Windsor Spitfires [Champs!]

**Downriviera** · May-09-09, 05:23 PM

Congrats to the Windsor Spitfires on winning the Ontario Hockey League Championship. Best of luck to them in the Memorial Cup tournament.

Stosh · May-09-09, 05:28 PM

Glad they made it in. I haven't followed them that much in recent years, since I stopped going to Whalers games in Plymouth. I loved it when they were at the Joe years ago as the Jr. Wings.. Always a great show back then.

The Spits are a great franchise in the OHL. I liked the old Windsor Arena.

Do you know where the Memorial Cup is being held this year?

**Downriviera** · May-09-09, 08:54 PM

Rimouski

http://mastercardmemorialcup.com/

Stosh · May-09-09, 08:59 PM

It's too bad it wasn't the OHL's turn this year, or do they still do that rotation?

I was always hoping that the Whalers would have made it to the championship one year when it was the OHL's turn, just so they would have to have it in Plymouth/Canton. I wouldn't even buy a ticket, just would go watch the Canadian fans go freaking nuts in the parking lot.

They are pretty serious about their hockey. Not Canadian = Not good.

**Downriviera** · May-09-09, 09:56 PM

They still rotate it. I'm sure Windsor will get it at some point since they have a new arena. I was hoping they would have had it at the Joe when the Jr. Wings played there. You're right, those Jr Wings games were great. Sometimes they had 18,000 at those games. Sure, they gave away tickets, but still, people had to pay to park, buy stuff, etc. A lot of the bars and restaurants got extra business. Then Ilitch kicked them out. That was at least 35 games plus playoffs that drew people downtown and they threw it away.

**Downriviera** · May-09-09, 10:03 PM

The Memorial Cup site is picked in advance and has nothing to do with winning the league championship. The host team gets an automatic entry. Sometimes the host team has a lousy season and people then complain that they are not worthy of being in the tournament. On more than one occasion the host team had a bad season and ended up winning the cup. Its the hardest trophy to win. Can you imagine the Wings winning all four rounds of the playoffs and then having to play a round robin tournament with 3 other teams. Thats grueling.

**reddog289** · May-10-09, 01:22 AM

Congrats to the Spits.

**Andrew in Windsor** · May-11-09, 08:14 AM

Yes the Memorial Cup rotates.

Windsor built a new arena on the far eastern edge of town on the suburban border.

The Spitfires are the front runners [[with the new arena and all) to host the Memorial Cup in 2011, next year it will be in Brandon, Manitoba for the Western Hockey League's turn.

**yupislyr** · May-11-09, 11:45 AM

No doubt few [[if any) across the border saw any of the London/Windsor playoff series but that was some of the best playoff hockey ever.

Windsor won it in 5 games but every game went to OT and on multiple occasions both teams were able to come back from 2 or 3 goal deficits.

**Downriviera** · May-23-09, 10:51 AM

After losing the first 2 games in the Memorial Cup Tournament, the Spits have won 3 do or die games in a row and find themselves with a berth in the final against the Kelowna Rockets tomorrow. No team has ever won it after losing the first 2 games. The Memorial Cup is the hardest trophy to win in sports. Go Spits.

**Downriviera** · May-24-09, 09:55 PM

Congrats to the Windsor Spitfires on winning the Memorial Cup. Great game, scoring on the first 3 shots. Way to go Spits.

**reddog289** · May-25-09, 01:28 AM

Glad to hear that, gives me more a reason to get back into OHL Hockey.

**FlyingJ** · May-25-09, 11:03 AM

the Kelowa Rockets aren't slouches, either-they started as the Tacoma Rockets & played in the Dome, they set some WHL records before moving to B.C. where they won the Cup...their mascot is Ogopogo, the Ojanagan Lake Monster , upon the shores which Kelowna lies

**douglasm** · May-25-09, 04:05 PM

It's Lake Okanagan. I wonder if they spell it differently [[it's Okanogan down here in Washington) to avoid confusion. It's the Okanagan river that flows into Lake Osoyoos at Osoyoos, BC, but it's the Okanogan River that flows out at Oroville, WA. It's beautiful country in the Sunny Okanagan, and if you ever get the chance, it's worth a visit.

For some reason [[besides the Tacoma Dome is a lousy hockey venue) the Tacoma Rockets didn't draw well, except when they were playing the Seattle Thunderbirds, when they'd pack 13,000 into the Dome. Given that the WHL has become big enough to have an entire division in the Western Conference made up of U.S. teams [[Seattle, Tri-Cities, Portland, Spokane, Everett) I've always been a bit suprised that the Rockets didn't make it financially.

DetroitDad · May-25-09, 05:43 PM

Go windsor!

**FlyingJ** · May-25-09, 06:34 PM

Douglasm-nah, that was a typo...the Sabrecats were another Tacoma Dome hockey team that had poor draw[[WCHL-both team logos featured the TacomaDome which I believe is the largest wooden arena in the world, maybe that's a curse?) Have you been to a T-Birds game since they moved to that Indian casino? [[I wonder if that makes the Moose Jaw Warriors, Spokane Chiefs & Winterhawks players nervous?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Sabercats

**douglasm** · May-25-09, 07:01 PM

No I haven't. I'm in Central Washington [[closer to Wenatchee than Moses Lake) and going across the passes in winter is something I avoid. BTW, ShoWare Center [[named after a software company, natch) is owned by the city of Kent. I did live in Seattle in the late 70's for a bit and caught the Seattle Breakers a couple of times at the Mercer Street Arena.