Spitfires’ Johnston remains humble in capturing OHL Red Tilson Trophy as league MVP

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Windsor Spitfires’ center Wyatt Johnston has become nearly as adept at avoiding attention off the ice as he is at eluding it on the ice.

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Few teams could keep track of Johnston on the ice this season as he became the first Spitfire in a quarter century to win an outright scoring title.

The post-season accolades have continued off the ice with Johnston picking up three major Ontario Hockey League Award culminated with Tuesday’s announcement that the NHL Dallas Stars’ prospect was named this season’s Red Tilson Award winner as the league’s most outstanding player in a vote by league media and broadcasters.

Always humble, the 19-year-old Johnston was quick to deflect the attention from the accomplishment to just about everyone else but himself.

“I have to thank so many people for helping me win this award,” said Johnston, who rattled off a lengthy list from family throughout the organization. “It’s a little weird with all the attention. It’s cool, but I don’t think it’s set in. It’s a really special thing.”

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Johnston beat out North Bay Battalion forward Brandon Coe for the award, who was the Eastern Conference nominee. Johnston received 73 per cent of the vote in conference selection and 80 per cent in final voting.

Johnston is just the fourth Spitfire to ever win the award joining defenseman Ryan Ellis (2010-11), center Ernie Godden (1980-81) and goaltender Glen Hall (1950-51).

“Wyatt is such an incredible young man,” OHL commissioner David Branch said before presenting Johnston the trophy at the WFCU Center. “The (award has) got a long illustrious history. Wyatt is just going to add to that history.”

Windsor’s first-round pick in 2019, Johnston had 30 points in 53 games as a rookie, but returned from a lost season due to COVID-19 to become the first Spitfire to win an outright scoring title in a quarter century this season while leading the entire Canadian Hockey League with 124 points in 68 games.

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“It’s been a special situation where I’ve been able to come here and to start coaching with the best player in the Ontario Hockey League,” said Spitfires’ first-year head coach Marc Savard, who won two league scoring titles as a player with Oshawa and is seventh on the league’s all-time scoring list.

“He’s amazing and all the little thing you see when you come watch, you’re so impressed. The way he’s stripping pucks, you don’t see that every day. He that’s the greatest players that are doing that. ”

While the OHL did not play in 2020-21, Johnston did see action at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship in Texas where he helped Canada win the gold medal for the first time since 2013.

Johnston was a little-know forward on the roster that continued to work his way up the lineup and showed enough for Dallas to make him a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. Both Savard and Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler agree it was that tournament that hinted that Johnston was on the cusp of becoming something special.

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“It’s not shocking and I’m not saying we knew this or predicted he would be the best player in the world at his age, but when I saw the way he performed for Team Canada, he was a different player,” Bowler said. “It’s a surprise to see how good he is, but knowing and seeing him play and practice, you knew this was coming. Every time he’s on the ice, there’s something good happening.”

Johnston had just eight points in the first nine games of the season, but scored 41 goals and added 116 points over the final 59 regular-season games.

“I was just trying to come into the league this year and do as much as I possibly could to help the team win,” Johnston said. “I didn’t know what to expect.”

The Red Tilson Trophy is the third major award Johnston has captured this season. He won the Eddie Powers Trophy as the league’s top scorer and the William Hanley Trophy as the league’s most sportsmanlike player. London Knights’ product Jason Allison was the last player to accomplish that feat in 1993-94. Ellis is the only Spitfire to previously take three major awards winning the Red Tilson Trophy, Mickey Renaud Captain’s Trophy and Max Kaminsky Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2010-11.

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“He’s just as tenacious when he doesn’t have the puck,” Bowler said. “Like any great player, it’s the hockey IQ. To pinpoint one reason, there’s a number of reasons and we’re fortunate to get to watch him.”

On Monday, Johnston picked up two goals in Windsor’s 6-3 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs that gave the club a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven league final. It boosted Johnston’s league-leading playoff point total to 37 points in 21 games. That gave him another club mark as he passed Taylor Hall’s 35 points in 19 games in 2010 to set a new Spitfire single-season playoff scoring record.

“Pretty cool with all the great players the Spits have had over years,” Johnston said. “I think we’re just more focused on winning games right now.”

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Hall’s mark was set the last time the Spitfires won the OHL title and Johnston is hoping this year’s team can accomplish the feat. The Toronto native has played a big role in getting the team to this point and Bowler, who is third in all-time scoring in the OHL, hopes fans can appreciate the chance to see him action.

“Wyatt doesn’t overpower you with size or strength, but he’s excellent at everything,” Bowler said. “You combine that with a hockey IQ that’s off the chart and then the character and the person, you end up getting what we have here and that’s a special player. This won’t come around for a long time. This guy’s the best player in the league.”

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