It’s been a tale of two teams for the Windsor Spitfires this season. From a horrible start to major coaching changes and now a promising future, they’ve had their fair share of chaos. As we enter the Christmas break, though, the first-half grades are in and there’s cautious optimism.
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After going “all-in” the last two seasons, the Spitfires came into the 2023-24 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season knowing they would likely rebuild. The off-season saw plenty of roster turnover, plus new bench bosses, but nobody expected them to be this dire. They won just four of their first 21 games and that’s when chaos ensued. However, it may have been just what this team needed to ensure they didn’t completely flunk. Here are their grades from the unofficial (31 out of 68 games) first half.
Spitfires’ Grades at Christmas Break
Torres and Bowler Calm Bench Chaos
This season was supposed to be simple. After last season’s head coach Marc Savard left to join the Calgary Flames in the off-season, general manager Bill Bowler promoted long-time assistant coach Jerrod Smith to head coach. They already had assistant coach Andy Delmore on the bench but added another assistant in Casey Torres, who had a great hockey resume.
Unfortunately, while Smith, Torres, and Delmore tried different ideas and systems, nothing worked. The result was four wins in 21 games and no light on the horizon. On Mon., Nov. 20, Bowler made the tough decision to fire Smith and promote Torres to interim head coach. Within hours, both Delmore and goaltending coach Michael Leighton resigned.
Immediately after the firings, the Spitfires headed on a five-game, two-weekend road trip. Nobody knew what to expect but Bowler joined Torres behind the bench for all five games and something clicked. The team won three of five games and seemed more relaxed. Since the changes, the players have responded to Torres’ and Bowler’s new ideas and systems and they’ve gone 6-4. It’s been night and day with the new voices.
Related: OHL: Windsor Spitfires Make Multiple Coaching Changes
Smith had an inexperienced roster to work with and it just wasn’t the right fit. He’s a respected coach and a great family man, and this wasn’t all on him. That made it tough to see him go. However, this move may have been the best thing for the club in the first half.
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