There’s a deep connection between the potential Memorial Cup-dueling Spitfires and Majors.
WINDSOR, Ont. -- Hockey players aren't the best liars.
'Moments after former Windsor Spitfires teammates Justin Shugg and Zack Kassian both denied chirping each other on the ice, they began to do so off it. Shugg, who stood near the back entrance of the WFCU Centre in Windsor, was talking to Kassian's older brother when he saw him coming.
Shugg, fresh off scoring the winning goal in the shootout for his Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, took one long look at Kassian before letting loose.
"Did you tie that tie yourself?" Shugg said. "That's bad."
It was nothing more than playful ribbing, which supposedly neither did while on the ice.
A MasterCard Memorial Cup championship brought them together a year ago, but an early-season trade split them apart. The Spitfires and Majors hooked up in a deal that sent Shugg and overage defenceman Marc Cantin to the tournament hosts. Coming back to the defending champs was 16-year-old stud defenceman Nick Ebert and -- in the second part of the deal months later -- the general manager's son, Kerby Rychel.
It was a move that seemingly precipitated the rebuilding phase for the back-to-back champion Spitfires. It gave those veteran players another chance at junior hockey glory while giving the defending champs two pillars to build around in their youth movement.
But months later, even those involved in the trade can't help but ask, "What If?"
"I think a lot of people are saying 'What if' in a Spitfires uniform," Shugg said. "Sure, I could be with the Windsor Spitfires competing for three (championships) in a jersey and a town and an organization that I love, but I have an opportunity with a new club and new faces and it's going to be exciting to try to win one here."
The rebuild that was so clearly set in motion didn't last. Windsor general manager Warren Rychel was in a difficult position less than four weeks ago. His team had two of the most sought-after assets on the trade market in Kassian and team captain Ryan Ellis, but his team was also overachieving.
It was the type of situation where Rychel was damned if he traded them, and damned if he didn't.
Rychel eventually held onto both players when the trade market failed to pay up. One of the teams in the sweepstakes was the Majors, but even they weren't willing to ante up for the duo in a year where they knew they would be playing for the Memorial Cup.
"The price was just completely ridiculous," Majors head coach and general manager Dave Cameron said.
Not so, says Rychel, who switched hats from a seller to a buyer when none of the teams were willing to meet his requirements in a trade.
The Majors, however, were willing to give three second-round draft picks for overage defenceman Michael D'Orazio, something which Rychel could not understand.
"One more second would have got him Ryan Ellis," Rychel said. "The prices weren't ridiculous at all. I've paid the price. I've been right in the middle of the market for two years. Trust me, I know what the prices are. (Cameron) went and did some 'B' deals and that's his choice."
Thursday's contest between the two teams did prove one thing: the Spitfires may have been better off holding onto Kassian and Ellis for a stretch run. Since the Majors are hosting the tournament, a finals berth for any Western Conference team may be enough to gain entry into this May's national championship.
The Spitfires led the Majors by two goals late in the third period, but Derek Schoenmakers scored twice to force overtime then a shootout. The Majors won on shootout goals by the two former Spitfires, Shugg and Cantin.
Despite seeing two players that helped lead his team to a second Memorial Cup last spring beat his team on Thursday, Rychel doesn't exactly lie in bed awake at night wondering what could have been.
"At the time, it was a great trade," he said. "Eight years (of service) for two years, that's what it comes down to. Hey, if I would have known this, would I have traded them? Probably not."
The trade may have come as a surprise to the players at the time, but the guarantee of playing for junior hockey's holy grail alleviated any hard feelings.
"We're guaranteed the Memorial Cup, but we're not guaranteed an OHL championship," Cantin said. "Change isn't always a bad thing either. It was great playing here. My time here was awesome, but I moved on and hopefully win a cup with Mississauga."
Cantin's shootout goal gave the Majors the insurance in the win after Ellis failed to keep his team alive in the final shot. Cantin, whose 12 career goals are dwarfed by Ellis' 65, will soak it in and chirp his friend turned rival.
"Yeah, I'm going to have to," Cantin said with a grin.
That's more like it.
