Trio of Spitfires jump at chance to head to U.S. for showcase event

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Three members of the Windsor Spitfires each have accepted an invitation to participate in the PBHH Hockey Showcase in Erie, PA for different reasons.

With the Ontario Hockey League’s 2020-21 season shelved by the COVID-19 pandemic, league players Andrew Perrott (Owen Sound), Ryan Beck (Saginaw), Ryan Humphrey (Hamilton) and Brendan Hoffman (Erie), who are all from the United States, organized the event for more than 150 players to provide an opportunity to showcase themselves ahead of the NHL Draft on July 23 and 24.

“They just invited me a few weeks ago and I signed up last week,” said Tecumseh forward Matthew Maggio, who will attend the event along with Spitfire teammates Xavier Medina and Ryan Abraham.

Maggio, who spent part of the winter playing in Sweden, is currently staying with Beck and working out in Michigan, which is not under the lockdown currently imposed in Ontario, ahead of the event.

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“The rinks are open, so I’m skating,” Maggio said. “I think everyone’s kind of going (into the showcase) with the mindset that this will be the season that we lost and show what we’ve been working on for whatever many months.”

The 18-year-old Maggio played in Sweden with Belle River’s Logan Mailloux playing pro with SK Lejon as the two NHL Draft eligible players tried to showcase their skills for NHL scouts.

“I really want to come to the showcase and show scouts how much better I am and I’m confident I can take the tools learned from playing in Sweden playing against men and use them against guys my own age,” Maggio said.

The trio is heading to the event with the full support of the Spitfires.

“We support our players and this is important to them,” Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler said. “This way, they can enjoy themselves and compete again.”

That’s Medina’s goal. Despite a strong rookie campaign with the Spitfires in 2019-20, Medina was not taken in last year’s NHL Draft. After sitting more than 14 months, he’s excited to hit the ice in Erie.

“Really, I haven’t played a game in almost a year and a half and just get a feel for the game and come in hot when we start in Windsor,” said Medina, who is expected to be the Spitfires’ No. 1 goalie in 2021-22. “Honestly, I’m not looking at the (NHL) Draft. If I do what I want to do in Windsor, I know the draft will take care of itself.”

Perrott contacted Medina about competing in the event, which will cost players $750.

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“It’s going to cost us a pretty penny, but the more guys that sign up, the costs will go down and they’re trying to get sponsorship,” the 19-year-old Medina said. “For me, though, I finally get to play in a game and I miss those goose bumps you get before a game.”

Abraham was Windsor’s first-round pick in the 2020 OHL Draft. The Michigan native would have had options to play in the United States this season had he not signed with the Spitfires, but said he has no remorse about signing with the team.

“I think it’s the best route anyone can take,” said the 17-year-old Abraham, who was also contacted by Perrott to attend the event. “I’m just pumped to get going.”

Abraham is not eligible for the NHL Draft until 2022, but looks at the showcase event as a chance to let scouts see him a little earlier and get a jump on the 2021-22 season.

“You need to start somewhere and, with no season, it’s a good place for me to start,” Abraham said. “I just want to adjust to the faster pace, so I’m ready for next year.

“It’s really exciting and I love games, I think every player does, and I’m just pumped to get going.”

While the event won’t make up for a lost season and there’s no way to know how NHL scouts will judge the event, Maggio said it’s an opportunity he believes few players would pass on if given the chance.

“This is a huge step for guys like me to show what I’ve been working on,” Maggio said. “I don’t think it’s going to make up for a 68-game season, but the fact these guys came together, when it felt like we wouldn’t have anything, I think it should be pretty good.”

jpparker@postmedia.com

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