Windsor Spitfires Continue Building for Future in 2026 OHL Draft – Hockey Writers – OHL

For most of June, the Windsor Spitfires were focused on the 2026-27 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season. However, this weekend the focus is on the long-term vision of the organization.

With the Spitfires in a rebuilding mode, general manager Bill Bowler knew it wouldn’t be easy to replace several of his veterans who had graduated, including captain Liam Greentree (New York Rangers) and defenseman Carson Woodall (Boston College). Last week, among his activities, he signed forwards Ty Bergeron (2025 third round of the OHL Draft) and Michal Svrcek (2025 first round of the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft), building to 2026-27. On Friday and Saturday, he looked to the future with the 2026 OHL Draft, which was held in Kingston. They were hoping for immediate relief, but also more long-term options.

Spitfires Pick Whelan in First Round

It’s no secret that Bowler and head coach Greg Walters value the 200-foot game; smart, defensive hockey with offensive creativity. They also want players who are good people off the ice. They believe they got all that with their first choice.

With the 16th pick overall, Bowler had no hesitation in selecting Lauchlan Whelan for the Quinte Red Devils U16 AAA.

The 5-foot-11, 156-pound Cobourg, ON native had a career-best 32 goals and 54 points in 34 games in 2025-26. Shortly after being selected, Whelan was interviewed by YourTV and thanked his family.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “I have my family in the crowd to support me tonight and that means the world to me. They’ve done so much for me since I was little. Without them, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today.”

He added that the experience was “just a dream. Life is better than ever.”

What can fans expect? In his OHL Draft Prospect profile, he said he models his game after Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon who has that “dog mentality.” In his post-selection interview with YourTV, he added that he likes playing all three venues and wants to be involved with the community.

“You’re going to get a 200-meter player who’s going to compete in all three areas on the ice, work consistently, have a crazy competitive drive, and give back to the community,” Whelan said.

In a press conference, Bowler said Whelan is the type of player and person they are looking for.

“Lauchlan is a player that our scouting team identified at the start of the season as someone who embodies the type of player we are looking for…,” said Bowler. “He is a very competitive center with an excellent hockey IQ, strong habits away from the puck, and the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways.”

What do scouts think of the new Spitfire? J. Brad Johnston, NHL and OHL Draft Scout for Hockey Prospect, said of X that Whelan “was a player I was high on all year. A good 200-meter player who likes to score goals. Whelan is electric on the run and plays very well in the neutral zone. Whelan will get Spitfires fans out of their seats next season.”

LaMontagne and Hanutke Lead Spitfires ‘ Saturday Selections

While the first round was on Friday evening, Rounds 2 to 15 came on Saturday. However, due to the contracts of Jakub Fibigr (second round 2026) and Brett Harrison (third round 2026) through 2022-23, Bowler was not selected until the fourth round. Luckily, he had two there and made the most of them.

With his first pick of the fourth round, 69th overall to the Owen Sound Attack, Bowler selected defenseman Jake LaMontagne out of the Detroit Honeybaked 15s. At 6-foot-4, 198 pounds, he uses his size to play a smart game on his own, while contributing to the offense. In 2025-26, he had three goals and 51 points in 71 games.

His second pick in the fourth round, 79th overall to the Ottawa 67’s, Bowler selected Ryan Hanutke out of Shattuck-St. Mary’s 15U. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound Chippewa Falls, WI native had 32 goals and 80 points in 50 games.

They had to wait until the seventh round before the other two were selected. With the 126th overall pick, they drafted Cameron Jolicoeur out of London Jr. Knights U16 AAA. He is listed at 6-foot-3, 233 pounds and had 12 goals and 41 points in 30 games in 2025-26. Ryan Yessie, an OHL scout with HockeyProspect, talked about Jolicoeur’s chances at X:

Windsor takes Cameron Jolicoeur. This guy is interested. He has a powerful shot, he is known locally as a top boxer, if Windsor can get aggressive with this guy, be aware that he has the power to go forward, playing means it doesn’t come naturally to him. I am interested to see

— Ryan Yessie (@RyanYessie) June 13, 2026

In the seventh round, 137th overall, Bowler selected forward Jack Trupiano out of Detroit Little Caesars 15U. He is 6-foot, 183 pounds and had 23 goals and 41 points in 20 games in 2025-26. However, he has committed to the US National U17 team and could be a few seasons away from the OHL.

In all, the Spitfires made 15 picks during the 15-round draft and, for each one, it’s an opportunity to take that next step. Even late draftees can have a big impact. Former Spitfire forward Noah Morneau, a 15th-round pick in 2020, was a point-per-game player before moving on to the NCAA. If you work hard, you force the team’s hand. Their future is now hopeful.