The Spitfires were almost out for the count but when the chips were down they stepped up their game.
RIMOUSKI, Que. -- The Windsor Spitfires' historic season was capped with one of the most unlikely comebacks ever seen in the Canadian Hockey League.
Long considered the favourites heading into the tournament, the Spitfires' chances seemed closer to none than slim after losing the first two games. But Windsor bounced back to win three straight (including a tiebreaker) heading into Sunday's MasterCard Memorial Cup final against the undefeated Kelowna Rockets.
The Spitfires became the first team in history to win the Memorial Cup after losing the first two games of the round robin, having to go through the dreadful tiebreak game en route to the final.
The Victoriaville Tigres of 2002 were the only other team to have gone through the tiebreak and reached the final prior to this year's Spitfires, but Victoriaville lost to the Kootenay Ice in the championship game. The Memorial Cup only recently introduced a day off between the semifinal and final three tournaments ago in Moncton, N.B. which may have played a factor in Windsor's ability to gain momentum and rest.
The irony behind Windsor's comeback is that the Rockets, who appeared to have nothing to play for in their final round-robin game on Tuesday with their final bye already determined, lost to the team they could have eliminated.
Kelowna said all the right things after the game but they didn't play with the same effort level as they had in the first two games. The Rockets were met by the boo-birds in Sunday's final as the fans at the Colisée determined they had thrown the last game against Windsor, which made for a heavy pro-Windsor crowd.
The victory was special for a number of Spitfires players after a remarkable season a year ago turned tragic with the sudden death of captain Mickey Renaud. Renaud's old No. 18 jersey was always present during their Ontario Hockey League championship and Memorial Cup title.
Ben Shutron, Scott Timmins and Josh Unice were all bridesmaids at last year's tournament, losing in the final as members of the Kitchener Rangers. The trio got back to the final and made good on their second opportunity.
"I knew we had the group to do it even before the tournament started," Shutron said during the post-game celebration. "It's such a great feeling."
The Spitfires played their best game of the tournament Sunday, showing the kind of offensive dominance they exhibited all throughout the year. Windsor scored three goals in the first seven and a half minutes and the Rockets were never able to recover.
It's a disappointing end to a wonderful season for the Rockets. Kelowna shocked the junior hockey world when they knocked out the heavily-favoured Calgary Hitmen in the WHL finals.
Many thought the WHL was in for a dream final with their two biggest market teams, Calgary and Vancouver, who both finished first in their respective conferences in the regular season. Kelowna played spoiler by taking out the Giants in the Western final before doing likewise over the Hitmen in the championship series.
While the season ended in disappointing fashion, nothing can be taken away from Kelowna's impressive run. After getting off to a slow start this season, the Rockets found their success with goaltender Mark Guggenberger. Although he might be remembered for his disappointing play in the final, he was rock solid throughout the post-season and one of the biggest contributors to the Rockets' WHL championship.
The Drummondville Voltigeurs, meanwhile, got a lot out of their injured players in this tournament. The Voltigeurs were ravaged by injuries in the tournament and in the Québec Major Junior Hockey League championship series against the Shawinigan Cataractes. As their head coach, Guy Boucher, readily admitted, Drummondville simply ran out of gas.
Drummondville was a team that wouldn't go away on most nights. Their win over Rimouski in the final round robin game was impressive considering how badly they were outshot. Their season hung in the balance in overtime against the Spitfires in Friday's semifinal where a rebound goal by Adam Henrique ended their season. The franchise made a lot of progress this season and speculation arose that Boucher will soon be moving up to professional hockey.
The tournament host Océanic were the first team knocked out after losing to the Spitfires in the tiebreak. Their season was mired with injuries and inconsistent play but their performance in the Memorial Cup was impressive. A couple of bounces in either of their final two games and Rimouski could have been moving on. They will be remembered for their terrific hospitality, raucous crowd and gritty play.
Sportsnet.ca's Memorial Cup awards
Tournament Most Valuable Player: Adam Henrique, Windsor Spitfires
Although Taylor Hall was named the MVP, Henrique was the star leading the attack for Windsor. He scored the game-winning goal over Drummondville in the semifinal and started the scoring in Sunday's final. Known more for his stellar defensive play, Henrique's two-way play was instrumental in helping the Spitfires win their first Memorial Cup championship.
Top Forward: Adam Henrique, Windsor Spitfires
Henrique tied Kelowna's Jamie Benn for the tournament scoring lead with nine points but takes the top forward nominee based on his clutch performances. Benn simply didn't step up his play in the championship game when his team needed him most. Henrique was the energetic triggerman for the Spitfires and provided a reliable defensive presence. The New Jersey Devils have a gem in Henrique who is looking like a steal as a third-round pick.
Top Defenceman: Ryan Ellis, Windsor Spitfires
While there were many great candidates for this nomination, most notably Drummondville's Dmitry Kulikov and Kelowna's Tyler Myers, Ellis stood out in spite of not posting gaudy offensive totals. As mentioned in Saturday's column, Ellis may have increased his draft stock at this year's tournament and was a force in all ends of the ice. His dynamic slapshot helped seal the victory for the Spitfires late in the second period. The question now is whether his play in Rimouski makes him a top-10 National Hockey League draft pick this summer.
Top Goaltender: Marco Cousineau, Drummondville Voltigeurs
When his team needed a win in Wednesday's round robin game against Rimouski, Cousineau stole the show. He left something to be desired in the loss to Kelowna but was at his best against the Océanic and again against Windsor in the semifinal. He gave his team an opportunity to win most nights and had the ability to rebound after a deflating loss to Kelowna.
