WINNING EXHIBITION AT HOME
Spitfires beat Sting 5-4 in shootout
In junior hockey, overage players are always counted on to be leaders on and off the ice.
With 10 players on the roster born in 2001 or 2002, one of the biggest keys for the Windsor Spitfires will be having overage players in place that accomplish both of those tasks.
“For sure, I had guys when I was younger help me out and I hope to emulate that and show these young guys what was shown to me,” the Spitfires’ Luke Kutkevicius said.
As of now, the Spitfires only have two of three possible overage spots filled with Kutkevicius and fellow forward Igor Larionov.
Each picked up an assist in Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the Sarnia Sting at the WFCU Centre, but overage players are graded on more than just offence. “Your overagers have to occupy one of your top six (forwards), play special teams or be a top three defenceman,” Spitfires general manager Warren Rychel said.
“You have to lead, not just on the ice, but at the rink, at the restaurants, at the hotels, on the bus. Helping the young guys, and we’ve got a good group of kids.” That’s a big task for two players that, in some ways, are still trying to establish themselves in the league.
A former 12th-round pick by Saginaw, Larionov played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before finally cracking the Windsor lineup last season, but he was sidelined by injuries on several occasions and played in just 32 games while putting up 23 points.
“It’s frustrating, but it’s part of hockey and part of sports,” the 20-year-old Larionov said of the injuries. “It just makes you stronger. It’s just one of those things, but I put in a lot of work in the summer and I’m looking forward to this year. “Nobody has higher expectations than myself. There’s pressure from everyone, but I’m the type of person that puts all the pressure on myself because I know what I can do on and off the ice, helping the rookies, helping the young guys, but also producing on the ice.”
The 20-year-old Kutkevicius also missed time last year with a broken wrist that kept him out of the lineup for more than two months. Windsor is his third stop in the league for the former second-round pick, having earlier played in Mississauga and Hamilton.
“I definitely hope to take on bigger responsibilities as an older guy,” Kutkevicius said. “Hopefully, produce on the team and help out any way I can.” With several young and talented players on the roster, Spitfires head coach Trevor Letowski won’t simply hand time to an older player.
“The older players will always be challenged,” Letowski said. “They have to bring something to the table. You’re not going to give them free ice because he’s a 19or 20-year-old.
“Our overage situation, I like both players, but they have a lot to prove to themselves (after injuries last season) even though they’re mature players. You need leadership from them, you need their habits to be good every day to keep them.”
Each picked up an assist on Cole Purboo’s goal to open the scoring. The Sting tied it after two periods on a goal by Theo Calvas and got two goals from Hugo Leufvenius and one from Curtis Egert in the third period to hand Windsor its first exhibition loss in four games.
The two teams close out exhibition play on Friday in Sarnia, and while Rychel said the club will stick with two overage players for now, he’s always on the lookout to improve the roster. “Igor has to be healthy and Kutkevicius has to come out right away and play well. Rychel said.
“There’s some talk about the (third) overage position. There will be some guys available. Whether we want to put them in right away and taking away ice from young guys is the argument right now.
“It’s a wait and see. I don’t think it’s urgent right now.”
You have to lead, not just on the ice, but at the rink, at the restaurants, at the hotels on the bus.