The Windsor Spitfires will have to make do without two of their players for the rest of this season.
The team announced Friday afternoon that forward Kyle McDonald and defenceman Grayson Ladd will be out for the remainder of the 2018-19 campaign after both suffered what the team called season-ending injuries during a 4-2 win over the Battalion in North Bay Thursday night.
Dave Ducharme, media and public relations coordinator for the Spitfires, told BlackburnNewsWindsor.com that Ladd was injured when he was cross-checked into the boards. McDonald was injured when he fell into the boards and collided with a North Bay player in the process.
There is no further comment on the extent of the injuries, but general manager Warren Rychel said the situation would undoubtedly pose a challenge in the last six weeks of the regular season.
“These injuries definitely hurt us going forward as we push for playoff positioning,” Rychel said. “Both these kids are a big part of our future plans. Taking the right steps to get them healed up is the focus right now.”
Rychel said both players will be examined by team physicians next week to see if surgery will be needed as part of their recovery.
Thursday was a bittersweet milestone for Ladd, 17, who was playing in his 100th OHL game. Ladd played in 48 games this season with two goals and 16 assists. He had six penalty minutes and held a plus-15 rating.
McDonald is in his first year with the club. The 16-year-old scored four goals and 11 assists, with ten penalty minutes through 39 games this year.
The rest of the Spitfires will carry on Friday night as their annual northern Ontario swing continues. They will field 11 forwards and five defencemen, with Sean Allen's return, in Sudbury against the Wolves.
Grayson Ladd of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.