The Ontario Hockey League regular season opens up this week and the defending Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfires enter the season as the team to beat again.
And why not? Look at the lineup they have coming back.
The Spitfires boast 15 returning players from their Memorial Cup run last season, including the core of the team in left wing Taylor Hall and defensemen Ryan Ellis, Harry Young and Jesse Blacker. Add rookie defenseman Cam Fowler and 18-year-old import centre Richard Panik to the mix and the Spitfires have made up for their graduations from last season.
One question mark for the team, much like heading into last winter, is their goaltending. The Spitfires entered the 2008-09 season with Andrew Engelage as their starter and despite criticisms, the overage goalie was solid in leading the team all season long.
Similarly, the Spitfires enter this season with overage Josh Unice as the starter. Unice, picked up in the trade that brought in Ben Shutron from the Kitchener Rangers prior to the trade deadline, posted a 7-5 record in 12 games with the Spitfires. That was after struggling with the Rangers in the first half of the season.
The Spitfires also plan to at least start the season with an unproven rookie as the backup for Unice. 19-year-old Troy Passingham will start the year with the Spitfires. It’s a similar situation to last season when the team opened the season with Steve Gleeson as the backup before making the deal to bring in the veteran Unice.
In the Eastern Conference, the Barrie Colts enter the season among the teams to beat. The Colts added overage forward Luke Pither from the Belleville Bulls to an already veteran lineup during the off-season.
Add Pither to a group of forwards that includes Washington Capitals prospect Stefan Della Rovere and Anaheim Ducks prospect Josh Brittain and scoring will not be a problem in Barrie.
Defensively, the Colts open the season with seven defensemen on their roster with OHL experience. Matt Stanisz and overager Ryan Gottschalk anchor a blueline while sophomore Ryan O’Connor will be looking to improve on a solid rookie season.
In goal, 18-year-old Peter DiSalvo will take over the starters job after the trade of Michael Hutchinson during the off-season.
The Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors are expected to challenge the Colts for top spot in the East. A veteran-laden roster, Mississauga will be solid defensively and in goal with J.P. Anderson and Chris Carrozzi. Scoring will be an issue but there is enough talent up front that it shouldn’t be a major (no pun intended) issue.
(Originally run at www.sootoday.com)
