For the Windsor Spitfires, seeing fourth-round pick Ryan Hanutke walk into the WFCU Centre on Saturday for the team’s orientation camp can only be viewed as a positive. The skilled centreman made the trip from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, a journey of nearly 1,000 kilometres and more than nine hours by car, to attend the two-day event.
GM Bowler Emphasizes Importance of Getting Prospects In
“Kids have options, so anytime we get an athlete or player into our community and get to meet our people, I’m really confident they’re going to want to be a part of what we’ve done here in the past and where we’re going to be in the future,” Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler said.
Hanutke flew to Detroit and then drove to Windsor, a route that underscored the logistical challenges of recruiting American talent. The 5-foot-8, 174-pound centre led prep powerhouse Shattuck-St. Mary’s to the USA Hockey National Tier I 15 and over championship this year, topping the 10-team tournament in scoring with 15 points in six games, including a four-point performance in a 5-4 win over the New York Saints in the final.
A Prospect with High Hockey IQ
“Just a smart hockey player with a great hockey IQ,” Bowler said. “A point producer.” Hanutke’s on-ice performance—38 goals and 97 points in 57 high-end games this season—suggests he would have been selected much higher than No. 79 overall in the OHL Draft had he been an Ontario-born player.
Hanutke expressed his excitement about being drafted by Windsor. “I’d been in touch with them for sure and I wasn’t really surprised, but I’m glad I got drafted here,” he said. “I was definitely really excited to get drafted here and it was kind of a relief, too.”
Camp Focuses on Familiarization, Not Evaluation
The orientation camp was not a talent evaluation project but rather a chance for the team to touch base with players and their families. “It’s a big deal for us to get to see the families and we’re excited,” Bowler said. The camp also gave prospects like Hanutke an opportunity to learn about the organization and the community that could become their future hockey home.
Hanutke noted similarities between Chippewa Falls—a town of under 15,000 people on a lake—and Windsor. “We live on a lake, so we’re on the water a lot and there’s a golf course on the lake,” he said. “It’s a nice area. Seeing the kids here and meeting the guys that got drafted and the staff and seeing what it’s like to be here and the culture.”
Competition for Hanutke's Commitment
Hanutke was also selected by Omaha in the United States Hockey League and Wisconsin in the North American Hockey League and has spoken with both teams. However, Windsor appears to have the edge at this point. Bowler remains confident that once prospects experience the Spitfires’ environment, they are likely to commit. “Sometimes just getting a prospect through the door can be the toughest part of recruiting,” he said.
