The Windsor Spitfires continue to build for their future with the 2019 OHL U-18 Priority Selection.
The draft took place Wednesday night and the Spits used three picks to address areas needing support over the next season or two.
With their first-round pick (fifth overall), the Spitfires took 17-year-old defenceman Aydin Parekh of Nobleton, Ont. Parekh, who stands 5'7" and weighs 176 pounds, split time last season between the North York Rangers of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League (OJHL) and the Mississauga Reps AAA of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). For the latter, he scored six goals for 13 points. He also scored two goals and had a plus-10 rating for the Toronto Junior Canadiens in the 2018 OHL Cup Showcase.
In the second round, with the 25th overall pick, the Spitfires took goaltender Matthew Tovell. He played for the Kingston Frontenacs AAA team last season, starting 19 games with a 2.74 goals-against-average. The Belleville, Ont. native stands 6'2" and weighs 174 pounds.
Windsor selected right-winger Eric Vitale with their third-round pick, at 45th overall. Vitale, 16, hails from Thornhill, Ont., standing at 6' 2" and weighing 161 pounds. He spent last season with the Toronto Junior Canadiens, scoring two goals for six points.
All three players are expected to be in Windsor this weekend for the Spitfires' annual mini-camp.