Ladd Up For The Challenge With The Windsor Spitfires

Grayson Ladd knows the past two seasons haven’t gone as he planned, and he’s ready to take a bigger role, and face the challenge of bouncing back this season with the Windsor Spitfires.

Part of the OHL’s 20 in 20 Summer Spotlight article series featuring the Windsor Spitfires looked at the team’s now deep blueline, with a focus on Ladd.

“I had a bit of a tough season last year with injuries, but I’ve loved my time in the league with both Kitchener and Windsor,” Ladd said in the article. “When I came here me, (Louka) Henault and (Nathan) Staios were all rookies and so we’ve kind of grown together through both success and failure. With all of us a year older and a couple new signings on the team we think we’re a group that other teams should be worried about and I know we’re all eager to get going.”

Passed over in the NHL draft this year, Ladd, who hails from Kent Bridge, had 2 goals and 18 points in 48 games for the Spitfires last season.

Ladd, who is ready to prove his critics wrong, has been looking to Windsor Spitfires assistant coach Mike Weber, who played in the NHL, to guide him along the way.

“Webby is a really good coach,” Ladd said. “He played pro so he knows what he’s doing. He knows what he’s talking about and he knows all the new stuff and has connections. He works probably 95 percent of the time with us after practices and we do stuff with him whether it’s focused on shooting, working the line or working on improving our communication. It’s really paying off for us.”

The Windsor Spitfires open their 2019-2020 OHL season September 21 against the Peterborough Petes at home.