Spicer becomes eighth player from 2024 OHL Draft class to sign with Spitfires

It’s a draft that just keeps giving to the Windsor Spitfires.

Defenceman Grady Spicer officially signed on with the Spitfires on Tuesday as he inked his Ontario Hockey League scholarship and development agreement. 

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“It was awesome and a big relief to get that out of the way,” Spicer said of the deal. 

The 16-year-old Spicer is now the eighth player from the 2024 OHL Draft to sign with the Spitfires joining first overall pick Ethan Belchetz, J.C. Lemieux, Carter Hicks, Max Brocklehurst, Andrew Robinson, Jake Windbiel and Ethan Garden. 

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“Windsor’s got such a bright future ahead,” Spicer said.

The Spitfires selected Spicer in the fourth round with the 71st pick overall from the Upper Canada Cyclones U16 squad.

“Again, this is another signing that we know he’s an OHL player,” Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler said. “He’s got an edge to him and a real intensity to his game. He brings a style of play, with a little physicality, that’s always welcome.”

While he was a fourth-round pick, Spicer was actually the third defenceman taken by the Spitfires in that draft behind Hicks, who was taken in the second round, and Robinson, who was taken in the third round.

“They’re both great players, but they’re two different players from what I am,” Spicer said of Hicks and Robinson. “I’m more the big, stay-at-home defenceman.”

Spicer spent last season playing junior A with his hometown Brockville Braves in the Central Canada Hockey League.

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“It was huge, especially since Brockville is my hometown,” the six-foot-three, 197-pound Spicer said. “It was huge to stay home and get to play a lot of minutes. Going to Brockville helped me a lot because you’re playing with bigger guys.”

Spicer held his own and posted eight goals and 21 points in 52 games along with 100 penalty minutes.

“Playing in Brockville showed me the things I needed to work on,” Spicer said. “Get a little faster, make quicker decisions and a little more puck management.”

With injuries ravaging the Spitfires in the playoffs, the club opted to recall Spicer after his season ended in Brockville and he appeared in six games.

“It was good to get to know everyone,” Spicer said. “When I come to camp, I won’t be nervous.”

A once promising catcher in baseball before focusing solely on hockey, Spicer has a verbal commitment to Clarkson University for the 2027-28 season. However, he says he plans, if the school is willing, to play the next three seasons in the OHL before moving on to the NCAA.

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With Spicer’s signing, the Spitfires now have eight defencemen in the mix for next season along with Hicks, Robinson, overager Wyatt Kennedy, Anthony Cristoforo, Carson Woodall, Conor Walton and Jonathan Brown, who signed on last week.

Bowler also would not rule out potential overagers Josef Eichler and Tanner Winegard from the mix.

“When we drafted Grady in the fourth round, we thought he would be an OHLer,” Bowler said. “He had a great season last year and, watching him develop, it was a no-brainer to get him up at the end of the year and lock him up. 

“We’re trying to get as many OHL-caliber players as we can, get depth and let the players sort it out at camp.”

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