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Windsor Spitfires Forwards Liam Greentree, Ilya Protas, and AJ Spellacy Recalled To AHL

Windsor Spitfires Forwards Liam Greentree, Ilya Protas, and AJ Spellacy Recalled To AHL

Yahoo25-04-2025
© Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Windsor Spitfires forwards Liam Greentree, AJ Spellacy, and Ilya Protas are headed to the AHL after the Spitfires were eliminated in the second round of the OHL playoffs.
Greentree will join the Ontario Reign, Spellacy the Rockford IceHogs, and Protas the two-time defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears.
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Protas was second in OHL scoring and led the Spitfires in goals (50) and points (124) in 61 games this season before adding five goals and 20 assists in 12 playoff games.
A third round selection of the Capitals in 2024, Ilya is the younger brother of Washington forward Alexei Protas.
Spellacy notched 18 goals and 37 points in 62 games this season and three points in five playoff games before suffering an injury.
The 19-year-old was a third round selection of the Blackhawks in 2024.
Greentree recorded 49 goals and 119 points in 64 games this season, finishing third in OHL scoring. He had 14 goals and 24 points in 11 playoff games.
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The captain of the Spitfires for the last two seasons, Greentree was selected 26th overall by the Kings in the 2024 draft.
The Reign are down 1-0 and the IceHogs are up 1-0 in their respective best-of-three first round matchups while the Bears have a bye into the Atlantic Division Semifinals.
It remains to be seen how much of an impact each player will have in the Calder Cup playoffs but given their great combination of size and skill it would not be surprising to see Greentree and Protas play meaningful minutes. Spellacy will be an interesting decision given the injury he dealt with throughout the OHL playoffs.
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Check out The Hockey News' Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, and Chicago Blackhawks sites for more insight on each team.
Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.
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Top 25 Penguins Prospects, 15-11; Scrappers & Physicality with NHL Expectations
Top 25 Penguins Prospects, 15-11; Scrappers & Physicality with NHL Expectations

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time15 hours ago

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Top 25 Penguins Prospects, 15-11; Scrappers & Physicality with NHL Expectations

Just one year ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect pool beyond the top 10 was a smattering of potentials who were longshots, but in 2025, the list includes a pair of players who played large roles for their teams at the World Junior Championships and a former long shot who earned an NHL entry level contact after proving himself at the AHL level. PHN has already detailed the top prospects: Prospects 25 to 21 Prospects 20 to 16 You can also visit the Penguins Prospects page to view all prospects coverage and rankings. The list is somewhat preliminary, as trades this summer could add prospects to the list as Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas makes a few of his veterans available to teams who need scoring wingers or a three-time Norris Trophy-winning defender. As the deepening pool stands, one or all of the prospects from 11 to 15 could very well get at least one shot in the NHL. A pair of scrappers bookend this part of the list. Penguins Prospects 15-11 A little spark plug who didn't take no for an answer. Hayes is not a big winger, and is just 5-foot-10, 179 pounds. He's not an elite skater, nor a sniper. However, the undrafted free agent from the OHL forced his way into the Penguins organization with tenacious, scrappy play with a good amount of offense. Last season, Hayes was part of the roster rotation in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The right wing was on an AHL contract and was necessarily behind the Penguins' prospects on the depth chart. By midseason, coach Kirk MacDonald admitted the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coaches had a conversation with WBS general manager (and Penguins AGM) Jason Spezza to advocate for Hayes being in the lineup every night. 'Eventually it got to the point where we were all just talking–we were both like, this guy can't come out of the lineup, like this is crazy,' said MacDonald. 'He was outstanding again for us in the second half of the year. All our young guys really were, but (the young guys) did such a great job carrying the load for us a lot of the time and scoring big goals, and Hazy was a big part of that.' Hayes, 22, continues to exceed expectations, and an NHL shot, probably at some point this season, is the next step. Last season, he had 23 goals with 42 points in 60 games. Pieniniemi, 20, is on a unique journey to the NHL. After being drafted in the third round (91st overall) in 2023, he played one full season in the top Finnish league in 2023-24 before moving to the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs to adjust to the North American game. Pieniniemi divided amateur scouts. Some wouldn't have drafted him until the late rounds, while others had a higher grade than the third round, which speaks to Pieniniemi's inconsistency. He had a lackluster development camp in 2023, but earned spots on Team Finland in the 2024 and 2025 World Junior Championships. 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