OHL lessens recruiting punishment against Spitfires

The Ontario Hockey League has reduced its sanctions against the Windsor Spitfires for recruitment violations after meeting with club officials Friday.

The league said in a statement the Spitfires admit violating the league's recruitment policy and as a result of their co-operation in this matter commissioner David Branch was reducing the penalties against the club.

Under the new sanctions, the Spitfires will be fined $250,000 and lose first-round draft picks in 2013 and '16 as well as second-round selections in 2015 and '17.

As a result, the Spitfires won't appeal the decision. Both the league and team have declined to elaborate on the nature of the violations throughout the process.

On Aug. 10, the league slapped the Spitfires with a $400,000 fine, the steepest in OHL history.

The Spitfires were also to forfeit first-round picks in the 2013, 2014 and 2016 as well as second-round selections in 2015 and 2017.

The Spitfires captured consecutive Memorial Cup titles in 2009 and 2010, becoming just the eighth team in Canadian Hockey League history to do so.

Last season, Windsor finished eighth overall in the OHL's Western Conference standings before being swept 4-0 by the London Knights in the opening round of the playoffs.