In the Tampa Bay Lightning’s most recent draft class, there seemed to be a slightly more focused effort on bringing a bit more truculence into the organization. Ethan Czata, their second round pick, is a skilled forward that has a bit of an edge to his game. The same goes for one of their seventh-round picks from the 2025 draft, Grant Spada. Unfortunately, players that rely on physicality often cross the line, and that happened to the 6’5″ defenseman as he earned a three-game suspension from the OHL due to a cross-check that led to a match penalty against Sault Ste. Marie last Friday.
He was immediately suspended for two games after the match while the league reviewed his hit on Penguins prospect Travis Hayes. He missed the Storm’s game against Flint on Saturday, and will now sit out for their games against Windsor and Kitchener this weekend.
It’s been a solid season for the big defender who has 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) in 15 games for Guelph. That matches the 18-year-old’s entire offensive output from last season and he’s only a month into the season. He’s also racked up 38 penalty minutes already, which includes (according to Hockeyfights.com) three fights. That is something to keep an eye on as the OHL has what is referred to as the three-fight rule.
Once a player has been involved in three fights for a season, each subsequent fight could earn a suspension. There is some wiggle room when it comes to opponents instigating the fight, but he is someone that the league will be keeping an eye on as the season rolls on for a few more months.
There is a very fine line between being physical and being reckless, and young players like Spada need to learn where it is as soon as possible. Being known as a player that will punish an opponent that carries the puck into the zone can be effective. A forward might decide to just dump the puck into the zone as opposed to carrying it in if they know Spada or another big defenseman is going to make them pay with a big hit. What isn’t effective is spending time in the press box due to suspensions.
Finding and staying on the right side of that line can be the difference between a NHL career and washing out in juniors. Many talented, physical players have washed out because they couldn’t adjust. A suspension this early in the season could serve as a lesson for Spada, and he can learn from it. There is also the possibility that he veers too far in the other direction and becomes hesitant to play his game because he fears more discipline. Finding the pocket between physical and destructive is just as much of a skill in hockey as skating and shooting.
Spada had a very good showing in his first prospect showcase with the Lightning this past summer. Even as one of the younger players in the tournament his physicality stood out whether it was boxing out in front of the net or pinning opponents against the boards to take them out of the play. There is a lot of refinement still needed in his game, and the best way he can get that is by staying on the ice.