by John Humphrey
The stellar play of star defenceman Carson Woodall continues to be one of the biggest reasons that the Windsor Spitfires have been at or near the top of the Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference standings for most of the 2025-2026 season.
The 19-year-old from Belle River is in his third full season with the Spitfires after being the team’s 10th round pick, 202nd overall, in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection.
As of mid-February, he had 11goals and 47 assists in 55 games during the 2025-2026 campaign. Those impressive stats figure prominently not only among the leading scorers for the Spitfires, but among the entire OHL.
Woodall, who is 5’11, weighs 180 lbs and shoot left, has ample opportunities most games to notch a point or two or stop the opposition from scoring as he plays on the Spits’ top powerplay and penalty-killing units in addition to taking a regular shift.
Woodall’s current stats are a significant improvement over his previous two seasons with the Spitfires, when he scored six goals and added 23 assists in 57 games during his rookie season, and then three goals and 35 assists in 66 games during the 2024-25 OHL season.
At one point during the current OHL season Woodall was actually tied for the league scoring lead when he had 19 points in 14 games. That was last October.
And just like his play on the ice, he was quick to identify his style – one that continues to catch the eyes of not only Spits fans but also opposition teams and their fans.
“I think I am a smart player and have a high hockey IQ,” he claimed, matter-of-factly. “I see the ice well, I can distribute the puck, and my breakout passes are good as well.
“I think that I have improved defensively this season and I’m a good powerplay guy too,” he continued. “I’ve been among the league leaders in powerplay assists and points for most of the season and I am very proud about that.”
Drafted by the Spitfires at age 15, Woodall played one season with the LaSalle Vipers of the then-Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL – now the Greater Ontario Hockey League – GOHL) before making the jump to the Spitfires on a full-time basis in the 2023-2024 OHL season.
While playing in LaSalle with the Vipers, Woodall was named the GOJHL’s rookie of the month for November after scoring five goals and 13 points in 10 games enroute to scoring 10 goals and 36 points in 44 games
“During my season in LaSalle, (Vipers icon) Patrick McManus had a big influence on me both on and off the ice,” he admitted. “He was a veteran on the team and since we were both from Belle River, he would often give me a ride both to and from the rink.
“Brady Hamlin and Spencer LeCot, who was our team captain, were also also big influences” Woodall continued. “Matt Beaudoin was our coach, and he was great too.
“That was an amazing season in LaSalle,” Woodall offered. “Everything that I accomplished with the Vipers, I owed to my teammates and the coaching staff.”
Not all of Woodall’s big goals and assists in recent years have been limited to the hockey arena. He founded Woody’s Hoodies, a clothing company that raises awareness of local cancer research and donates portions of sales to local cancer charities, including the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation and Hospice, while working in collaboration with Play for a Cure. Goodall was inspired to create Woodies after witnessing the cancer battle of both of his grandmothers (Nana O’Brien and Nana Woodall).
Woodall scored another big off-ice goal this season when he announced that he would be attending Boston College in 2026-2027 to not only launch his post-secondary studies but also continue playing hockey at a high level, as he will be suiting up for the Eagles. The affable Woodall attended four different secondary schools during his high school days. Going to a new school next fall won’t be difficult for him to excel in.
Prior to rejoining the Spitfires for his third season this past fall, Woodall attended the Edmonton Oilers’ development (rookie) camp, an experience he will not soon forget.
“It was an amazing experience and I learned so much not only from the coaching staff, but also from the veteran players,” said Woodall who scored an assist in a 6-5 Oilers loss in a rookie game against the Calgary Flames. “I saw how (Leon) Draisaitl and (Connor) McDavid treat their bodies and how they show up to the rink.
“I was really impressed by how humble they are,” he continued. “I was a 19-year-old free agent and Draisaitl came up and talked to me like we had known each other for years.
“Overall it was an incredible experience and I learned a lot from it.”
With the end of his junior hockey career only weeks or months away, a focused and determined Woodall had difficulty putting his near future into perspective. Woodall remained motivated to accomplish as many feats as possible with the Spitfires, the team he had grown up idolizing.
“Guys always told me their junior hockey days flew by, and I never believed them, but now I do,” he said. “I achieved my dream of playing with the Spitfires, and I want that dream to end by winning as much as we possibly can.”