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Owen Outwater was anxious to get into the lineup with the Windsor Spitfires on Friday.
The 18-year-old Outwater was the opposite piece added to the Windsor roster on Thursday in a cope with the Kingston Frontenacs for a pair of third-round picks and a fourth-round choose.
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Outwater arrived in Windsor simply earlier than the beginning of Thursday’s sport and watched the membership fall for the sixth sport in a row with the Owen Sound Assault handing the Spitfires a 12-3 loss.
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On Friday, Outwater his debut for the Spitfires in a 9-2 loss the Kitchener Rangers earlier than a crowd of 6,308 on the Memorial Auditorium.
“I’m targeted on making myself as helpful as potential with the staff,”mentioned the six-foot-two, 168-pound Outwater, who picked up an help within the loss. “I wish to be an enormous a part of altering this staff’s path and I’m excited to work with the fellows.
A former first-round choose by the North Bay Battalion, Outwater has struggled to search out his place within the prime a part of the lineup over elements of three seasons within the league.
“He provides dimension and he provides offence. I believe he initiatives as a winger, however I believe he can play the center as effectively,” Spitfires’ head coach Jerrod Smith mentioned of Outwater. “He’s a child that’s going to nice alternative right here and I’m excited to see what he can do.”
Outwater was one among 4 members of the Oakville Blades taken within the first spherical of the 2021 OHL Draft, however the Eleventh total choose joined a veteran North Bay squad that went to the convention closing his first season and noticed restricted taking part in time.
Previous to the beginning of final season, he was dealt to Kingston for 5 draft picks, however was restricted by a shoulder harm incurred round Christmas and wanted surgical procedure to restore on the finish of the season.
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“He’s a gifted participant and a first-round choose that had a shoulder harm,” Spitfires’ common supervisor Invoice bowler mentioned. “We’re hoping we get the wholesome and motivated athlete. There’s plenty of offensive potential there.”
Now wholesome and coming off a marketing campaign that noticed him rating 16 objectives and register 41 factors in 62 video games final season, Outwater struggled to crack the highest two traces this season in Kingston and had simply two objectives and 9 factors in 19 video games earlier than the commerce.
“I believe Kingston discovered their prime six and I wasn’t in it,” Outwater mentioned. “I believe they realized I wasn’t a fourth liner, in order that they tried to search out me a greater alternative.”
Outwater had 30 objectives and 62 factors in 37 video games for the Oakville U15 staff in 2019-20 earlier than most of his draft 12 months was scrubbed by COVID-19.
“Nobody actually desires to play for 3 totally different groups within the first three years,” Outwater mentioned. “Clearly, I’d love to stay round someplace. Hopefully, it’s right here. I believe now it’s time to dig my heels in and make it work. There’s no extra excuses.”
Again-to-back seasons chasing a convention title value the Spitfires an enormous chunk from the staff’s 2021 OHL Draft. First-round choose Ethan Miedema, second-round choose Bronson Journey, who’s a former Oakville teammate of Outwater, and fourth-round choose Christopher O’Flaherty had been all dealt away final season.
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Fourth-round choose Ethan Martin, fifth-round choose Jack Greenwell and Eleventh-round choose Tanner Winegard have seen restricted taking part in time with the membership.
“Our ’05 (born) age group is mild,” Bowler mentioned in reference to the 2021 OHL Draft. “We’re going to lose some gamers this 12 months and need to replenish and discover some gamers for the roster. For the worth (to accumulate Outwater), it made sense.”
And whereas the staff continues to battle, there stays hope going ahead.
“Invoice has instructed me a pair occasions that he believes we have now the group and there’s going to be change and I’m excited for that,” Outwater mentioned.
After A.J. Spellacy gave Windsor an early lead, the Rangers stormed again with nine-unanswered objectives earlier than Outwater arrange rookie Jack Nesbitt with simply 4 seconds to play.
Carson Rehkopf had three objectives for the Rangers with Hunter Brzustewicz, Adrian Misaljevic, Kyle Morey, Antonio Pugliese, Filip Mesar and Trent Swick including single objectives.
The Spitfires will host the Rangers on Saturday on the WFCU Centre. Sport time is 7:05 p.m.
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Sport Abstract
Friday End result
Rangers 9 Spitfires 2
Windsor 1 0 1 – 2
Kitchener 2 4 3 – 9
First interval: 1. Windsor, Spellacy 4 (Morneau) 6:49, 2. Kitchener, Brzustewicz 6 (Mesar, Rehkopf) 7:46 (pp), 3. Kitchener, Misaljevic 15 (Sop, Ellina) 18:35. Penalties: Eichler W (interference) 7:22, Rehkopf Okay (cross checking) 8:13, Elinas Okay (slashing) 10:54, Sop Okay (hooking) 19:16.
Second interval: 4. Kitchener, Morey 4 (Lam) 4:26, 5. Kitchener, Rehkopf 20 (Swick, Brzustewicz) 5:42, 6. Kitchener, Messer 5 (Sop) 8:23 (pp), 7. Rehkopf 21 (Brzustewicz) 14:44. Penalties: Mancini W (excessive sticking) 6:31, Pugliese Okay (double minor excessive sticking) 9:49, Nesbitt W (roughing), Campbell Okay (roughing) 19:27.
Third interval: 8. Kitchener, Swick 8 (Lam, Mesar) 5:06 (pp), 9. Kitchener, Rehopf 22 (Pugliese, Motew) 5:53, 10. Kitchener, Pugliese 4 (unassisted) 7:35 (sh), 11. Windsor, Nesbitt 2 (Outwater) 19:56. Penalties: Martwin W (combating), Spellacy W (blindsiding), Toms W (combating, sport misconduct), Elinas Okay (combating), Sop Okay (combating, sport misconduct) 4:30, Andonovski Okay (roughing) 6:23, Spellacy W (combating), Pugliese Okay (combating) 7:50, Nesbitt W (unsportsmanlike conduct), Schmidt Okay (roughing) 11:06, Motew Okay (roughing) 14:01, Brzustewicz Okay (slashing) 15:53.
Sport stats – SOG – Windsor 13 10 14 – 37 Kitchener 13 6 11 – 30 Objective (shots-saves) – Windsor: Michelone (L,1-6-1-0) (19-13), Froggett (14:44 of second interval) (11-8). Kitchener: Parsons (W,11-4-0-0) (37-35). Energy play (goals-chances) – Windsor 0-8. Kitchener 3-3. Referees: Blake Beer (28) and Dave Elford (11). Linesmen: Brett Heaman (51) and Dalton Kipp (86). Att.: 6,308 on the Memorial Auditorium.
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