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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 other piece added to the Windsor roster on Thursday in a deal with the Kingston Frontenacs for a pair of third-round picks and a fourth-round pick.
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Outwater arrived in Windsor just before the start of Thursday’s game and watched the club fall for the sixth game in a row with the Owen Sound Attack 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 before a crowd of 6,308 at the Memorial Auditorium.
“I’m focused on making myself as useful as possible with the team,”said the six-foot-two, 168-pound Outwater, who picked up an assist in the loss. “I want to be a big part of changing this team’s direction and I’m excited to work with the guys.
A former first-round pick by the North Bay Battalion, Outwater has struggled to find his place in the top part of the lineup over parts of three seasons in the league.
“He adds size and he adds offence. I think he projects as a winger, but I think he can play the middle as well,” Spitfires’ head coach Jerrod Smith said of Outwater. “He’s a kid that is going to great opportunity here and I’m excited to see what he can do.”
Outwater was one of four members of the Oakville Blades taken in the first round of the 2021 OHL Draft, but the 11th overall pick joined a veteran North Bay squad that went to the conference final his first season and saw limited playing time.
Prior to the start of last season, he was dealt to Kingston for five draft picks, but was limited by a shoulder injury incurred around Christmas and needed surgery to repair at the end of the season.
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“He’s a talented player and a first-round pick that had a shoulder injury,” Spitfires’ general manager Bill bowler said. “We’re hoping we get the healthy and motivated athlete. There’s a lot of offensive potential there.”
Now healthy and coming off a campaign that saw him score 16 goals and register 41 points in 62 games last season, Outwater struggled to crack the top two lines this season in Kingston and had just two goals and nine points in 19 games before the trade.
“I think Kingston found their top six and I wasn’t in it,” Outwater said. “I think they realized I wasn’t a fourth liner, so they tried to find me a better opportunity.”
Outwater had 30 goals and 62 points in 37 games for the Oakville U15 team in 2019-20 before most of his draft year was scrubbed by COVID-19.
“No one really wants to play for three different teams in the first three years,” Outwater said. “Obviously, I would love to stick around somewhere. Hopefully, it’s here. I think now it’s time to dig my heels in and make it work. There’s no more excuses.”
Back-to-back seasons chasing a conference title cost the Spitfires a big chunk from the team’s 2021 OHL Draft. First-round pick Ethan Miedema, second-round pick Bronson Ride, who is a former Oakville teammate of Outwater, and fourth-round pick Christopher O’Flaherty were all dealt away last season.
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Fourth-round pick Ethan Martin, fifth-round pick Jack Greenwell and 11th-round pick Tanner Winegard have seen limited playing time with the club.
“Our ’05 (born) age group is light,” Bowler said in reference to the 2021 OHL Draft. “We’re going to lose some players this year and have to replenish and find some players for the roster. For the price (to acquire Outwater), it made sense.”
And while the team continues to struggle, there remains hope going forward.
“Bill has told me a couple times that he believes we have the group and there’s going to be change and I’m excited for that,” Outwater said.
After A.J. Spellacy gave Windsor an early lead, the Rangers stormed back with nine-unanswered goals before Outwater set up rookie Jack Nesbitt with just four seconds to play.
Carson Rehkopf had three goals for the Rangers with Hunter Brzustewicz, Adrian Misaljevic, Kyle Morey, Antonio Pugliese, Filip Mesar and Trent Swick adding single goals.
The Spitfires will host the Rangers on Saturday at the WFCU Centre. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
jpparker@postmedia.com
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Game Summary
Friday Result
Rangers 9 Spitfires 2
Windsor 1 0 1 – 2
Kitchener 2 4 3 – 9
First period: 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 K (cross checking) 8:13, Elinas K (slashing) 10:54, Sop K (hooking) 19:16.
Second period: 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 (high sticking) 6:31, Pugliese K (double minor high sticking) 9:49, Nesbitt W (roughing), Campbell K (roughing) 19:27.
Third period: 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 (fighting), Spellacy W (blindsiding), Toms W (fighting, game misconduct), Elinas K (fighting), Sop K (fighting, game misconduct) 4:30, Andonovski K (roughing) 6:23, Spellacy W (fighting), Pugliese K (fighting) 7:50, Nesbitt W (unsportsmanlike conduct), Schmidt K (roughing) 11:06, Motew K (roughing) 14:01, Brzustewicz K (slashing) 15:53.
Game stats – SOG – Windsor 13 10 14 – 37 Kitchener 13 6 11 – 30 Goal (shots-saves) – Windsor: Michelone (L,1-6-1-0) (19-13), Froggett (14:44 of second period) (11-8). Kitchener: Parsons (W,11-4-0-0) (37-35). Power 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 at the Memorial Auditorium.
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