Latest news with #LiamGreentree
CTV News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Spitfires Greentree voted Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy winner
The Ontario Hockey League has announced that Windsor Spitfires forward Liam Greentree is this year's recipient of the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy. Greentree was chosen for the award by a panel of accredited OHL media members, being recognized as the team captain that best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice, with a passion and dedication to the game of hockey in his community. The Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy is presented in honour of former Windsor Spitfires captain and Calgary Flames prospect Mickey Renaud, who tragically passed away at the age of 19 on Feb. 18, 2008, due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an underlying heart condition. The Tecumseh native played three seasons with the Spitfires from 2005 to 2008. In his third season in Windsor and second as team captain, Greentree collected 49 goals, 70 assists, and 119 points over 64 games, along with a plus/minus rating of plus-55. Noted as the first Spitfire to arrive at the rink and the last one to leave on game days, Greentree played a lead role in the club's involvement with the Goodfellows newspaper drive. The 19-year-old from Oshawa was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round (26th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. Greentree follows Ryan Ellis (2010-11) as the second Spitfires player to win the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy. Greentree will be formally presented with the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy at the OHL Awards Ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame in June. - Written by Rusty Thomson/AM800 News
Ottawa Citizen
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
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.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Opinion: Greentree Needs NHL Time As Soon As Possible
At the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Los Angeles Kings selected Forward Liam Greentree 24th-overall. Greentree was assigned to the Ontario Hockey League's (OHL) Windsor Spitfires after competing in an NHL preseason game against the Utah Hockey Club on September 23, 2024. Captaining the Spitfires, Greentree has cemented himself as one of the top point producers in the OHL; currently ranked third in points (79), fourth in goals (33) and assists (46) league-wide. LIAM GREENTREE WITH THE FILTHY MOVE 😱🚨Another shorthanded goal for the @SpitsHockey comes from @LAKings prospect Liam Greentree who turns on the jets to beat out both defenders and makes an unreal move to score his 33rd goal of the season!#OHL | @CHLHockey — Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 26, 2025 Ideally, he'd be promoted to the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Ontario Reign, next season, but given his age and birthdate, he may be forced to play another year of juniors. In November, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ruled that players in any of the three Canadian Hockey Leagues (OHL, Western Hockey League, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League) could make the jump to play collegiate hockey in the United States of America. In the official press release sent out by the NHL, there's a specific passage that makes me wonder if Greentree would even be eligible to play in the NCAA. "The NCAA Division I Council voted Thursday that players who have skated in one of the three CHL leagues – the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League – will be permitted to play NCAA hockey effective Aug. 1, 2025, provided they were not compensated above actual and necessary expenses prior to enrolling in college." – Greentree signed his entry-level contract with the Kings on July 20, 2024, worth $975K AAV. As the NCAA article states, players can make the jump, "provided they were not compensated above actual and necessary expenses prior to enrolling in college." I'm not sure if Greentree's NHL salary is factored into the decision and/or exceeds the financial limit. If signing his NHL entry-level deal is a deal breaker for the NCAA and Greentree can't make the jump to the AHL due to his age, then making the Kings roster might be his only option for growth. Checking in on #GoKingsGo 1st round draft pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, Liam Greentree, with Windsor Spitfires Head Coach Greg Walters.@SportingTrib Full article: — Nick Robert Gallo (@NickRobertGallo) January 24, 2025 It's possible the Kings could take the same approach with Greentree as they did Defenseman Brandt Clarke – giving him nine games in the NHL before sitting him, assigning him to AHL Ontario on a conditioning stint, and eventually shipping him back to the OHL for the second-half of the season. Taking a different approach, I'd suggest the Kings have Greentree make the opening night roster and wait to use the nine-game stint until midseason. You could stretch the nine-games over a twenty-game period, send him to AHL Ontario for a conditioning stint, and by the time that concludes, it's almost the end of the Regular Season. Nashville Predators Forward Steven Stamkos said that when he first joined the league, he was held out of games, instead given time to train in the gym and work on his physique. The Anaheim Ducks took a similar approach recently with Forward Leo Carlsson, limiting him to a fifty-five-game pitch count in his rookie campaign. Making the Kings roster would allow Greentree to work directly with the Player Development Staff who could improve his skating and refine other parts of his game. I trust General Manager Rob Blake and his staff have a few tricks up their sleeve to keep Greentree progressing in his development. Related Videos: LA Kings Weekly Preview
