2019-20 Season Summary: Saginaw Spirit

Boasting a record of 41-16-3-2 and 87 points, the Saginaw Spirit were among the OHL’s most dominant squads over the course of the 2019-20 season. They housed a deep lineup that only got deeper as the year went on, and without a shot at the playoffs this time around, their indisputable potential to be a strong postseason contender can only leave most people thinking “what if?”

Division champs once again
The Spirit finished as back-to-back West Division champions and made club history when they earned 40 wins for the second straight season. They finished second in the Western Conference, trailing the leading London Knights by five points. At the conclusion of the season, the Spirit were riding a victorious eight-game streak that ran until what would be their final game on Mar. 8, meeting its demise when the season came to its sudden end.

Perfetti’s electrifying performance
Cole Perfetti’s speed and ability to rack up points was the talk of the 2019-20 OHL season, let alone the focal point of the Saginaw Spirit. In his sophomore season, Perfetti dominated the league as one of the hottest prospects heading into the 2020 NHL Draft. His 74 assists and 111 points were the second highest among all OHL skaters in both categories, and he boasted an impressive plus-49 rating. He set a new club record for points in a season and was one of only four players to reach the 100-point mark this past year. Perfetti performed for Team OHL at the CIBC Canada Russia Series as well as the Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and is ranked fifth among North American eligibles by NHL Central Scouting.

No shortage of scoring depth
Scoring was no issue for the red hot Spirit, who put forth the league’s second highest goal total at 289 with their standout trio of Damien Giroux, Perfetti, and Cole Coskey accounting for 115 of them. Captain Giroux, a Minnesota Wild draftee, put up a team-high 44 goals and finished the season in a tie for the league lead in game winning goals at 10. Coskey, a New York Islanders draftee, was good for a second straight 30-goal showing at 34 markers and 80 points while setting a new club record for career games played, having suited up for 302 contests in a Saginaw sweater. Fellow overager DJ Busdeker, who recently signed with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, chipped in for a career-best 22 goals and 57 assists in his fourth and final stint in Saginaw. Islanders prospect Blade Jenkins remained a dependable force down the middle with 40 points over 47 appearances.

Loading up front with Suzuki
The Spirit added even more depth upon acquiring elite centre Ryan Suzuki at the deadline from the Barrie Colts. The Carolina Hurricanes first rounder, whose season was cut short by an eye injury, was a welcome added touch up front, having chipped in for an extra 35 points in his 23 appearances over the season’s second half. The Spirit had made some earlier additions to their offensive group with the acquisitions of Dalton DuHart and Danil Antropov in October and November, respectively.

A Wilde return on the blue line
On a blue line that already housed steady talent in Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Mason Millman and first year skater Ilya Solovyov, the Spirit were handed another boost when the New York Islanders returned dynamic defender Bode Wilde to the OHL in February. Having maintained a consistent point-per game pace with 11 points over the 11 contests he suited up for as the season wound down, one can’t help but wonder about how the Spirit would have fared with an even stronger blue line had Wilde returned earlier in the campaign.