OHL names Spitfires' Greentree winner of Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy
Article content
Liam Greentree wasn't just part of the turnaround, he led the way.
Article content
Greentree, the 19-year-old captain of the Windsor Spitfires, helped guide the team to a club record 52-point turnaround in the standings in 2024-25 while finishing third in league scoring.
Article content
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings' first-round pick was awarded the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy by the Ontario Hockey League. The award is given to the league captain that best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice with a passion and dedication to the game of hockey and his community.
Article content
Article content
'Honestly, it's something I really wanted and I think it's really cool,' said Greentree, who was a second-round pick by Windsor in 2022. 'I saw (Saginaw's Braden) Hache got it last year and I was looking for it this year. It wasn't my main focus, but it's something I'm really excited about.'
Article content
The award was created in 2009 in memory of former Spitfires' captain and Tecumseh native Mickey Renaud, who passed away in 2008 from an undetected heart condition. Greentree is the second Spitfire to win the award following Ryan Ellis in 2011.
Article content
Article content
'It means a lot,' Greentree. 'The award is named after a Spitfire and it's really cool to be a part of that group and to be known as a leader.'
Article content
The Spitfires named Greentree captain midway through the 2023-24 season as the club was sliding down the standings during a rebuild. The struggles still did not prevent him from finishing tied for 11th in league scoring with a team-leading 36 goals and 90 points in 64 games before being taken by the Kings in the first round of the NHL Draft.
Article content
Article content
'If you asked me today, they made the right decision,' said Spitfires' head coach Greg Walters, who was not with the team when Greentree was named captain. 'He was amazing form Day 1. He's an elite player, but he's also an elite person off the ice.'
Article content
But being a leader isn't simply about putting points on the board. Greentree continued to shine on the ice in 2024-25 and was third in league scoring with 49 goals and 119 points in 64 goals, but he also set the mental tone.
Article content
'Every day, we had to kick him off the ice,' Walters said. 'He spent countless hours doing extra stuff on and off the ice. Again, that's why we had so much success. (Younger players) saw that commitment to get to that next level and Liam led the way every day.'
Article content
It wasn't just showing new players the ropes, but also making newcomers feel welcome with the Spitfires. A total of 15 players made their Windsor debut in 2024-25 and whether it was breakout star Ilya like Protas or rookie defenceman Grady Spicer, who made his debut in the playoffs, it was often Greentree being the first person to make contact and welcome them into the fold.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
21 hours ago
- CBC
Bob Probert's family helps open Tecumseh health care campus in his name
Family members of the late Detroit Red Wings enforcer Bob Probert celebrated what would have been his 60th birthday on Thursday by helping open the Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) Tecumseh campus named in his honour. The Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus offers specialized outpatient programs, including cardiac wellness, rehab outreach, outpatient rehab services and geriatric services, according to a news release from HDGH. Probert's widow, Dani Probert, said the official opening was more emotional than she expected it to be. "Typically on Bob's birthday, we like to celebrate quietly, privately," she said. "The kids and I are sitting with his favourite music and eating all of his favourite foods. And today, it seemed so appropriate to be with the community at an event like this. … I think the community of Windsor-Essex has been so amazing with helping us in the grieving process over 10 years. So it seemed really special to be with the same people after all these years to spend his birthday." Bob Probert died in 2010 of a heart attack at the age of 45, eight years after his retirement from the National Hockey League. A feared enforcer and one-time all-star His 16-year career with the Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks earned him a reputation as a feared enforcer who accumulated 3,300 penalty minutes – the fifth-highest total of all time. He also racked up 384 points, including 163 goals, and earned an All-Star nod during the 1987-88 season. For a decade after his death, his family helped organize the annual Bob Probert Ride, a fundraising motorcycle poker run in his honour, to raise money for health care. "The ride has achieved a lot over the years," Probert's daughter, Brogan, told the audience at the opening. "Since that very first meeting, we were able to support the cardiac cath lab on Ouellette, provide exercise equipment to the Petro Family Cardiac Wellness Centre on Prince Road, and now the Bob Probert Tecumseh campus will officially open. The impact that this campus will have on our community is greater than we originally had anticipated. It's incredible." The president and CEO of Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare said the campus has already seen around 700 patient visits since its soft opening on March 3. And there's been no reduction in the patient volume at the main campus on Prince Road, a spokesperson added. That demand is prompting the organization to think about expanding, Bill Marra said. "I've been in the public service for 37 years in a variety of leadership roles," he said. "This is one of the most grassroots community-based success stories I've ever been a part of – the family coming together over a catastrophic event, donors from a wide spectrum of corporate citizens, private citizens, a hospital institution, the Town of Tecumseh, organized labour. Think about that formula and look at where we're at today."
Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- Ottawa Citizen
‘Man, I want to play here,' Brown says after joining Spitfires
Article content Defenceman Jonathan Brown quickly fell in love with the Windsor Spitfires. Article content A Scarsdale, N.Y. native, Brown is verbally committed to Yale University, but started exploring his options before university when the NCAA relaxed rules on accepting players from junior hockey. Article content 'I never really considered the OHL,' the 18-year-old Brown said. 'I always wanted to play college hockey. I didn't put any effort into trying to play in OHL. Once they changed that rule, it became intriguing.' Article content Brown played last season for the powerhouse Shattuck-St. Mary's prep program in Minnesota and one of his first junior stops was Windsor when general manager Bill Bowler invited to attend a game. Article content Article content 'It was a great atmosphere,' the six-foot-two, 201-pound Brown said. 'Honestly, the rink, the atmosphere and the fans. I think it was against Kingston (a 7-1 win on March 6) and the rink was packed. There was a fight and everyone was into it and it was like, 'Man, I want to play here.'' Article content On Friday, Brown officially signed on with the Spitfires. Article content 'We think this is a great signing for our club,' Spitfires' general manager Bill Bowler said. 'He's a steady defender, a real good skater and I think there's some offence that's untapped. Article content 'He's headed to the Ivy League, so you know he has a brain, and it's kids like this that you want to be part of your program. We're fortunate he chose the Windsor Spitfires.' Article content Article content Brown's father is an American, his mother is from France and the couple met in London, England, which is where he was born. The family moved to the U.S. when he was six. Article content Article content 'Definitely not just the same path as every other player,' Brown said. 'My dad's actually form Detroit. That's another reason for Windsor is that there's a ton of family close.' Article content Brown had plenty of junior hockey options before choosing Windsor. He was drafted in 2024 by Youngstown in the United States Hockey League and in 2023 by Connecticut in the National Collegiate Development Conference. Article content 'I could have played in the USHL, but I started thinking about my options,' said Brown, who appeared in two games for Youngstown this past season. 'The OHL is an unbelievable league with great players and produces the most players to the NHL.' Article content Brown helped Shattuck-St. Mary's win the USA Hockey Youth Tier I 18U National Championship in April. Brown scored a goal in the final that saw Shattuck-St. Mary's beat the Boston Jr. Eagles 8-1.
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Some think all users should feel Windsor's ice shortage crisis — not just curling
While Jim Morrison admits he's a curler himself, the Ward 10 city councillor thinks the sport shouldn't be temporarily put on the shelf for an entire season because of an ice rink shortage in Windsor. Morrison says his heart sank when he read the report heading to council next Monday. In it, municipal staff outline a plan that would see curling booted off one of the two ice pads at the Capri Pizzeria Recreation complex in the city's south end. The recommendation follows extensive damage to one ice pad at the WFCU Centre from a late April solar panel fire on the facility's roof. That rink will be closed for at least 10 months, meaning less ice for all user groups — including the likes of Riverside Minor Hockey Association and Riverside Skating Club. A trickle down effect of users and rinks would see the curling ice at Capri reconverted back to use for skating sports. It was just last year curlers were ousted from their longtime home at Roseland Golf Club. "It's a shock," said Morrison, to Windsor Morning host Amy Dodge on Tuesday. "They've gone through a whole bunch of changes and uncertainties and everything else. I'm certainly very sympathetic … it's the only place we can curl." Morrison says there has to be an answer for the curlers. "My recommendation is going to be to have a small reduction. Everybody's going to have to feel a little bit of pain here to reduce all those other groups by a little bit of ice time." According to Morrison, "It looks like to me we could run everything but with some reductions — and whether that means a longer season — we could make it up by adding a few weeks to the season or there might be few less games … maybe the games would be a little shorter." He refers to curling as one of "those fragile sports" for the Windsor-area, unsure about its long-term future should the rocks and brooms get put on the sidelines for an entire season. "We're not the hotbed of curling. We've seen reductions in the numbers over the years. A lot of people are seniors … if we take that away for a year … we'll lose a bunch. It could be a really a tough spot for curling in general." Morrison estimates there are around 300 curlers in the city with about 200 of them registered. Makeshift alternative? Terry Fink is part of a committee that's been looking to save the sport in the city for the past few years. His group is considering all of its options to save curling for the next season and not skip an entire year for the sport. One possible alternative, he says, is an idea they've heard about from their regional and national curling organization counterparts. "We understand … that there is a possibility of a carpet to be rolled out on a cement floor and hooked up to a compressor and you can have curling ice within four to five days — but you need a facility," he said. WATCH | Windsor curlers could be left homeless due to minor hockey plan: Windsor curlers could be left homeless due to minor hockey plan 1 day ago Duration 2:50 Fink says local curlers were taken off guard by the extent of the issues at the WFCU Centre and how it could trickle down to other user groups at different arenas. "Everybody felt blindsided." "No consultation before the council report was put on the agenda," he said. Fink says more than just one option should have been established before bringing it to council for a decision. "It is a crisis for everybody so we started to gather on Saturday afternoon," he said. "We were shocked, dumfounded. It felt like somebody punched you in the stomach or the nose … we didn't see it coming."
