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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 decide.
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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 centered on making myself as helpful as doable with the crew,”stated the six-foot-two, 168-pound Outwater, who picked up an help within the loss. “I need to be an enormous a part of altering this crew’s route and I’m excited to work with the blokes.
A former first-round decide by the North Bay Battalion, Outwater has struggled to seek out his place within the prime a part of the lineup over elements of three seasons within the league.
“He provides measurement and he provides offence. I feel he initiatives as a winger, however I feel he can play the center as nicely,” Spitfires’ head coach Jerrod Smith stated 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 certainly one of 4 members of the Oakville Blades taken within the first spherical of the 2021 OHL Draft, however the Eleventh general decide joined a veteran North Bay squad that went to the convention closing his first season and noticed restricted enjoying time.
Previous to the beginning of final season, he was dealt to Kingston for 5 draft picks, however was restricted by a shoulder damage 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 decide that had a shoulder damage,” Spitfires’ common supervisor Invoice bowler stated. “We’re hoping we get the wholesome and motivated athlete. There’s numerous offensive potential there.”
Now wholesome and coming off a marketing campaign that noticed him rating 16 targets 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 targets and 9 factors in 19 video games earlier than the commerce.
“I feel Kingston discovered their prime six and I wasn’t in it,” Outwater stated. “I feel they realized I wasn’t a fourth liner, so that they tried to seek out me a greater alternative.”
Outwater had 30 targets and 62 factors in 37 video games for the Oakville U15 crew in 2019-20 earlier than most of his draft 12 months was scrubbed by COVID-19.
“Nobody actually desires to play for 3 completely different groups within the first three years,” Outwater stated. “Clearly, I’d love to stay round someplace. Hopefully, it’s right here. I feel 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 price the Spitfires an enormous chunk from the crew’s 2021 OHL Draft. First-round decide Ethan Miedema, second-round decide Bronson Journey, who’s a former Oakville teammate of Outwater, and fourth-round decide Christopher O’Flaherty have been all dealt away final season.
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Fourth-round decide Ethan Martin, fifth-round decide Jack Greenwell and Eleventh-round decide Tanner Winegard have seen restricted enjoying time with the membership.
“Our ’05 (born) age group is gentle,” Bowler stated in reference to the 2021 OHL Draft. “We’re going to lose some gamers this 12 months and should replenish and discover some gamers for the roster. For the value (to amass Outwater), it made sense.”
And whereas the crew continues to battle, there stays hope going ahead.
“Invoice has informed me a pair instances that he believes we’ve the group and there’s going to be change and I’m excited for that,” Outwater stated.
After A.J. Spellacy gave Windsor an early lead, the Rangers stormed again with nine-unanswered targets earlier than Outwater arrange rookie Jack Nesbitt with simply 4 seconds to play.
Carson Rehkopf had three targets for the Rangers with Hunter Brzustewicz, Adrian Misaljevic, Kyle Morey, Antonio Pugliese, Filip Mesar and Trent Swick including single targets.
The Spitfires will host the Rangers on Saturday on the WFCU Centre. Recreation time is 7:05 p.m.
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Recreation 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 Ok (cross checking) 8:13, Elinas Ok (slashing) 10:54, Sop Ok (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 Ok (double minor excessive sticking) 9:49, Nesbitt W (roughing), Campbell Ok (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 Ok (combating), Sop Ok (combating, sport misconduct) 4:30, Andonovski Ok (roughing) 6:23, Spellacy W (combating), Pugliese Ok (combating) 7:50, Nesbitt W (unsportsmanlike conduct), Schmidt Ok (roughing) 11:06, Motew Ok (roughing) 14:01, Brzustewicz Ok (slashing) 15:53.
Recreation stats – SOG – Windsor 13 10 14 – 37 Kitchener 13 6 11 – 30 Aim (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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