OHL claims Spitfires’ benefit and recruitment rules violation included multiple players

As we previously reported, the OHL has handed the Windsor Spitfires a $400,000 fine and stripped them of five draft picks because they “violated the League’s Player Benefit and Recruitment Rules and Policies.”

The Spitfires have since released a statement in response to the league’s punishment, which has been published on CTV.

The Spitfires “completely deny all accusations that have been put forward.” They also plan to “pursue all avenues of appeal.”

They remain confident that the OHL’s decision will be overturned.

Meanwhile OHL commissioner David Branch has spoken to Jeff Marek, who reported that the Spitfires’ violation involves multiple players and the investigation dates back to 2010.

Some of the prominent players that have been with the Spitfires at some point during the past few years include Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, Ryan Ellis, Cam Fowler, and Zack Kassian.

This comes just a month after it was revealed that the OHL Kitchener Rangers are suing the Michigan Daily student newspaper over a claim that top-tier prospect Jacob Trouba was offered $200,000 to play with the Rangers in 2012-13 instead of the Wolverines.

Kitchener CEO Steve Bienkowski denies the allegations that the student paper made and claimed that the story “damaged” them.