The Windsor Spitfires have signed another piece of their retooled offence.
The OHL club announced Tuesday afternoon that it had picked up a commitment from centre Pasquale Zito. He is signed to a standard OHL Player and Education Package.
Zito, 16, is from Ottawa and the Spits' second-round pick in this year's OHL Priority Selection. Last season, he scored 28 goals for 45 points in 52 games for the Mississauga Rebels Minor Midgets.
Spitfires general manager and part-owner Warren Rychel said Zito is an essential two-way player who will endear himself to Windsor fans.
"He's a 200-foot player that can score and play a physical brand of hockey," said Rychel. "On top of that, he's good in the faceoff circle, responsible in his own zone and I love his worth ethic.”
Zito's capability to come through in the clutch was evident in last month's OHL Gold Cup. Playing for the GTHL Blue squad, Zito scored the game-winner in their come-from-behind, 5-4 gold medal game.
The signing of Zito is the third over the course of a week. Windsor signed its first-round pick Wyatt Johnston last week, and on June 15 signed Egor Afanasyev, a product of last year's trade of goalie Michael DiPietro to the Ottawa 67s. Afanasyev was drafted last weekend by the NHL's Nashville Predators.