The way they did it deserves some praise.
Regardless of what you think of the Windsor Spitfires, the way they marched to their second straight Memorial Cup title was impressive. There’s no other way to say it.
After losing three straight games to open the Western Conference Final against the Kitchener Rangers, the Spitfires went on a 12-game winning streak to finish the year. The 12 wins included four against a tough Rangers team as well as four more against the Barrie Colts in the OHL Final.
And what a way to go out for some of the Windsor players.
Harry Young, the anchor of the Spitfires blueline, capped off his OHL career following the win over Brandon on Sunday night. Young is one of the more unheralded players on the Spitfires roster.
When talking about the group of defensemen the Spitfires boast, names like Ryan Ellis and Cam Fowler come up. Mark Cundari’s name is another that comes up often.
A rock on the blueline, Young was a steady influence.
Dale Mitchell returned from the AHL for another shot at a title. The 21-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs prospect started the year with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL and wasn’t expected back. All he did after his return was bolster an already-potent offense.
And Scott Timmins. Along with having one of the best playoff beards in all of junior hockey, Timmins is Mr. Everything. It doesn’t matter if it’s killing off a lengthy 5-on-3 or scoring a big goal, Timmins is the kind of player you want on the ice.
And what about Taylor Hall? Say what you want about him, he’s one of the most highly-skilled players in junior hockey and he showed it in leading the Memorial Cup in scoring. And that’s after getting run over by Brandon Wheat Kings defenseman Travis Hamonic in the opening game.
Who can forget the contributions of Cundari, Adam Henrique, Greg Nemisz, and Eric Wellwood? All four, also likely played their final games of junior hockey in the Memorial Cup win.
Regardless of whether you love or hate the Spitfires, their accomplishments of the 2008-09 and 2009-10 OHL seasons was certainly something to watch
