While the Windsor Spitfires couldn’t win many games during the 2023-24 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season, they won the lottery on Wednesday. The 2024 OHL Priority Selection is coming up in mid-April and the club has their pick of the prospects.
After two successful seasons of being the first seed in the Western Conference, nothing about this season went the way the Spitfires wanted. From coaching changes and roster turnover to losing streaks and poor play, a bumpy road had them finishing second-last in the league. However, with failure comes a silver lining that could turn into a bright light. It has general manager Bill Bowler in a prime position.
Spitfires to Select First Overall at OHL Priority Selection
The league held its annual Draft Lottery on Wednesday ahead of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, which is on Fri., April 12 and Sat., April 13. The lottery gives the four non-playoff teams a shot at the first overall pick. This season, the Sarnia Sting (17th overall), the Peterborough Petes (18th overall), the Spitfires (19th overall), and the Niagara IceDogs (20th overall) all took part. They each had a weighted chance to get the top pick, starting with the IceDogs at 40 percent, the Spitfires at 30 percent, etc.
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After the dust settled, the Spitfires hit the jackpot and were awarded the first overall pick for the first time since 1976. Whoever comes to the club will be a potentially franchise-changing talent that should make an immediate impact. Bowler told the Windsor Star that this is going to be fun.
“Obviously, this is exciting for our franchise and our city,” he said. “It’s going to be, we think, an immediate impact player that’s going to excite our fans and help our team win games” (from ‘Spitfires win OHL Draft lottery to secure No. 1 pick overall as GM Bowler predicts ‘an elite talent'”, Windsor Star – 3/27/24).
This is the highest the club has picked since they selected forward Ethan Miedema fourth overall in 2021. That season, the league did a full draft lottery because there was no 2020-21 season due to COVID-19. Last season, the Erie Otters chose defenceman Matthew Schaefer with the top pick.
Related: Erie Otters’ Matthew Schaefer Will Be a Perfect Fit
Following the Spitfires at number one are the Sting at number two, the Petes at three, and the IceDogs at fourth overall. The first three rounds of the draft are scheduled for the Friday evening starting at 7:00 p.m. Rounds four through 15 will continue on the Saturday morning starting at 9:00 a.m.
Who Will Bowler Take?
Who will the Spitfires take with that first overall pick? Right now, there’s no easy answer. Unlike previous seasons, there is no definitive top prospect.
Instead, there are three forwards who have been at the top of the prospect list for much of the season – 6-foot-4, 209-pound Ethan Belchetz from the Oakville Rangers U16 AAA, 6-foot-2, 194-pound Braidy Wassilyn from the Markham Majors U16 AAA, and 5-foot-9, 170-pound Adam Valentini from the Toronto Marlboros U16 AAA. All three are elite talents who could make their mark on the Spitfires and the City of Windsor for several seasons.
In a statement released by the league just before the lottery, Director of OHL Central Scouting, Darrell Woodley, said the top few picks are going to be franchise-altering and make an impact right away.
“It’s an exciting night tonight for all four teams that are in the process,” he said. “You’re going to get a franchise-altering type player. Any time you can get that, the coach is happy, the manager is happy, the owner is happy, and the fans are happy. You’re going to get a player who’s going to come and make a big impact right away next season.”
On top of the first overall pick, Bowler also owns the Petes’ and IceDogs’ second-round picks, both early in the round, thanks to trades earlier this season. He does not have the Spitfires’ second-round pick, which was traded to the Brantford (formerly Hamilton) Bulldogs.
Spitfires Get High Picks in Under-18 and Import Drafts
This draft lottery also determined the order for both the OHL Under-18 Draft, held on Wed., April 17, and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft, which will be held shortly after the 2024 NHL Draft (June 28-29 in Las Vegas).
Just like the Priority Selection, Bowler gets the first overall pick in the Under-18 Draft. That’s where players who were originally passed on during their first draft, and are currently playing minor hockey at the U18 level, get a second chance. The Spitfires’ 2023 first-round pick, defenceman Evan Hjelholt, saw action in seven games late in the season.
On top of that, the Spitfires will get the third overall pick in the Import Draft. Teams are allowed to have two players whose parents primarily reside outside of Canada or the United States. In this draft, all three CHL leagues – the OHL, Western Hockey League (WHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) – take part in rotating picks. This season, the rotation has the OHL picking last, giving Bowler the third pick.
While Bowler hasn’t had a top-10 pick in the Import Draft, former GM Warren Rychel selected Russian defenceman Mikhail Sergachev sixth overall in 2015. He went on to score 27 goals and 100 points in 117 games before joining the NHL. The last time they had the third overall pick was in 1993 when they selected Russian forward Vladimir Krechin. He wound up with 55 goals and 131 points in 164 games.
Once all three drafts are done, Bowler, director of scouting Frank Evola, and the rest of the Spitfires’ staff should have multiple high-end prospects to work with heading into the Fall. While the 2023-24 season was frustrating, there are brighter days ahead for the organization.