Only days removed from a season-ending loss, the Windsor Spitfires are saying goodbye to some of their longest-tenured players. Players reported for end-of-season team interviews Sunday, which, for some skaters, marked the end of their time with the organization. After four years with the Spitfires, 20-year-old forward Liam Greentree will now set his sights on the NHL. “We had a special group and, obviously, not the outcome that we wanted. You know, there’s obviously moments that you wish you had back, but I’m very proud of the guys and what we were able to accomplish this year,” Greentree told CTV News Sunday afternoon. The Spitfires season ended Friday in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Kitchener Rangers in game five of the OHL Western Conference Finals. Originally drafted to the Los Angeles Kings, Greentree will spend the summer trying to make the New York Rangers, who acquired the Oshawa native earlier this year. “Wearing this jersey every day for the last four years has been, you know, the best moments of my life,” Greentree said. The forward finishes his time in Windsor with the second-most points all-time in the organization’s history. Among the things he’ll miss, Greentree says, is the fans in the community. “There are some days I come in here and just looking at the crowd I get, you know, chills, and that’s just something you can’t really recreate,” he said. Along with losing overagers, the Spits are also set to lose key pieces to the NCAA, including Carson Woodall, who’s committed to Boston College and Jack Nesbitt, who will cross the Detroit River to suit up for the Michigan Wolverines. Rule changes in recent years allow players to compete in the CHL without forfeiting their NCAA eligibility. For Nesbitt, a prospect for the Philadelphia Flyers, the move is meant to help him add more weight before heading to the pros. “So, college just plays a lot less games, and we work out a lot more, you know, eat a lot more there, so I figured that would be best for me,” Nesbitt said. Reflecting on his time in Windsor, Nesbitt said he’s thankful to the organization for believing in him and the fans for showing up every game. “They’ve been so loud and, coming out every period, just hearing them…it’s awesome, and I couldn’t thank them enough,” he said. The Spitfires finished the season second in the Western Conference, with 97 points and cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Inside the locker room, Greg Walters, the team’s head coach, felt they became a “family” over the course of the year. Heading into the offseason, Walters said he’s optimistic about the future of the team. “Going to the conference finals is only going to help us for next year, and we’ll have a good group again,” he said.
