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Windsor Spitfires
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The Windsor Spitfires are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was granted for the 19751976 season and revived a previous OHA Jr. A Spitfires team which disbanded in 1953.
HistoryThe Original Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey Association played Junior A hockey from 1945 to 1953. During this period the Spitfires reached the league finals twice, and featured four future Hockey Hall of Fame players. Prior to 1945 local junior hockey was divided up into the 6-team Windsor Junior Hockey League. The folding of the Spitfires occurred in 1953 as hockey interests in Windsor chose to focus their attention on the OHA Senior A Hockey League. This resulted in the founding of the Windsor Bulldogs. Eventually five former Spitfires laced up with the Bulldogs and even one, Bobby Brown, won an Allan Cup with the team (1963). The Bulldogs folded in 1964 after one season in the International Hockey League.
The modern Windsor Spitfires started as a Junior A team which played in the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League from 19711975. The Spits won the 1973 Jack Oakes Trophy as league playoff champions and were regular season champions in 1974 and 1975. The Spitfires were granted entry into the OMJHL (later known as the OHL) as an expansion franchise for the 1975-76 OMJHL season, after a 22 year hiatus.
The "Spits" as they are commonly known, won their first Emms division title in 1980 and reached the OHL finals, but lost to the Peterborough Petes. Ernie Godden set an all-time OHL record in 198081 scoring 87 goals. In 1984 Peter Karmanos, the founder and CEO of Compuware, bought the team and renamed them the Windsor Compuware Spitfires.
In a well executed four-year plan, Windsor won the J. Ross Robertson Cup in 198788, defeating the Peterborough Petes for the OHL championship. The Compuware Spitfires won 35 of their last 36 games played, including being the first team to be undefeated in the OHL playoffs. Windsor also won 54 games and lost none, when leading after two periods. The Spitfires played in the 1988 Memorial Cup hosted in Chicoutimi, Quebec. Windsor lost in the championship game to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Karmanos sold the team to local construction magnate Steve Riolo after the 198889 season, and the team reverted back the Windsor Spitfires name and adopted their modern logo.
Conflict and renewalOn October 18, 2005, Head Coach Moe Mantha was handed a 40 game suspension and later terminated without pay, for a hazing incident that occurred aboard a bus after a pre-season game versus the London Knights. An altercation involving players Steve Downie and Akim Aliu, in which Aliu lost four teeth, led to public exposure of the compulsive hazing within the Spitfires organization. Downie was traded to the Peterborough Petes, and Aliu was traded to the Sudbury Wolves.
On April 6, 2006, the Ontario Hockey League Board of Governors announced the approval of a new ownership group for the Windsor Spitfires. The group is composed of Bob Boughner, Warren Rychel and Peter Dobrich. All three men have history in Windsor with OHL hockey, and the group hopes to move the team into a new arena in the near future. Boughner will assume the roles of President and CEO of the Spitfires, Rychel will be Director of player development, and Dobrich its new Business manager.
Mickey RenaudOn the afternoon of February 18, 2008, team captain Mickey Renaud died at Windsor Regional Hospital in the emergency room after collapsing at his home in Tecumseh, at the age of 19. The cause of death has not been released pending the autopsy. Renaud was a 2007 draft pick of the Calgary Flames. The Windsor Spitfires retired his number # 18 the following day, with banner raising plans set for September 2008.
ChampionshipsThe Windsor Compuware Spitfires won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy, the J. Ross Robertson Cup, and were the top-ranked junior team in Canada during the 198788 season.
Memorial Cup
- 1988 Finalist vs. Medicine Hat Tigers
J. Ross Robertson Cup
- 1948 Finalist vs. Barrie Flyers
- 1950 Finalist vs. Guelph Biltmores
- 1980 Finalist vs. Peterborough Petes
- 1988 Champion vs. Peterborough Petes
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Hamilton Spectator Trophy
Division Trophies
SOJAHL Jack Oakes Trophy
- 197374 Playoff Champions
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CoachesList of coaches with multiple season in parentheses.
- 197073 Jerry Serviss
- 197375 Wayne Maxner
- 197576 Doug Johnston & Wayne Maxner
- 197680 Wayne Maxner (8)
- 198081 Ron Harris & Ron Carroll
- 198182 Marcel Pronovost (2)
- 198283 Marcel Pronovost, Doug Imrie, John Becanic
- 198384 Bob Boucher, Terry McConnell, Wayne Maxner
- 198485 Mark Craig
- 198586 Tom Webster (8)
- 198687 Tom Webster, Jim Rutherford, Tony McDonald
- 198789 Tom Webster (8)
- 198991 Brad Smith (3)
- 199192 Brad Smith, Wayne Maxner, Dave Prpich (3)
- 199293 Wayne Maxner, Kevin McIntosh
- 199394 Shane Parker
- 199495 Mike Kelly (5)
- 199596 Mike Kelly & Paul Gillis
- 199697 Paul Gillis (2)
- 199798 Vern Stenlund, Dave Prpich, Tony Curtale
- 199899 Tony Curtale (2) & Dave Prpich
- 199902 Tom Webster (8)
- 200203 Tom Webster & Mike Kelly
- 200304 Steve Smith & Mike Kelly
- 200405 Mike Kelly
- 200506 Moe Mantha, Jr., Bill Bowler & D.J. Smith (interim co-coaches)
- 2006present Bob Boughner
PlayersThere have been over 100 alumni of the OHA & OHL Junior A Spitfires who have graduated to play in the National Hockey League. Four of those alumni have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Those are:Glenn Hall, Marcel Pronovost, Terry Sawchuk, and Al Arbour as coach.
Retired numbers
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Honoured numbers
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Award winners
NHL alumni- Original Spitfires 19451953
- SOJHL Spitfires 19711975
- Modern Spitfires 1975Present
Current roster| Goaltenders |
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| Number |
| Player | Catches | Acquired | NHL Rights | Place of Birth |
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| 1 | | Andrew Engelage (OA) | L | 2005 Draft | Free Agent | Oshawa, Ontario | |
| Defencemen |
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| Number |
| Player | Shoots | Acquired | NHL Rights | Place of Birth |
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6 | | Ryan Ellis | R | 2007 Draft | Eligible 2009 | Freelton, Ontario | |
13 | | Rob Kwiet (OA) | L | Trade MIS 2008 | Free Agent | Toronto, Ontario | |
17 | | Jesse Blacker | R | 2007 Draft | Eligible 2009 | Toronto, Ontario | |
51 | | Mark Cundari | L | 2006 Draft | Free Agent | Woodbridge, Ontario | |
55 | | Harry Young | R | Trade GUE 2006 | NJ 2008 | Windsor, Ontario | |
| Forwards |
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| Number |
| Player | Shoots | Position | Acquired | NHL Rights | Place of Birth |
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4 | | Taylor Hall | L | C | 2007 Draft | Eligible 2010 | Kingston, Ontario | |
14 | | Adam Henrique | L | C | 2006 Draft | NJ 2008 | Burford, Ontario | |
19 | | Andrew Yogan | L | C | 2007 Draft | Eligible 2010 | Boca Raton, Florida | |
22 | | Richard Greenop | R | RW | 2005 Draft | CHI 2007 | Oshawa, Ontario | |
28 | | Jacob Lalonde (OA) | L | LW | Trade SSM 2008 | Free Agent | Thunder Bay, Ontario | |
29 | | Conor O'Donnell | L | LW | Trade BRA 2007 | Free Agent | Hamilton, Ontario | |
44 | | Justin Shugg | L | LW | Trade OSH 2008 | Eligible 2010 | Niagara Falls, Ontario | |
61 | | Austin Watson | L | LW | 2008 Draft | Eligible 2010 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | |
64 | | Greg Nemisz | R | C | 2006 Draft | CGY 2008 | Courtice, Ontario | |
67 | | Eric Wellwood | L | LW | 2006 Draft | Free Agent | Oldcastle, Ontario | |
71 | | Dale Mitchell | R | RW | Trade OSH 2008 | TOR 2007 | Mississauga, Ontario | |
89 | | Josh Bailey | L | C | Trade OS 2006 | NYI 2008 | Bowmanville, Ontario |
Team records| Team Records for a single season | | Statistic | Total | Season |
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| Most Points | 102 | 198788 | | Most Wins | 50 | 198788 | | Most Goals For | 396 | 198788 | | Least Goals For | 201 | 200304 | | Least Goals Against | 205 | 200708 | | Most Goals Against | 470 | 197576 |
| Individual player records for a single season | | Statistic | Player | Total | Season |
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| Most Goals | Ernie Godden | 87 | 198081 | | Most Assists | Bill Bowler | 102 | 199495 | | Most Points | Ernie Godden | 153 | 198081 | | Most Points, rookie | Cory Stillman | 101 | 199091 | | Most Points, defenceman | Joel Quenneville | 103 | 197778 | | Best GAA, goalie | Andrew Engelage | 2.57 | 200708 | | Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played |
Season-by-season resultsRegular season- 194653 Original OHA Spitfires
- 198489 Windsor Compuware Spitfires
Legend: OTL = Overtime loss, SL = Shoot Out Loss
Playoffs- 197374 Won Jack Oakes Trophy as SOJAHL Champions.
Defeated by Wexford Raiders in OHA Championship 4 games to 3. - 197576 Out of playoffs.
- 197677 Defeated Kitchener Rangers 3 games to 0 in first round.
Lost to St. Catharines Fincups 4 games to 2 in quarter-finals. - 197778 Lost to Hamilton Fincups 9 points to 3 in quarter-finals.
- 197879 Lost to London Knights in a 9 games series in quarter-finals. Series protested and both teams moved on.
Eliminated in semi-final round-robin vs. Niagara Falls Flyers and London Knights. - 197980 Defeated Niagara Falls Flyers 4 games to 1 in quarter-finals.
Defeated Brantford Alexanders 4 games to 3 in semi-finals.
Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 0 in finals. - 198081 Defeated Brantford Alexanders 8 points to 4 in division semi-finals.
Lost to Kitchener Rangers 9 points to 1 in division finals. - 198182 Defeated Niagara Falls Flyers 6 points to 4 in first round.
Lost to Kitchener Rangers 8 poins to 0 in quarter-finals. - 198283 Lost to North Bay Centennials 6 points to 0 in first round.
- 198384 Lost to S.S.Marie Greyhounds 6 points to 0 in first round.
- 198485 Lost to London Knights 8 poins to 0 in first round.
- 198586 Defeated Kitchener Rangers 8 points to 2 in first round.
Finished quarter-final round robin vs Guelph Platers and North Bay Centennials in second place (4 points).
Lost to Guelph Platers 8 points to 4 in semi-finals. - 198687 Defeated S.S.Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 0 in first round.
Defeated Hamilton Steelhawks 4 games to 0 in quarter-finals.
Lost to North Bay Centennials 4 games to 2 in semi-finals. - 198788 Defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 0 in first round.
Earned bye through quarter-finals. 1st place in Emms division.
Defeated Hamilton Steelhawks 4 games to 0 in semi-finals.
Defeated Peterborough Petes 4 games to 0 in finals. OHL CHAMPIONS
Finished Memorial Cup round-robin in first place, earned berth in finals.
Lost to Medicine Hat Tigers 76 in championship game. - 198889 Lost to Niagara Falls Thunder 4 games to 0 in first round.
- 198990 Out of playoffs.
- 199091 Defeated London Knights 4 games to 3 in first round.
Lost to Niagara Falls Thunder 4 games to 0 in quarter-finals. - 199192 Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 3 in first round.
- 199293 Out of playoffs.
- 199394 Lost to S.S.Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 0 in division quarter-finals.
- 199495 Defeated Sarnia Sting 4 games to 0 in division quarter-finals.
Lost to Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 2 in quarter-finals. - 199596 Lost to Detroit Whalers 4 games to 3 in division quarter-finals.
- 199697 Lost to Sarnia Sting 4 games to 1 in division quarter-finals.
- 199798 Out of playoffs.
- 199899 Defeated Kitchener Rangers 21 in 8th place tiebreaker.
Lost to Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals. - 199900 Defeated Sarnia Sting 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals. - 200001 Defeated Owen Sound Attack 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals. - 200102 Defeated S.S.Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Guelph Storm 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Erie Otters 4 games to 1 in conference finals. - 200203 Lost to London Knights 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
- 200304 Lost to London Knights 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
- 200405 Defeated S.S.Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to London Knights 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals. - 200506 Lost to Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
- 200607 Out of playoffs.
- 200708 Lost to Sarnia Sting 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Uniforms and logosThe Windsor Spitfires use jerseys in the white, red & blue colours with the current logo (top of page), with the white jerseys being used on the road until the Christmas and at home in the new year and the red jerseys being used at home until Christmas and on the road in the new year. The Spitfires briefly used a third jersey featuring a white, red and green colour scheme and an alternate logo featuring an airplane flying in front of the Ambassador Bridge. When the team was also known as the Compuware Spitfires the team's colours were brown and orange, with a logo featuring a Spitfire airplane. The original Spitfires logo featured a maple leaf.
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Third Logo |
Compuware Spitfires Logo |
Original Spitfires Logo |
SOJHL Spitfires Logo |
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ArenaThe Spitfires play home games at the Windsor Arena, built in 1924 in downtown Windsor, Ontario. The arena was originally known as the "Border Cities Arena" and was once home to the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL prior to 1927. The Windsor Arena, nicknamed "The Barn," is the oldest operating facility in the Canadian Hockey League. It hosted the OHL All-Star game in 1978, and the Memorial Cup in 1981.
- Capacity = 4,400
- Ice Size = 195'Χ80'
- - The OHL Arena & Travel Guide
The Spitfires announced on October 7, 2006 that a new arena has been approved by city council to be ready for the 200809 OHL season.
See also
External links- Official web site
- Official web site
- Official web site
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