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104-790: The Windsor Spitfires are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team is based in Windsor, Ontario , Canada. Founded in 1971, the franchise was promoted to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for the 1975–76 season . An unrelated Windsor Spitfires team, founded in 1946, moved to become the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1953, and later became the Erie Otters in 1996. The original Spitfires in

208-739: A 5–1 win over the Plymouth Whalers . In the first round of the playoffs, the Spitfires walked all over the Owen Sound Attack , taking the series in four games. In the next round, the Spits found the Plymouth Whalers to be a more formidable opponent. After trading off-road wins, then trading off home wins, the Spits took Games 5 and 6 to clinch the series. In the Western Conference final, the Spits played their nemesis

312-608: A director with the Czech Ice Hockey Association , felt that Junior-aged players were enticed to play in North America before maturation, with a negative effect on the development of the player and the European system. He stated that of the 527 Czech Republic players who went to North American Junior hockey, only 22 of them played more than 400 NHL games. He sought to establish a European system that

416-720: A professional team, and are used by professional teams to develop their own prospects. One example of this is the J20 SuperElit league in Sweden or the Minor Hockey League in Russia . The lack of an amateur draft in Europe means that the onus is on the teams to sign the most talented young players they can get, and the presence of an affiliated junior team provides a place for young players who are not yet ready for

520-713: A record of 54-0 when leading after two periods. Having earned the right to represent the OHL in the 1988 Memorial Cup hosted in Chicoutimi , Quebec , the Compuware Spitfires advanced to the Championship game, where their string of success ended, losing to the Medicine Hat Tigers . Karmanos sold the team to local construction magnate Steve Riolo after the 1988–89 season, and the team reverted

624-653: A significant concentration of teams in the central and southwestern parts of the United States, although the league began to expand to east coast as of 2015. In October 2016, the Tier III United States Premier Hockey League , a league predominately located on the east coast, applied to USA Hockey for approval of a Tier II league to begin in the 2017–18 season, however, the league was denied that December and decided to operate its Tier II league independently. The NAHL, like

728-601: A six-goal deficit to defeat the Wolves 11–10. After trailing 7–1 only 2:49 into the second period, the Spitfires were able to chip the lead down to 9–7 by the second intermission. Charlie Skjodt scored to make it 9–9 to complete the comeback, just to have the Wolves score with 6:33 to go in the game to make it 10–9. Charles Bosnyak , a member of the 1974–75 Tier II Spitfires, scored 32 seconds later to make it 10–10 and captain Mark Perras scored with 43 seconds remaining to win

832-584: A strain on relationships between the leagues. There was some speculation that the IHL was intending to compete directly with the NHL, especially when a lockout in 1994–95 threatened to wipe out the NHL season. However, in the 1995–96 season, the IHL's "soft" salary cap was just $ 1.5 million, while the lowest NHL team payroll that season was $ 11.4 million. A Fall 1994 article in Sports Illustrated praising

936-660: A three-game deficit to win a playoff series, beating Rangers in each of the next four games to win the conference championship and the Wayne Gretzky Trophy . Notably, the Spitfires had recovered from a 3–0 deficit to win a playoff series once before, in a 2004–05 Conference Quarterfinal series against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds . In the league final, the Spitfires made quick work of a highly touted Barrie Colts squad, sweeping them in four games to win their second straight J. Ross Robertson Cup . Adam Henrique won

1040-817: Is currently the only Tier I league in the country, consisting of teams in the central and midwestern United States. The USHL provides an alternative to the Canadian Hockey League, which pays its major junior hockey players a stipend, for players who wish to maintain NCAA eligibility for later in their career. While playing in the USHL, all player expenses are paid for by the team; no membership or equipment fees are charged. Unlike major junior teams, free-college stipend does not exist. Historically, professional leagues have drafted less directly from USHL teams, although this trend has shifted in recent years, coinciding with

1144-613: The 1945–46 IHL season with four teams in Windsor and Detroit , and operated as semi-professional league. In 1947, a team from Toledo, Ohio , joined the league, and the following year the IHL expanded significantly, with teams in four additional U.S. cities. The expansion did not take hold, and for 1949–50, the league was back down to teams in Detroit and Windsor as well as two nearby Canadian cities, Sarnia, Ontario , and Chatham, Ontario . Windsor dropped out in 1950, and expansion into

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1248-721: The 2009 Memorial Cup , the Spitfires dropped their first two games in Rimouski 3–2 in overtime to the Drummondville Voltigeurs and 5–4 to the Rimouski Océanic . In a do-or-die game, the Spitfires won the final game of the round robin 2–1 over the Kelowna Rockets to gain entry to the tie-breaker game. In the tie-breaker, Windsor defeated the hometown Océanic 6-4 powered by a third period natural hat-trick by Dale Mitchell. The tournament semi-final

1352-959: The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) : The championship teams from each league, as well as a pre-selected host team, compete for the Memorial Cup in a round-robin tournament to determine a national champion. Major Junior players were historically deemed ineligible to play college hockey in the United States , because they were considered to be professionals by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Major Junior players retain their eligibility for Canadian universities however, and all three leagues have scholarship programs for players. The NCAA changed its position and decided that CHL players were no longer ineligible as of

1456-616: The Clarence Schmalz Cup which was first awarded in 1938. The Ontario Junior C playoffs are played for between six of the Province's seven different regional leagues. In Quebec and West of Manitoba, Junior C hockey tends to be an extension of the local minor hockey system and is sometimes called Juvenile or House League. In Ontario, Manitoba, and the Maritimes, Junior C is run independently of minor hockey systems, though with

1560-823: The Coupe Dodge in Quebec , the Don Johnson Cup in the Atlantic Provinces , and the Keystone Cup that represents all of Western Canada, from British Columbia to Northwestern Ontario . Junior C (Junior A in Québec ) generally consists of local competitions, but is considered competitive in some regions, and serve as seeding or farm-teams for Junior B teams. Ontario Junior C Hockey has six rounds of best-of-seven playoffs (up to 42 games per team) for

1664-944: The Dudley Hewitt Cup Eastern Canada playdowns was the Wexford Raiders of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League . Also on the line was the Ontario Hockey Association Junior A championship, the Buckland Cup. The Spitfires took game one in Rexdale with a 4–2 victory. Back in Windsor the next night, the Spitfires seemed to have the series in control with a 5–2 win. The Raiders had other things in mind, winning at home in game three 6–2 and then taking it to Windsor in their own arena 4–1 to tie

1768-675: The Edmonton Oilers and Coach Bob Boughner accepted an assistant coaching job with the National Hockey League 's Columbus Blue Jackets . The Spitfires have engaged in a massive overhaul involving many trades. During the exhibition season, the Spitfires hosted the Czech Under-20 National Team . The Spitfires came back to win the game 5–4. Spitfires finished the exhibition schedule with 4 wins 1 loss and 1 tie. After another successful season

1872-694: The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League has operated as an independent league in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. The league widely recruits players from outside of North America. In late 2016, the United States Premier Hockey League , an organization composed of several USA Hockey Tier III Junior as well as many youth hockey leagues, applied for a Tier II league. The Tier II status was denied in December 2016 but

1976-668: The Hamilton Spectator Trophy . The Spitfires also played their final games in the Windsor Arena . The Spits were undefeated at home in the Old Barn during the 2008–09 season. Mid-season they moved to the WFCU Centre . The Spitfires and their new arena played host to the 2009 All-Star Game. On May 12, Goalie Andrew Engelage broke the OHL record for most wins by a goaltender in a single season with 46 with

2080-730: The International Hockey League . The modern Windsor Spitfires started as a Tier II Junior A team that played in the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League from 1971 to 1975. The Spitfires first game as a franchise was in Guelph, Ontario , against the Guelph CMC's on October 1, 1971. The Spitfires lost the game 11–3, with Laurie Gregan scoring the first two goals in team history in the first period. Fifteen-year-old goaltender Larry Verlinde played

2184-728: The London Knights . Led by John Tavares , the Knights were a tough opponent. Every game in the series went to overtime, but the Spitfires were victorious and won the series 4-games-to-1 to earn a berth to the OHL Final and take the Wayne Gretzky Trophy as Conference champions. The OHL Final began with a 10–1 victory for the Spitfires over the Eastern Conference's Brampton Battalion led by stars Cody Hodgson and Matt Duchene . The series became much tighter from there as

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2288-505: The North American 3 Hockey League Some Junior ice hockey leagues operate outside the framework of governing bodies such as Hockey Canada and USA Hockey , typically due to disagreements with governing bodies over player recruitment policies and finances. These leagues are sometimes referred to as 'unsanctioned', 'rogue' or 'outlaw' leagues due to their lack of sanctioning or oversight from an outside governing body. Since 2006,

2392-610: The Pittsburgh Penguins . Windsor was selected as the host city for the 99th Memorial Cup championship, who won the right to host the tournament over undisclosed competition. In defeating the Seattle Thunderbirds by 7–1 in a round-robin game on May 21, 2017, the Windsor Spitfires tied a Memorial Cup record for the fastest 3 goals scored by a team in a single period (38 game seconds), matching

2496-534: The Plymouth Whalers in four games to win their Conference Semi-Final. In the other semi-final, the Kitchener Rangers upset the favoured London Knights in seven games. In the Conference Finals against Kitchener, Windsor initially struggled, losing the first three games of the series. However, the Spitfires went on to become the third team in Ontario Hockey League history to come back from

2600-619: The US . In 2023, the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) withdrew from the Hockey Canada framework, and thus became an independent league. In response, BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its Junior framework, which included an opportunity for some Junior B teams (styled "Junior A Tier 2" by BC Hockey) to be promoted to Junior A (styled "Junior A Tier 1" by BC Hockey) and eventually seek membership with

2704-587: The Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the playoffs' most valuable player. In May, the Spitfires traveled to Brandon, Manitoba , for the 2010 Memorial Cup . The Spitfires trampled the host Brandon Wheat Kings 9–3 in their first game of the tournament and, in their second game, scored a convincing 6–2 win over the Western Hockey League champion Calgary Hitmen . With their victory over the Hitmen,

2808-416: The "team captain that best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice as well as hard work, passion and dedication to the game of hockey and their community" in honour of Renaud. The Windsor Spitfires finished the 2008–09 season with 57 wins, 10 losses, and 1 shootout loss. This marked their best season in franchise history. With the first overall record in the Ontario Hockey League the Spitfires were awarded

2912-665: The 1950s, with another major expansion in 1959. In the 1962–63 season, the IHL played an interlocking schedule with the NHL-owned Eastern Professional Hockey League , which itself folded after its 1962–63 season. After 11 seasons as a strictly U.S.-based league, the IHL admitted two Canadian teams in 1963, with the Windsor Bulldogs and the return of the Chatham Maroons. Both teams dropped out after one season, however, and

3016-466: The 2025–26 season. The decision was made after a class action was filed on behalf of a player who was declared ineligible after having played two exhibition games in the OHL when he was 16 years old. The CHL places a cap of three 20-year-old players per team, and allows up to four 16-year-olds on each roster. While 15-year-old players were formerly permitted to play a limited number of games per season at

3120-770: The AHL as expansion teams for the 2001–02 season. Between them, they have played for the AHL Calder Cup seven times, winning four—including three in a row after their arrival. As well, the Cincinnati Cyclones was readmitted to the East Coast Hockey League , which hosted the team from 1990 to 1992 before it moved to the IHL. The Orlando Solar Bears (the final IHL playoff champions) and the Kansas City Blades were not admitted into

3224-438: The AHL because their owner, Rich DeVos , who also owned the Griffins, was allowed to own only one AHL franchise. The league's other two teams, the Cleveland Lumberjacks and Detroit Vipers , ceased operations along with the league. Two former IHL teams that moved to the AHL have since relocated: the Utah Grizzlies moved to Cleveland, Ohio , to become the Lake Erie Monsters (rebranded as Cleveland Monsters in 2016) in 2007 and

Windsor Spitfires - Misplaced Pages Continue

3328-536: The CHL level, they are now permitted to play only if they are deemed exceptional by Hockey Canada . As of 2024 , nine players have qualified under this rule: centre John Tavares in 2005, defenceman Aaron Ekblad in 2011, centre Connor McDavid in 2012, defenceman Sean Day in 2013, centre Joe Veleno in 2015, centre Shane Wright in 2019, forward Connor Bedard in 2020, forward Michael Misa in 2022, and defenceman Landon DuPont in 2024. CHL teams are currently permitted two "imports" (players from outside Canada and

3432-403: The CJHL. The league expected the evaluations to be completed during the 2024—25 season. Junior B (Junior AA in Québec ; Tier 2 in British Columbia ) was created in 1933, to differentiate between teams eligible for Memorial Cup competition and those who were not. The major championships across Canada are the Sutherland Cup in Southern Ontario , the Barkley Cup in the Ottawa District ,

3536-417: The Generals made it 7–0 at 11:29 of the second period. The two goaltenders combined for 30 saves, as the Spits were outshot 40–23. Rolly Hedges scored the first Major Junior goal in team history at 18:48 of the second period. On October 2, 1975, the Spitfires would tally their first ever Major Junior win. At home, the Spits were hosting the Sudbury Wolves . Despite being outshot 60–34, the Spitfires overcame

3640-403: The Houston Aeros moved to Des Moines, Iowa , to become the Iowa Wild in 2013. A third team, the Manitoba Moose, temporarily relocated to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador to become the St. John's IceCaps from 2011 to 2015. Three former franchises have been relaunched in lower-tier leagues since the IHL's demise. The Utah Grizzlies name was revived by the former Lexington Men O' War of

3744-422: The IHL and mocking the NHL only fueled the fire. In said article, IHL officials detailed plans to continue expanding the league to large markets in North America, as well as, "a six-team European league with franchises in England, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Sweden and France." In response, many NHL clubs shifted their affiliations to the AHL , and by 1997–98, only four of 18 IHL teams had NHL affiliations. With

3848-408: The Junior A British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) withdrew its membership with Hockey Canada and became an independent league. In 2024, the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) announced that it would also withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and become an independent farm league for the BCHL beginning in the 2024-25 season. In Europe, Junior teams are usually associated with

3952-405: The Memorial Cup tournament, the Spitfires hung Mickey Renaud 's jersey on their bench and the championship was won in Renaud's memory. In the aftermath of the championship, the team was met at the Windsor Airport by a large contingent of local fans and was addressed by Mayor Eddie Francis . It was announced that the road to the new WFCU Centre would be renamed Memorial Cup Drive in honour of

4056-437: The NHL's San Jose Sharks . A couple of days later, former Oilers assistant coach Rocky Thompson was hired as the Spitfires new head coach, with Trevor Letowski accepting the assistant coaching job after former assistant coach Bob Jones was hired by the Oshawa Generals as head coach. Boughner's new job seemed to be very successful, as he and former Spitfire Peter DeBoer lead the team to the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals, losing to

4160-726: The OHA and OHL Junior A Spitfires have graduated to play in the National Hockey League . Four of those alumni have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame : Glenn Hall , Marcel Pronovost , Terry Sawchuk , and Al Arbour as coach. Retired numbers Honoured numbers Junior ice hockey There are four levels of Junior hockey in the Canadian Club System: 1. Major Junior, 2. Junior A, 3. Junior B, and 4. Junior C. Not all teams playing in Canadian Junior leagues are based in Canada . As of 2024 , there were approximately twelve US-based teams playing in various Major Junior and Junior A leagues in Canada. In 2023, BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its Junior framework following

4264-410: The OHL's Western Conference Final, and they finished the playoffs with 20 wins against just 3 losses. Taylor Hall won his second straight Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as Memorial Cup most valuable player, making him the first repeat winner in the trophy's history. After two straight Memorial Cups , the Summer of 2010 saw leading scorer Taylor Hall go first overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft to

Windsor Spitfires - Misplaced Pages Continue

4368-424: The OMJHL (later known as the OHL) as an expansion franchise for the 1975–76 OMJHL season in February 1975. The league's board of governors unanimously accepted the Spitfires despite their arena's surface being smaller than Major Junior A standards. The Spitfires' had pumped $ 200,000 into the arena over the past two years, so the league overlooked the surface size despite taking issue with it in their 1974 rejection of

4472-504: The Ontario Hockey Association played from 1945 to 1953. The name Spitfires was chosen to honour the 417 Combat Support Squadron , a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron nicknamed "City of Windsor" established during World War II in England (today based at CFB Cold Lake in Alberta ), and used the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft. 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

4576-435: The SOJHL scoring title with 73 goals and 125 points over the course of the season. The Spitfires semi-final opponent was their cross-river rival Detroit Jr. Red Wings . The Red Wings had finished the season in fifth out of eight teams (31–25–6). The semi-final opened up at the Windsor Arena with a 7–1 win for the Spitfires. They were at the Detroit Olympia for game two, another romp for Windsor as they won 8–0. Back in Windsor,

4680-433: The Spitfires as head coach, with Bob Jones remaining on the staff as his assistant. On August 10, 2012, the Spitfires were fined an unprecedented $ 400,000 CAD by the Ontario Hockey League and forfeited five first round OHL Priority Draft picks in 2013, 2014, and 2016 and second round picks in 2015 and 2017 for unspecified recruitment violations. The Spitfires claimed innocence to the recruitment violations and plan to appeal

4784-528: The Spitfires clinched a berth in the Memorial Cup final. They did not need to defeat the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League 's Moncton Wildcats in their third and final round-robin game, but did so anyway, winning 4–3 in overtime. The tournament final saw the Spitfires play the host Wheat Kings for a second time. The Spitfires posted a convincing win once again, defeating the Wheat Kings 9–1 to clinch their second straight Memorial Cup. Their victory marked their twelfth straight win since going down 0–3 to Kitchener in

4888-446: The Spitfires defeated the Maroons in Windsor 4–3 to clinch the SOJHL playoff championship. Gary Armstrong would score yet another winning goal in the series. Before a crowd of 5,117 fans, team captain Hugh Mitchell hoisted the Jack Oakes Memorial Trophy to celebrate their playoff victory. The Spitfires were now in the hunt for the 1974 Centennial Cup , the National Championship of Tier II Junior A hockey. The first team in their way, in

4992-405: The Spitfires drew local rival Chatham Maroons in a best-of-seven league quarter-final. The Maroons, who finished third with 33 wins, 17 losses, and 6 ties, were favoured to win. The Spitfires' first playoff game took place on February 23, 1972, in Chatham, Ontario , for a 3–2 win over the Maroons to take a one-game lead in the series. Goaltender Bryan Rose made 35 saves in the winning effort, while

5096-431: The Spitfires fought to win a 6–4 decision in Windsor to tie the series at 7 points each and force a final eighth game - winner take all. The eighth game proved to be the Spitfires' last game of Tier II Junior A, as they traveled to Guelph and blew a 3–0 lead to lose the game (6–5) and the series (9-points-to-7) to end their four-year trek in the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League . The Spitfires were granted entry into

5200-417: The Spitfires needed to make a change. Future IHLer Tony Piroski and partner Jean Pominville had uninspired starts in games three and four and were replaced by third-string goalie, and future NHLer , Rick Heinz . Heinz had spent the season in Junior B with the Spitfires' farm team Windsor Royals and was new to the pressure of Junior A playoff hockey. The gamble paid off, as an inspired Spitfire squad won

5304-417: 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, composed of Bob Boughner , Warren Rychel and Peter Dobrich. All three men had history in Windsor with OHL hockey, and the group had expressed hope to move

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5408-628: The Spitfires were awarded their second straight Bumbacco Trophy . Taylor Hall tied Tyler Seguin of the Plymouth Whalers for the league's scoring lead, and both were awarded the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as scoring co-champions. The Spitfires also played host to the CHL Top Prospects Game . The Spitfires sent six players to the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships . Defenceman Ryan Ellis and forwards Taylor Hall , Adam Henrique , and Greg Nemisz played for silver medalist Canada, defenceman Cam Fowler played for gold medalist United States, and forward Richard Panik played for Slovakia. At

5512-406: The Spitfires won game three 9–2. At the Olympia for game four, the Red Wings attempted to stage some resistance, but the Spitfires were too much, winning 7–5. The four-game sweep of the Red Wings allowed Windsor to rest up for the winner of the Chatham Maroons and Welland Sabres , a series just starting. On March 16, 1974, the Spitfires engaged long time foe Chatham Maroons at the Windsor Arena in

5616-418: The Spitfires' expansion bid. On September 25, 1975, Major Junior hockey returned to the Windsor Arena for the first time in twenty-two years. In front of 4,335 fans, the Windsor Spitfires hosted the Oshawa Generals . The game would be an eye-opener for the Spitfires, as they were defeated 10–1 by the Generals. Wayne Mills started in net for the Spits, but would be later relieved by back-up Bob Parent when

5720-434: The Spits finished 4th in the Western Conference to advance to the playoffs. The Spitfires reached the Conference Final for the third consecutive year. Following two hard fought battles the Spits were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in three years by the Owen Sound Attack. The Attack went on to win the OHL Championship. After one season with the Columbus Blue Jackets as assistant coach, Bob Boughner returned to

5824-434: The Spits to a second straight regular season title with a record of 40 wins, 15 losses, and 5 ties, 11 points ahead of the second place Welland Sabres (30–16–14). John Tavella won the league scoring title with 54 goals and 117 points and goaltender Floyd St. Cyr led the league with the fewest goals against. The Spitfires' first opponent in the playoff semi-final was the last place Detroit Jr. Red Wings (15–38–9). At home,

5928-399: The Spits took Game 2 5–3. The Battalion fought back in Game 3, winning 4–2. Game 4 belonged to the Spitfires as they took a 4–1 win and a 3–1 series lead. Game 5 was a tight affair, as the Spitfires took a 1–0 lead midway through the second period on the power play. Brampton tied the game up late in the third period to force overtime. At 2:09 of the first overtime period, Taylor Hall scored on

6032-402: The Spits took game one 11–2. Back at the Detroit Olympia , the Spits won 8–2. Again in Windsor, the Spits took game three 10–1. The Spits had the chance to clinch in game four, but the Red Wings refused to let their season end in front of their Detroit faithful winning 5–3. Game five, in Windsor, Ian Campbell would score a late third period tally to break a 2–2 deadlock and send the Spitfires to

6136-400: The Spits' first ever Major Junior game. Bob Parent would make 50 saves to cap off the historic victory. 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 1980–81 scoring 87 goals. In 1984 Peter Karmanos , the founder and CEO of Compuware , bought

6240-426: The Spits' first playoff goal and later winning goals were scored by Wolf Hiesl , both in the second period. The Spitfires lost the next four games to the Maroons to end their season. The 1972–73 season, the Spitfires second season, finished with their first winning record – 30 wins, 21 losses, and 9 ties. Finishing third in a league of seven teams, the Spitfires drew the fourth place Niagara Falls Flyers (28–25–7) in

6344-520: The Tier III level pay a fee or tuition, commonly ranging from $ 4,000 to $ 9,500. This is for all accounts and purposes an amateur level, although some players go directly to NCAA Division I schools. Most Tier III players are looking to increase their skills in hopes to move up to Tier II or I, while other players go directly to NCAA Division III , ACHA and CHF schools. Prior to July 2011, USA Hockey split Tier III into Junior A and B divisions. USA Hockey currently has one sanctioned Tier III league,

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6448-419: The U.S. began again, with Toledo rejoining the league and new teams in Grand Rapids, Michigan (1950), Troy, Ohio , (1951), Cincinnati (1952), Fort Wayne, Indiana (1952), and Milwaukee (1952). At the same time, the last Canadian team left the league in 1952, when the Chatham Maroons pulled out. Three new U.S. cities were added in 1953. The league would expand and shrink between five and nine teams through

6552-433: The US) each. Up until 1970, the leagues that were classified as Major Junior and "Junior A" today were both part of Junior A. In 1970 they were divided into "Tier I Junior A" or "Major Junior A" and "Tier II Junior A". In 1980, the three Major Junior A leagues opted for self-control over being controlled by the branches of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and became Major Junior hockey, Tier II Junior A became

6656-449: The USHL, provides young players an alternative to major junior hockey, although the skill level is considered significantly lower than major junior hockey and typically filled with those who would not or did not make the roster of a Tier I team. Unlike Tier I, the NAHL does not pay for all players' expenses, such as room and board, but there is no tuition cost to the player as in Tier III. In addition to paying for room and board, players at

6760-412: The USNTDP moving to the USHL in 2009-10. In the 2019 NHL Entry Draft , 17 of the 44 players drafted out of the USHL played for the USNTDP. Those 44 draft picks were 16 more than any of the three leagues in the Canadian Hockey League, and included 9 first round picks (8 of which came from the USNTDP) and 7 second round picks. For most of its existence the USHL was considered inferior in quality of play to

6864-422: The USPHL moved forward with the new league anyway, creating the National Collegiate Development Conference. In response, the USPHL has removed all their junior level leagues (the NCDC and the Tier III-level Premier and Elite Divisions) from USA Hockey sanctioning since the 2017–18 season. In 2022, the Eastern Hockey League , which was operating two Tier III leagues, also left USA Hockey sanctioning. In 2023,

6968-427: The Windsor Spitfires name and adopted their modern logo. On 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

7072-662: The best of the Spirit in a 3–2 overtime win, with a hat trick performance by defenceman Sean Day . The Windsor Compuware Spitfires won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy, the J. Ross Robertson Cup, and were the top-ranked junior team in Canada during the 1987–88 season. Memorial Cup J. Ross Robertson Cup Emms Division Playoff Champions Wayne Gretzky Trophy West Conference Champions Hamilton Spectator Trophy Emms Trophy Emms Division Champions Bumbacco Trophy West Division Champions SOJAHL Regular Season Champions SOJAHL Jack Oakes Trophy OHA Jr. A Frank L. Buckland Trophy Over 100 alumni of

7176-525: The decision. On December 29, 2013, the Spitfires and the Saginaw Spirit played the first ever outdoor game in Ontario Hockey League history. The game was played at Comerica Park in Detroit , Michigan . The Spitfires won the game 6–5 in front of a short-lived Canadian Hockey League record of 25,749 spectators, surpassed later that night by the London Knights and Plymouth Whalers at the same venue. On June 28, 2015, Spitfires owner and head coach Bob Boughner accepted another assistant coaching job with

7280-423: The defining moment of the Spitfires stint in Tier II Junior A. Headed by new head coach and general manager Wayne Maxner , the Spitfires won the Southern Ontario Junior A regular season title with a record of 39 wins, 15 losses, and 8 ties. Their record would put them four points ahead of the second place Welland Sabres and automatically give them a berth into the league playoff semi-finals. Scott Miller would win

7384-406: The defunct World Hockey Association or abandoned by the NHL. The IHL also entered markets that had existing NHL teams, such as Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles . In 1996, the IHL moved its Atlanta and Minneapolis–Saint Paul franchises to Quebec City and Winnipeg , respectively, restoring the league's Canadian presence and filling the void left by the departure of the NHL's Quebec Nordiques and

7488-567: The departure of its only Junior A league . Its three Junior B leagues ( PJHL , KIJHL and VIJHL ) were re-styled as "Junior A Tier 2", with plans to promote some to "Junior A Tier 1" following an independent evaluation. It was expected that those teams promoted to "Junior A Tier 1" would eventually apply for membership in the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), an association of Junior A leagues governed by Hockey Canada and its regional branches . BC Hockey expected

7592-512: The end of the tournament, the Spitfires acquired defenceman Marc Cantin , forward Stephen Johnston and German goaltender Philipp Grubauer from the Belleville Bulls in exchange for forwards Panik and Austen Brassard , defenceman Paul Bezzo , goaltender Steve Gleeson and a seventh-round pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection. In the first round of the OHL playoffs, the Spitfires swept the Erie Otters in four games. They then swept

7696-521: The entire first game in team history, making 37 saves in the loss. The home game and first victory in team history occurred on October 7, 1971, at the Windsor Arena against the Chatham Maroons , winning 4–2 on the back of future NHL goaltender Eddie Mio who made 49 saves. Dean Sheremeta scored the winning goal. The Spitfires finished their first season with a record of 21 wins, 32 losses, and 3 ties. Finishing sixth place out of eight teams,

7800-595: The evaluations to be completed during the 2024-25 season. Before the process was completed, the VIJHL announced that it would also withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and become an independent farm league for the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) beginning in the 2024-25 season. Major Junior is the highest level of Junior ice hockey in Canada. There are three Major Junior leagues that collectively make up

7904-572: The first game of the SOJHL Final. The Maroons fell in that first game 6–1, but rebounded the next night in Chatham with a 5–2 victory of their own. On March 18, goalie Dennis Thorpe 's 40 save performance and third period game winner by Gary Armstrong gave the Spitfires a 2–1 home victory and a lead in the series. The Spitfires took game four in Chatham with a 6–4 win. The next night, March 21,

8008-561: The first time a team started with two losses in the Memorial Cup round robin and came back to win the championship. The feat also marks the first time that a team has survived the Memorial Cup tie-breaker game to win the championship. The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy was awarded to Taylor Hall as Memorial Cup playoffs most valuable player. Both Ryan Ellis and Hall were elected to the tournament's All-Star Team. Throughout

8112-401: The game 6–3 in front of a capacity crowd of 5,189 fans. The victory, winning in seven games, was the Spitfires' first ever playoff series victory. Waiting for them, rested for the semi-final, was the first place Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters (39–13–8). The Biltmores, defending National Champions , made short work of the Spitfires sweeping them in four games. The 1973–74 season would prove to be

8216-443: The game 9-4 while Heinz capped of a 24-save night for the victory. In game six, coach Jerry Serviss returned to his starting goalie, Tony Piroski , in net on the road. Piroski rewarded his coach's confidence with a 5–4, 33-save victory - evening the series at 3 games each. Mark Smith scored the eventual game winner for the Spitfires. Game seven saw the two teams return for a final showdown at the Windsor Arena . The Spitfires would take

8320-400: The late 1980s and continuing into the mid-90s, the IHL expanded or re-located existing franchises into major U.S. markets such as Atlanta , Cincinnati , Cleveland , Denver , Houston , Indianapolis , Kansas City , Las Vegas , Minneapolis–Saint Paul , Orlando , Phoenix , Salt Lake City , San Antonio , San Diego , and San Francisco . Many of these markets had been previously served by

8424-413: The league finals. The fourth place Guelph Bilmores (23–31–6) stood in the way of the Spitfires. The Biltmores had upset the second place Welland Sabres in the league quarter-final in five games and the third place Chatham Maroons 8-points-to-6 (3 wins, 2 losses, 2 ties) and were looking to shock the Spitfires too. The Biltmores had caused trouble for the Spitfires all season as their head-to-head record

8528-577: The league quarter-final. The Spits dropped game one 6–4 in Niagara Falls , while in game two the Spits tied the series with a 6–4 win of their own at home. Back in Niagara, the Flyers shellacked the Spitfires 7–2 to take the series lead again. The fourth game was a disaster for the Spitfires, at home they blew a third period deadlock to lose 7–5 and fall behind in the series 3-games-to-1. In game five,

8632-505: The league would not have a Canadian team again until 1996. Bill Beagan served as commissioner of the IHL from 1969 to 1978. The Canadian Press cited him for turning around the league's financial situation and making it a top-tier development system for future NHL talent. Starting in the late 1960s, the IHL's quality of play significantly improved. By the mid-1970s it was on par with the American Hockey League (AHL),

8736-660: The league's demise. Six of the surviving seven teams merged into the AHL in 2001. The IHL was formed on December 5, 1945, in a three-hour meeting at the Norton Palmer Hotel in Windsor, Ontario . In attendance were Jack Adams (coach of the Detroit Red Wings), Fred Huber (Red Wings public relations), Frank Gallagher (amateur hockey organizer in Detroit and Windsor), Lloyd Pollock (Windsor hockey pioneer), Gerald McHugh (Windsor lawyer), Len Hebert, Len Loree and Bill Beckman. The league began operations in

8840-494: The longtime top feeder league for the National Hockey League . Many IHL teams became the top farm teams of NHL teams. In 1984, the league swallowed up a few surviving members of the Central Hockey League , which had ceased operations. In 1985, the league adopted the shootout to determine tie games in place of traditional overtime. The NHL would begin using the shootout to avoid tie games in 2005. Beginning in

8944-533: The loss of subsidized salaries, high expansion fees (by the end the league was charging as much as $ 8 million US for new teams), exploding travel costs and the NHL itself moving back into some of its markets, the league's rapid expansion proved a critical strain, and it folded after the 2000–01 season. Six IHL franchises (the Chicago Wolves , Grand Rapids Griffins , Houston Aeros , Utah Grizzlies , Milwaukee Admirals and Manitoba Moose ) were admitted into

9048-495: The major junior levels. But it continued to improve and as of 2019 about 21 percent of NHL players had played USHL in their career. Between 80 and 90 percent of USHL players continued into NCAA hockey. Currently, the North American Hockey League is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II league in the United States. The NAHL consists of teams spread across the western two thirds of the United States with

9152-410: The original Winnipeg Jets . The minimum requirements for an IHL expansion team in 1995 were "a 10,000-seat arena, a population base of one million, and a $ 6 million franchise fee." As the league expanded into larger markets, many of the smaller-market teams (such as Fort Wayne, Peoria, Muskegon, Kalamazoo and Flint) left the IHL and joined lower-level leagues. The IHL's expansion into NHL markets put

9256-501: The power play to win the Spitfires their second J. Ross Robertson Cup as league champions and a berth into the 2009 Memorial Cup . The victory was the Spitfires' first league title since the 1987–88 OHL season and marked their second time playing for the Memorial Cup . On May 9, Mayor of Windsor Eddie Francis awarded the team with the Key to the City in honour of their achievement. At

9360-572: The record set by the WHL's New Westminster Bruins in the 1978 tournament. The tournament ended with the Windsor Spitfires winning their third Memorial Cup , defeating the Erie Otters 4–3 in the championship final. On December 4, 2016, the Saginaw Spirit hosted the Spitfires in front of a crowd of over 3,100 people in the closing of Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The Spitfires got

9464-635: The rigours of the professional game to develop. However, not all players on a European junior team are necessarily property of their professional club, and may elect to sign elsewhere. At the World Hockey Summit in 2010, nations in Europe expressed concern about the number of junior players leaving to play in North America, despite the improved talent level and the increasing popularity of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Junior Championships . Slavomir Lener,

9568-656: The same mostly recreational purpose. Junior ice hockey in the United States is sanctioned by USA Hockey . The top level is Tier I, represented by the United States Hockey League . Tier II is represented by the North American Hockey League . There are several Tier III and independently sanctioned leagues throughout the country. Some US-based teams play in Canadian leagues outside of the USA Hockey framework. The United States Hockey League (USHL)

9672-416: The second to blow the lead in the third and finish with a 9–9 overtime tie. The Spitfires tied up the series in game three with a 4–2 win in Windsor. In Guelph for game four, the Spitfires blew a first period 3–0 lead to lose 6–4. Game five saw the Spitfires tie the series at five points a piece with an 8–4 win at home. Guelph again gained the advantage in game six with a 6–4 win at home. In a last gasp for air,

9776-546: The series. Back in Rexdale, the Raiders crushed the Spitfires with an 8–2 victory. With their back against the wall, the Spits had to win at home to force game seven. A 7–5 victory for the Spitfires turned this into a series for the ages. On April 6, 1974, the Spitfires season came to an end, as the Wexford Raiders took a 6–3 victory at home to advance to the next round of national playdowns. Scott Miller would be named

9880-633: The team and renamed them the Windsor Compuware Spitfires. In the 1987–88 season, the culmination of a well-executed four-year plan saw the Compuware Spitfires win 35 of their last 36 games, become the first team to go undefeated in the OHL playoffs, and sweep the Peterborough Petes in the OHL Championship finals to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup . During the season, the Compuware Spitfires were dominant, with

9984-518: The team into a new arena. Boughner assumed the roles of President, CEO and head coach of the Spitfires, Rychel was named director of player development, and Dobrich the new business manager. On February 18, 2008, team captain and Calgary Flames prospect Mickey Renaud died of an undetected heart condition in his Tecumseh, Ontario , home. General Manager Warren Rychel referred to Renaud's death as "the biggest tragedy in Spitfire history". His number

10088-702: The team's most valuable player. The Windsor Spitfires applied for expansion to the OMJHL (later known as the OHL) during their 1974 playoff run, but were rejected due to the "unacceptability of Windsor Arena as a major A facility." Their farm team, the Windsor Royals Junior B team of the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League put in a rival bid but were also rejected due to lack of an acceptable arena. In 1974–75, Jim Butcher coached

10192-682: The top tier of hockey in the CAHA and became Junior A hockey. Junior A (Junior AAA in Québec ; Tier 1 in British Columbia ) hockey is one level below Major Junior. It is governed by the respective regional branches of Hockey Canada . The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of nine Junior A leagues: The national championship is the Centennial Cup . Unlike Major Junior players, Junior A players retain their NCAA eligibility and may go on to play college hockey in

10296-477: The victory. The Spitfires came back in 2009–10 with a second straight 50-plus win season, finishing with a record of 50 wins, 12 losses, 1 overtime loss, and 5 shootout losses. Their record was good enough to earn the top seed in the Western Conference, but not good enough to clinch their second straight Hamilton Spectator Trophy , won by the Barrie Colts (57-9-0-2). For being the top team in their division,

10400-459: Was 5 wins each and 2 ties in 12 matches. After a week layoff, the Spitfires were up against a hot opponent and were missing scoring champion John Tavella to a three-games suspension for butt-ending against Detroit. The Spits dropped the first game, at home, 6–5 after giving up a late 2-on-1 odd-man rush late in the third period. The next night, in Guelph, the Spitfires led 6–1 in the first and 8–4 in

10504-558: Was between the Spitfires and the Voltigeurs. The Spitfires blew an early 2–0 lead, but won 3–2 in overtime from a goal by Adam Henrique to become the second team ever to play in the Memorial Cup final after playing in the tie-breaker game. In the final, the Spitfires again played the Rockets. The Spitfires scored on their first three shots and cruised to a 4–1 win to take their first ever Memorial Cup championship. Their victory marked

10608-536: Was competitive enough to deter players from entering into the CHL Import Draft . International Hockey League (1945%E2%80%932001) The International Hockey League ( IHL ) was a minor professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1945 to 2001. The IHL served as the National Hockey League 's alternate farm system to the American Hockey League (AHL). After 56 years of operation, financial instability led to

10712-533: Was divided up into the six-team Windsor Junior Hockey League. The Spitfires folded in 1953 as hockey interests in Windsor chose to focus their attention on the OHA Senior A Hockey League , which resulted in the founding of the Windsor Bulldogs . Eventually five former Spitfires laced up with the Bulldogs and one, Bobby Brown, won an Allan Cup with the team (1963). The Bulldogs folded in 1964 after one season in

10816-602: Was retired by both the Spitfires and the Tecumseh Chiefs Junior B franchise that he played on before graduating to Major Junior. Mayor Eddie Francis named a road leading to the WFCU Centre in Renaud's honour, Mickey Renaud Way . At the 2009 OHL All-Star Game at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, OHL Commissioner David Branch announced that the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy would be awarded to

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