Spitznagel on lessons learned from college, USHL to be an impact player with 67’s

Heading into the 2026 OHL playoffs, forward Shaan Kingwell alluded in the round one series preview that the team boasts a lot of “sneaky experience” in guys who may not have won first-hand in the OHL, but have gone on runs in Jr. A.

One of those players has been Teddy Spitznagel, who joined the Ottawa 67’s roster just ahead of the New Year.

The now 20-year-old winger has become a reliable sparkplug for the team, who has been key in helping grind away at opposing teams, especially since the start of the playoffs.

However, his path to the OHL was a bit unorthodox. Spitznagel went undrafted in the OHL draft in 2022, instead getting taken in the second round by the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, where he honed his game.

“The USHL was a great league,” said Spitznagel. “It prepared me for this league with the fast-paced, structured, hard hockey.”

He’d play two seasons with Muskegon, the latter of which he’d take part in the team’s Clark Cup run, eventually winning it all.

“It was awesome,” he said. “Getting to win that championship, it was one of the best years of my life.”

“In those long playoff runs, your body takes a toll, but it’s worth it in the end.”

After winning it all in the USHL, Spitznagel decided to make the jump to the NCAA, joining the University of Michigan Wolverines program.

“I had a relationship with the coach in Michigan, I trained with him when I was younger,” he said. “He got the head coaching job, so I went there, but things didn’t end up working out as I hoped.”

Despite his pedigree and plug-and-play style, Spitznagel ended up struggling to get into games with Michigan. Despite the lack of minutes, his time in the program wasn’t a total loss.

“I still practiced there every day and worked out a lot there,” said Spitznagel. “That was a big thing with that program; it was a lot of lifts, a lot of workouts, and I maintained my speed, gained some weight, and got stronger for sure.”

“I had fun there, and it was a good experience, but I am happy to be on a team like this now.”

Around the holidays, Spitznagel began to get the itch to get into games, and his agent began contacting teams in the OHL.

“My agent let OHL teams know that I was looking to make a change,” he said. “A couple of people reached out, Jan Egert was one of them.”

“We set up a Zoom call, and he sold me,” he added. “He said everything he was supposed to say.”

“I was really looking for a place that respects development, where I can get better as a player and as a person.”

The New York-native is confident that he made the right move.

“We work out almost every day and do a lot on the ice and a lot of skill development,” he said. “This is a great spot for both of those things.”

Spitznagel has particularly appreciated being under the tutelage of Dave Cameron, whose experience and stories from the NHL he leans on.

“I’ve already learned so much from the 30 games I’ve been here,” he said. “It’s huge having a coach like him; he’s a great coach, leader, and person.”

Before jumping into the OHL, no less after missing the first half of the season, Spitznagel knew that it would take some time before he got comfortable with the pace of play. He was reassured by Egert that he’d be given a bit of a longer leash, as long as certain expectations were met.

“I knew I had to establish a role for myself coming in early,” he said. “Jan said it a bit that he wanted me to be hard on the forecheck, a physical presence, I thought I did that to start.”

“Nothing can simulate games, and not playing for three-to-four months, you lose some of those instincts,” he said. “It took a bit to get back, but now I feel great out there.”

Now, Spitznagel is part of coach Dave Cameron’s tone-setting line, alongside fellow mid-season acquisition Sam McCue and centerman Zach Houben.

This line has been consistently called upon by Cameron as the team’s opening line, especially this playoffs, as a line that has shown time and time again to wear down other teams’ top players and ignite the rest of the squad with a big hit or a timely goal.

Outside of the rink, the transition was made a bit easier by a familiar face in Connor Bewick. Bewick and Spitznagel both attended the camp for the US National Development Program in 2022. However, their connection runs deeper than even they first realized.

“His step-mom and my mom were college sorority sisters,” he said. “That was a crazy connection, and now he’s my roommate.”

“He’s a good dude, teammate, and good friend,” he said. “He helped me a lot, showing me the ropes.”

Now that the regular season has finished and Spitznagel has settled in, he has one thing on his mind: winning.

“It’s a talented group we have here,” said Spitznagel. “Unbelievable teammates, great culture, great coaching staff; it’s everything.”

“It’s the best time of the year, and I think we have a lot of potential to make a long run here.”