Spitfires Sign 2025 OHL Second-Round Pick Ian Inskip

The 6-foot-2, 177-pound L’Original, ON (halfway between Ottawa and Montreal) native comes from Reps Hockey Club U16 AAA, where he had 17 goals and 28 points in 33 games as captain last season. Prior to that, he spent 2023-24 in the Niagara region with the Crystal Beach Academy program, captaining their U16 AAA team (21 goals and 32 points in 28 games) and seeing time with their U18 AAA team (eight goals and 14 points in 21 games).

Bowler often looks for character kids when he makes draft picks. The idea is to get players who are not only talented on the ice but bring a cohesion to the locker room and the Windsor-and-Essex County region. In a press release, Inskip said he wants to not only be a quality player but a quality human being in the community.

“I am incredibly proud to be a Windsor Spitfire,” Inskip said. “I am eager to make a positive impact on the ice, work diligently to develop as a hockey player, and be an active member of the community … I will do whatever it takes to improve, and I look forward to learning from the team’s veteran players and coaches. On the ice, I will always compete and battle hard. Off the ice, I will always make time for Spits fans and people in need in the community.”

Rangers Series Helped Sell Inskip

Inskip joined McLaughlin, along with the club’s other 2025 draft picks, on a visit to the WFCU Centre on Saturday, April 12. The timing was perfect, as the draft ended just hours before Game 2 of the Spitfires’ second-round OHL playoff series against the Kitchener Rangers. The arena was full of fans, and it was one of the better atmospheres of the season.

The youngster was all smiles, happy to greet anyone who was around him, and genuinely appeared to be excited. At the time, he told us that the Spitfires were the type of team and organization he wanted to be a part of.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life,” Inskip said in April. “It’s finally happened. I wouldn’t have been happier anywhere else. Windsor is where I wanted to play; it’s a great place to play. They play big, strong, physical hockey; that’s what I like.”

Fortunately for Bowler and his staff, nothing has changed. On Friday, Inskip said that the entire experience, including fan interaction outside the arena, showed him what the fans were all about.

“After being drafted, I had the chance to attend a home playoff game,” he said. “The energy in the building was amazing. After the orientation camp, I was wearing my Spitfires jersey as I came out of a restaurant, and a car pulled out of the parking lot with its passengers yelling, ‘Let’s go Spits.’ The passion the city has for the game I love; makes me feel at home.”

In 2022, Bowler brought players from that draft class, including Greentree and Spellacy, to a Spitfires’ playoff game. The atmosphere was a selling point for them, and the rest has become history. Now, it looks like fans have helped the 2025 draft class, too. With two signings done, the club will move forward as they get more work done before training camp and preseason begin later this summer.