Logan Brown's first taste of the NHL came to an end on Wednesday as the Ottawa Senators returned him to the OHL's Windsor Spitfires after four games with the team.

Brown, the team's first-round pick in 2016, told the Windsor Star on Wednesday he was caught off-guard by the decision.

“I think it was a big surprise,” Brown said. “I felt confident (in the NHL) and thought I had proven myself in exhibition games, but I understand. It’s a tough league to make.”

The 19-year-old posted one assist in his four games with the Senators, but lamented his lack of ice time - averaging 8:08 of ice time per game. His lone assist came in the team's Saturday night victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, in which he logged a career-high 10:49 of time on ice.

“I thought in the one game I got ice (time), I did well,” Brown said. “It was tough not getting the ice time.

“I have to play and, if not here, I wanted to be sent back.”

Brown logged a team-low 6:03 of ice time in the Senators' overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday before his demotion. He could have played up to nine games with the team without burning a year off of his entry-level contract.

The Raleigh, N.C., native said a positive of being sent down will be the opportunity to play in at the world junior championship in Buffalo.

“That’s one of the things I talked about with Ottawa,” Brown said. “(Senators prospect Thomas) Chabot played in the NHL last year, got sent down and was the best player at world juniors. That tournament is marked on my calendar.”