Spitfires’ GM Bowler continues to look to add roster depth with three picks in OHL Under-18 Draft

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Windsor Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler is a big believer in depth and the competition it creates for roster spots.

So, when Bowler had the opportunity to add to his deep collection in goal or bring in another defenceman for an already stacked back end, he didn’t hesitate to do just that in Wednesday’s Ontario Hockey League Under-18 Draft.

“You can never have enough depth,” Bowler said after his three selections. “Just because you think you have spots solidified, the point is to get as much depth as possible and that allows you to move other players for assets.

“I think players arrive at different times and you always need depth. We think we’ve created more competition for roster spots with our three picks.”

The Spitfires have Xavier Medina in net and Matt Tovell, who got in two games in 2019-20. After adding Kyle Downey in the second round of last year’s OHL Draft and Joshua Branton in this past weekend’s minor-midget draft, Bowler did not hesitate in Wednesday’s first-round of the draft to snap up goalie Tyler Bouck with the 17^th pick overall.

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“(Wednesday) felt great,” the 17-year-old Bouck said. “I’ll never forget it and it was amazing to share with my family. It just shows that everything you work for will work out.”

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Bouck played minor midget for the Brantford 99ers in 2019-20 and was passed over in last year’s OHL Draft. He was had planned to play for the London Junior Knights this past season, which was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Just a big goalie and we like the way he competes for pucks,” Bowler said. “It’s not about what he’s done, but with more training and development, what he might become.”

Second-round pick Alex Campbell comes to a less crowded position with the Spitfires. Windsor has seven returning forwards in Will Cuylle, Jean-Luc Foudy, Matthew Maggio, Daniel D’Amico, Wyatt Johnston, Kyle McDonald and Pasquale Zito with 2020 first-round pick Ryan Abraham and Wylie Birkett also signed while 2021 first-round pick Ethan Miedema and Chris O’Flaherty are expected to earn roster spots.

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“My dream is to play in the OHL,” the 17-year-old Campbell said. “Windsor’s a top-notch organization. One of the organizations most players would love to play for.”

Campbell was proactive in his quest to be drafted. He sent tapes out to teams with highlights while also showing how he’s grown nearly three inches from his 5-foot-8 listing a year ago and added more than 15 pounds to now sit at 162 pounds.

“He’s a skilled forward that thinks the game well and with good vision,” Bowler said of Campbell. “He has an OHL brain and you just never know.”

The road might be a little tougher for third-round pick Colin Smith. The 17-year-old defenceman joins a Windsor team already boasting overagers Louka Henault and Grayson Ladd along with holdover Dylan Robinson, Michael Renwick, who was acquired last year from Hamilton, 2019 pick James Jodoin, 2020 pick Nicholas De Angelis, 2021 pick Bronson Ride and 2020 CHL Import Draft pick Daniil Sobolev.

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“He’s just a solid, smart, right-handed d-man that players in every situation,” Bowler said of Smith. “He plays with good poise and makes good decisions. He’s a real coachable kid that one day might find his way into the league.”

Competitors for years, the Windsor Zone AAA Junior Spitfires’ goaltending tandem of Boe Piroski and Adrian McBride were the area’s two players selected on Wednesday.

“Last year, didn’t get to play, but we had tryouts and a couple scrimmages where we got to know each other,” the 16-year-old McBride said. “I was really proud when he went. It’s just great both of us got selected.”

The two had been rivals for years until joining the same team last year. Piroski had been with the Sun County Panthers, who don’t have a major midget team. McBride has been with the Junior Spitfires.

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“For the longest time, we were hometown rivals,” the 17-year-old Piroski said. “In major midget, we were both in Windsor and got along well. He’s a good goalie. We learned a lot off each other. It was nice to see him go.”

Piroski, who is the nephew of former Spitfires’ goalie Tony Piroski, went to the Niagara IceDogs with the final pick of the first round.

“I’m happy where I ended up,” the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Piroski said. “It’s a good organization.

“It’s been a long wait, especially not being on the ice a whole lot the last year. It was tough, but it made me realize it’s not going to be as straight a path as I thought it would be. I thought it would be straight forward, but then I just realized I had to take the long way around.”

The 6-foot-2½, 183-pound McBride went to the London Knights with the final pick of the second round.

“Last year, I was kind of bummed after not being drafted, but I told myself to keep working,” the 16-year-old McBride said. “I didn’t lose faith and just kept working and today’s the day. It was pretty surreal.

“I couldn’t be happier to go to an organization like London and, just to get the chance to get drafted, there’s nothing else you can ask for.”

jpparker@postmedia.com

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