The Windsor Spitfires have signed 17-year-old forward Hamza Havusic to a standard OHL scholarship and development agreement, the team announced Monday. Havusic, a six-foot-four, 190-pound winger, was selected by Windsor in the first round of the OHL Under-18 Draft last year, 18th overall, after being passed over in the main OHL Draft two years earlier.
General manager Bill Bowler emphasized that each prospect develops at his own pace. "He was a late bloomer and he continues to get better," Bowler said. "Physically, he's ready. He contributed last year on a good hockey team. He keeps growing and maturing, and we expect him to fight for playing time."
Havusic spent the past season with Stouffville in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, where he improved his game against older competition. He never lost sight of his OHL dream despite going undrafted at the under-16 level. "You just have to keep moving forward and do what you do and get better every day," Havusic said.
Reflecting on his minor-midget season with the Toronto Nationals, Havusic acknowledged the lack of exposure. "I kind of got buried," he said. "Our team didn't get much exposure. Sometimes, you'd look in the stands and there wasn't one scout." Instead of discouraging him, the snub fueled his determination. "When I saw everyone get drafted U16, it was a little bit of motivation to do better," Havusic added. "I knew I had to up my game. I think my confidence has gotten way better."
After a strong U18 major-midget season, the Spitfires selected him, and he continued to develop with Stouffville. "It's always better to play against older guys," Havusic said of the OJHL. "It's a bigger challenge. It maybe pushed myself to be more competitive to be able to play that heavier game with bigger kids. Play that grittier game."
Despite missing significant time with a broken collarbone last season, Havusic returned for the playoffs, and Bowler saw enough to believe he can contribute at the OHL level. "Size and physicality are important in hockey, but it's generally hard to find in hockey," Bowler said. "When you see Hamza's growth and improvement, that's an intriguing player."
While Havusic may not replace the scoring of Jack Nesbitt or Ethan Belchetz, he brings size to the lineup and is not afraid to use it. "Windsor's usually a bigger team," Havusic said. "I think I definitely should bring that to the next level, and it should be my role to use my size. A lot of players have that size and skill, but don't use it. That can be the best part of my game. I think I play a 200-foot game and I want to be very physical, bring my size and hockey IQ, playmaking, and also my speed."
