Ontario Junior Hockey League resident writer Ron Valentine is profiling the 2025-26 team captains across The OJ.
BY RON VALENTINE
The Stouffville Spirit will not have a captain this season.
Instead, the first-place team in the OJHL East recently named four players as assistant captains for the 2025-26 campaign: forwards Zackary Corte, Evan Breckles, Jacob Martineau and defenceman Logan Sitlani.
The Toronto-born Corte, 20, is in his fourth season in Stouffville. The Soo Greyhounds draft pick played his minor hockey with the Ajax /Pickering Raiders. This has been a breakthrough season for him as he has already surpassed his previous high of 36 points. Zack is currently tied for second in OJHL goal-scoring with 23 and third overall on the team with 37 points.
Breckles, also 20 years old, is a Stouffville native whose father, Bob, is director of player personnel for the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs. Big brother Jacob, a defenceman, also skated for the Spirit before playing for Cobourg and Wellington and then attending Division lll Adrian College.
Evan had 25 goals and 49 points last season, his second in the league and is on a pace to top that this time around with 26 points. He has reached the 100-point mark in his junior career.
Martineau, the third 20-year-old, was born in Quebec and is playing in Season 2 in Stouffville. His junior hockey debut came in 2022-23 with the Drayton Valley Thunder of the AJHL. In his minor hockey he posted big numbers for College de Levis and Norwich hockey club U18 AAA in Connecticut. Jacob and super-rookie Hudson Armstrong are currently tied with 39 points to lead the team.
Sitlani, 19, is also a Stouffville native son. He started his junior career as a callup for the Haliburton County Huskies then became a Wellington Duke where he spent two seasons before becoming a member of the Spirit. He had 28 points from the blueline for Wellington in 2024-25 and sits at 20 so far this season, including three goals, all on the powerplay.
Head coach T.J.Hill on his four A’s: “I have had the pleasure of coaching Zack in all of his four seasons with the club. He is Spirit through and through. It’s been fun watching him grow as a player and as a person. He has become more consistent, more mature and he has great leadership skills.
“Evan is a great leader not only on the ice but also in the local community. He has grown up a ton. If you hear a voice anywhere around the dressing room it’s more likely than not to be Evan’s.
“Since Hockey Canada allows only three A’s each night, Jacob and Logan alternate. Jacob is fearless;, he will go into the dirty areas and, for the most part, he leads by example. Though he is a good goal scorer I appreciate his play over 200 feet with and without the puck.
“Logan is back home and he understands what it takes to win and he always backs up his words with his play. He’s full of positive vibes and an anchor for our defence. All of the four bring their own unique talents to form a positive group. I’m very happy with them.”
Corte is a newbie with a letter: “I have never worn a letter throughout my hockey career so I’m happy that the management and coaching staff have the confidence in me. I’ve played for two great captains, in David Paglia and Odaro Ewere, They were standout guys on and off the ice, head and shoulders above the others.
“This season we have a great leadership group and several other players without a letter on their jerseys and that has helped us with the success we have had. Before the season started I was talking with Eware and Riley Pope and I told them my goal was to beat their points output and that’s what I’m working towards but I know that any personal success will be because of what we are able to accomplish as a team. (Eware had 159 points and Pope 127 over three seasons in Stouffville. Corte has 132 points).
Breckles also has not been part of a leadership group in the past: ” I’m really enjoying it and winning is a real plus. At the beginning of the season, with it being my last in junior, I was not really sure what to expect from the team but everyone has bought in and we have got the results we were looking for. It takes will and commitment and we have it. Personally I’ve been working on the defensive aspect of my game as I’m looking forward to getting a Division lll hockey scholarship.
“I did not set myself any personal goals this season as such except to help the team as much as I can on and off the ice. For my first couple of seasons as a right winger I was sometimes too lazy and I didn’t look around enough to see things developing. As a more complete player I’m excited about what we can do this season especially since we have some tougher road games coming up in the second half. I see part of my role as being a vocal guy who can get teammates up when things are not going the way we want and also not letting them become too complacent.”
Corte, Breckles and Martineau have been selected to play in the OJHL’s U SPORTS showcase. Two teams of elite 20-year-old players who will compete in front of Canadian university coaches on Monday, Dec. 8, at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa.
The Spirit (23-6-0-0) – ranked No. 6 in the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Top 20 this week – are home to the Aurora Tigers tonight to kick off the second half of the OJHL season. Game time is 7:30 at the Stouffville Arena.
Follow Ron Valentine on X @ronandlynda
