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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.