DiPietro hoping to impress in Canada-Russia series

By Cody Wall

A Windsor Spitfire is preparing and hoping to stand out against Russia in a six-game event.

Spitfires’ goaltender Michael DiPietro has been selected to represent Canada in the annual Canada-Russia series across Canada. This is the second consecutive year DiPietro has been chosen to play in the series, making him the seventh goalie to compete multiple times in the Ontario Hockey League portion of the event in the tournament’s history.

“I’m really excited about it,” said DiPietro. “It’s going to be a great test. Last year I kind of got my feet wet in Sudbury.”

The series begins on Nov. 5 in Kamloops, B.C. and currently Dipietro is set to play in Game 3 of the series on Nov. 8 in Sarnia. This will be an excellent opportunity for DiPietro to stand out among his peers before the upcoming 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship in Vancouver. Last season DiPietro was one of the final cuts for the 2017 World Juniors and is hoping to make the team this year.

“Being a Vancouver prospect and the World Juniors being in Vancouver, it is something that means a little bit more to me,” said DiPietro. “I want to win gold and bring gold to Canada and do it in front of Vancouver fans.”

Since the Canada-Russia series began in 2003, more than 1000 players have competed in the tournament, several of whom have gone on to have successful NHL careers including John Tavares, Ryan Getzlaf and Nikita Kucherov, as well as goalies like Corey Crawford and Carey Price. DiPietro would like to be the next goalie to come out the of the OHL— as among the 31 goaltenders who have represented the OHL in the series, 41.9 per cent of them have gone on to play at least one game in the NHL.

DiPietro is in his fourth and likely final season with the Spitfires. However, it is only his second year playing under Spitfires’ Head Coach Trevor Letowski, who was a member of the 2017 World Juniors coaching staff. Despite the fact that he has never represented Canada at the World Juniors Letowski believes DiPietro has been a top goalie in the Canadian Hockey League for several seasons. Something he has shown through his accomplishments, including winning the Memorial Cup in the 2016-17 season and OHL Goalie of the year in the 2017-18 season.

“We feel like he has been at that level for a while now. He was part of it last year and he was pretty much the last cut for the national junior team,” said Letowski.

It is not only the Spitfires organization who think DiPietro has earned an opportunity to play for Canada at the World Juniors. Many fans feel DiPietro has been a huge factor for the team both on and off the ice since joining four years ago, including long-time Spitfires fan Greg Montgomery.

“He was a local kid that worked so hard to get to where he is and was so good,” said Montgomery. “He is always involved with the community and he is so humble.”

While DiPietro is preparing for the upcoming series he will still need to focus on the Spitfires’ season, as the Spits are scheduled for five games before he is set to play against Russia. However, Letowski believes if DiPietro can impress in the Canada-Russia series and represent Canada at the World Juniors in Vancouver it will be a special moment in his career.

“It’s going to be quite the experience if it can happen and I’m really hopeful that it does,” said Letowski. “What else could you ask for as a player, just being a Canadian and having the tournament in Canada it’s a huge thing and to have it in the place you were drafted.”