Nate Windle is the latest Stouffville Spirit graduate to make a commitment for the 2025-26 season.
The two-year defenceman/forward is enrolling at Royal Military College in Kingston, where he’ll play for the Paladins in U SPORTS and the OUA.
Windle will begin his journey in the Canadian Armed Forces when he takes basic training in St. Jean, PQ in June. There’s a family tradition involved.
“I have a grandfather (Brian Windle) who served in the Navy, so he’s very very proud of that,” Windle said. “This presented me with a great opportunity to go to school and get a good education while going somewhere close enough to my parents as well as my other relatives.”
“(Stouffville) gave me an opportunity to excel at the next level. There were a lot of great teaching moments, especially this last season. Off the ice, that just made hockey a lot more fun. It was probably the best year of my life.”
The Aurora resident had been considering other schools when RMC entered the picture around mid-season.
“They reached out and were really interested in me right away,” he said.
Windle is going the air force route with an eye on working in logistics.
“It’s going to be fun, dealing with budgeting, financial aid and working right in the field I’m interested in.”
Windle signed with the Spirit two summers ago after playing 10 games in Stouffville as an affiliate player while with the Jr. C Alliston Hornets during the 2023-24 season.
Windle, who turns 21 on May 31, looks back on his two seasons with the Spirit.
“It was amazing,” he said. “They gave me an opportunity to excel at the next level. There were a lot of great teaching moments, especially this last season. Off the ice, that just made hockey a lot more fun. It was probably the best year of my life.
“The team was just an amazing group of guys from all the way from TJ (Hill), the head coach to Joey (O Callaghan) the equipment manager and everyone in between. We would be talking and hanging out all the time. It just felt like such a team. Obviously it ended not the way we wanted, but it was one of the best seasons for sure.”
While in Stouffville, Windle was able to pivot between his spot on the blueline and the forward units, as requested.
“(The coaches) came up to me and said ‘We’re short and we need a guy to play forward for a little bit.’ I’m a guy who will always do whatever it takes or whatever the coach needs. So. I was like ‘yeah, I can do it for you.’
“So then they got really comfortable with it (during my first year.) And this year, they started me on defense and then I started moving back and forth whenever we got short again. They had a lot of confidence in me and in my game, TJ would always tell me.”
RMC has only talked to Windle about playing defence, “but once again, whatever the coach needs… I’m okay with that,” he said.
Coach Hill will miss Windle.
“Nate is the ultimate team player,” he said. “Works hard every day and is always dialed into the details. He was a pleasure to coach in Stouffville and we are very proud of him and wish him all the best at RMC.”
Windle has been hitting the gym and training with ex-NHLer Mike Vernace and the Sikura brothers, Dylan and Tyler, this spring.
“Nate is the ultimate team player. Works hard every day and is always dialed into the details. He was a pleasure to coach in Stouffville and we are very proud of him and wish him all the best at RMC.”
Stouffville’s Connor Prestwich (Burlington, Cobourg) was one of several Ontario Junior Hockey League alumni on RMC’s roster last season,
Other graduating Spirit players to make commitments include:
- Evan Breckles, Concordia, Wisconsin (NCAA Division III)
- Jacob Martineau, Albertus Magnus (NCAA Division III)
- Hayden Sabourin, TMU (OUA, U SPORTS)
The Spirit will open its main training camp in mid-August.
The Ontario Junior Hockey League regular season is expected to begin in early September.
