been, so we're excited.”

Much has been said about Windsor's draft class, which gives the team and fans reason to believe a rebound is in the offing.

“Older guys have playoff experience. But yeah, I think the younger guys are learning from us and I think they're OHL ready,” noted fourth year forward, Ryan Abraham.

The Spits finished last in the Western Conference last season after back-to-back conference titles.

Veterans like Noah Morneau appreciate what first-year players Ethan Garden, J.C. Lemieux and Carter Hicks have brought to the team.

“You look at the team we have and the job that (general manager) Billy (Bowler) and (head scout) Frank (Evola) did, put a high-level team together here and there's a ton of confidence going into this year. I know the guys returning. We have a lot of motivation to be better than we were last year, and I think that can only help us.”

Windsor is in Sarnia on Friday, before returning to the WFCU Centre for Saturday’s home opener against Kitchener.