The newest member of the Windsor Spitfires says he feels like "it's the right fit' for him.
Shane Wright was introduced to the media Tuesday, a day after the Spitfires acquired the star forward in a trade with the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs.
Wright says he really feels like Windsor is the right fit to come win a championship.
"My goal here is to help win a championship, help bring a Memorial cup to Windsor and also develop myself as a player and be able to take the jump into Seattle next year as well," he says.
It's been a whirlwind season for Wright as he started the season in the NHL with the Seattle Kraken, who took fourth overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
He only played eight games in the NHL before being sent to the Kraken's American Hockey League affiliate and then eventually back to the OHL.
Wright says Windsor is a very talented team with a lot of guys who can play a lot of roles.
"The management as well has proven that they can produce winning teams and cultures in the room, another big thing is they develop NHL players and develop guys who are ready to jump into the NHL to take that next step. For me, combining all those reasons was the real determining factors for choosing here," he says.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Tim Cornett (Windsor Spitfires)
Wright most recently captained Team Canada to a gold medal victory at the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship in Moncton and Halifax, collecting 4 goals and 7 points in seven games.
Wright says it's been a crazy few days since the tournament ended.
"Trying to figure out what was the right fit for me, the right situation to come into. Talking to the agents, talking to the general managers and stuff, just trying to figure out where is the best fit. Definitely a busy couple of days, a lot of phone calls but I think at the end of the day I made the right decision, I'm happy to be in Windsor," he adds.
Wright and the Spitfires will be on the ice Thursday at home to the Saginaw Spirit.
AM800 has the broadcast starting at 6:50 p.m.