THE CANADIAN PRESS

BRANDON, Man. -- Windsor Spitfires forward Taylor Hall shook off a face-first collision with the end boards to score two goals in the opening game at the MasterCard Memorial Cup, helping to open the floodgates in a 9-3 rout of the host Brandon Wheat Kings. Adam Henrique and Scott Timmins also finished with two goals apiece for the defending champions on Friday night, who grabbed control of the game within the first three shifts and never looked back. Spitfires forward Dale Mitchell had one goal and two assists in the rout, which flirted with a long-standing tournament record.

No team has scored more than 11 goals in a single game at the Memorial Cup, and none have reached that mark in 30 years, since Regina romped to an 11-2 win over Cornwall on May 8, 1980.

The Spitfires are aiming to become only the fifth team to repeat as champions, and the first in more than a decade, since the powerhouse Kamloops Blazers won in 1995.

Windsor arrived in Brandon having swept three of the four opponents it faced in the OHL playoffs. The Spitfires were not perfect, though, requiring a remarkable four-game rally to edge the Kitchener Rangers in the best-of-seven conference final.

"We have a lot of leaders in our room, a lot of determination," Hall said a couple of hours before Friday's game. "And when teams come at us, full-bore, I think that's when we're at our best."

Brandon never attacked Windsor at full-bore, or even at half-bore, for that matter. The Wheat Kings barely seemed to get out of the dressing room before they were down a goal, and they were on the path to a blowout before the game was five minutes old.

Windsor scored four times in the first 4:45 of the first period. The explosion seemed to have its spark in a potential disaster for the Spitfires, when Hall was sent on a collision course with the end boards 30 seconds into the game.

Hall, widely expected to be among the first two selections made at the NHL Entry Draft next month in Los Angeles, was chasing the puck deep into the offensive zone. Wheat Kings defenceman Travis Hamonic knocked Hall off-balance with a shoulder check, and the star prospect crashed face-first into the boards.

Hall emerged with a cut on his forehead and a bloody nose, and the Spitfires immediately sought revenge. Kenny Ryan struck first, 90 seconds later, after a quick turnaround in the neutral zone.

Windsor then hit for three goals in an 80-second span, capped with a highlight-reel move by Hall. The 18-year-old pulled the puck between his skates as he glided through the slot, beating overmatched Brandon goaltender Andrew Hayes.

The Wheat Kings had not played a meaningful game in 20 days, having been knocked out of the WHL playoffs by the Calgary Hitmen. A little rust might have been expected, even for a team that led its league with 321 goals over the regular season, but Brandon seemed rusted to the point of inertia against Windsor.

Jacob De Serres replaced Hayes to start the second period, but allowed a goal on the first shot he faced. Henrique launched a rocket to the glove side, which gave the Spitfires a 6-0 lead that would never be threatened, sending the crowd of 5,378 quietly into the night.