Greg Walters Named OHL Coach of the Year Finalist
The Windsor Spitfires are proud to announce that head coach Greg Walters has been named a finalist for the Matt Leyden Trophy, awarded annually to the Ontario Hockey League’s Coach of the Year.
A native of Toronto, Walters is in his second season behind the bench in Windsor and has quickly established the Spitfires as one of the premier teams in the league. In his inaugural campaign, Walters guided the club to an impressive 45-17-4-2 record (96 points), earning the Bumbacco Trophy as West Division champions. A 52 point increase from the year prior.
He followed that up with another outstanding season in 2025–26, leading the Spitfires to a 44-15-6-3 record, marking the team’s strongest performance since the 2009–10 season, when Windsor posted 106 points. The Spitfires finished second overall in the Western Conference and secured back-to-back West Division titles, narrowly edging the Flint Firebirds by just two points for top spot this season after finishing 17 points ahead of the Spirit the year prior.
Under Walters’ leadership, the Spitfires have excelled at both ends of the ice. The team allowed just 173 goals during the regular season, the second-fewest in the league, while posting a +91 goal differential, ranking third overall.
The Spitfires have carried that momentum into the postseason, recently advancing to the second round of the 2026 OHL Playoffs following a decisive four-game sweep of the Guelph Storm. Windsor will now face the Firebirds in what promises to be a highly competitive second-round matchup.
