Windsor Spitfires Retire #14 Jersey of Ed Jovanovski.

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SPITFIRES BLOWN OUT AS SAGINAW SCORES 7 UNANSWERED

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WINDSOR SPITFIRES 3, ERIE OTTERS 2

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ICEDOGS 4 SPITFIRES 3 (SO)

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Sting 4 Spits 3

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SPITFIRES SIGN JOSHUA HO-SANG AND RYAN VERBEEK

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SPITFIRES SIGN JOSHUA HO-SANG AND RYAN VERBEEK


The Windsor Spitfires are happy to announce that General Manager Warren Rychel has signed forward Joshua Ho-Sang and forward Ryan Verbeek to OHL contracts and scholarship packages.

Rychel made Ho-Sang (5'11”, 160lb.) the 5th overall pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection after he starred with the Toronto Marlboros during the 2011-2012 season scoring 31 goals and 48 assists for 79 points.
Verbeek (6’0”, 185lb.) was selected in the 3rd round, 47th overall. During the 2011-2012 season Verbeek scored 20 goals and 10 assists with 49 penalty minutes for the Lambton Jr. Sting.

“We’re very proud to welcome two quality young players like Josh and Ryan to the Spitfires family,” said Rychel. “I expect to see great things from both of these players and I’m excited to have them join our hockey club.”

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WINDSOR SPITFIRES RYCHEL NAMED TO U-18 SQUAD

Kerby Rychel has been named to Team Canada's entry at the IIHF Under-18 World Championships.
It's the second straight year Rychel will play in a major international tournament. Last January, he led Team Ontario to a Gold Medal at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg.

This time around, he heads a list of 10 OHL players that will represent Canada on the world stage.

"It's a huge honour to be named to play in this tournament," Rychel told windsorspitfires.com. "I'm excited to play and to represent Canada."

Rychel, 17, enjoyed a banner season with the Spitfires in 2011-2012, scoring 41 goals and leading the team in points with 74.

The tournament will be held April 12th to 22nd in Brno and Znojmo, Czech Republic.

Congratulations to Kerby, and best of luck to him and the rest of Team Canada in the tournament.

For the complete roster, visit http://www.hockeycanada.ca/

TEAM CANADA PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE

April 12 vs Denmark 10 a.m. ET

April 14 vs. Finland 12 p.m. ET

April 16 vs. Czech Republic 10 a.m. ET

April 17 vs. United States 2 p.m. ET

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2011-2012 Windsor Spitfires Award Winners

Parker Construction Most Valuable Player Award – Kerby Rychel
The Parker Construction Most Valuable Player Award is presented annually to the player who is most valuable to the team in all aspects of the game including offensively, defensively, and on special teams.

Spifires Player of the Year Award – Saverio Posa
The Player of the Year Award is presented annually to the player who contributes the most to his team throughout the regular season.

Playoff MVP Award
The Playoff MVP Award is presented annually to the player who is most valuable to his team in all aspects of the game during the playoffs.

Leading Goal Scorer – Kerby Rychel (41 goals)The Leading Goal Scorer is presented annually to the player with the most goals scored as a member of the Spitfires at the conclusion of the regular season. Kuhnhackl scored 39 goals in 63 regular season games for the Spits.

WFCU Leading Point Scorer Award – Kerby Rychel (74 points)
The WFCU Leading Point Scorer Award is presented annually to the player who leads the team in points scored as a member of the Spitfires at the conclusion of the regular season.

William McAgy Leading Scoring Defenceman – Nick Ebert
The William McAgy Leading Scoring Defenceman award goes to the Spitfire defenceman who concludes the regular season as the Spitfires leading scorer in points by a defenceman.

Rookie Scoring Leader of the Year – Ben Johnson (38 points)
The Rookie Scoring Leader of the Year award is presented annually to the Spitfire rookie that concludes the regular season with the most points.

Tim Hortons Best Defenceman – Saverio Posa
The Tim Hortons Best Defenceman award is presented annually to the defenseman who throughout the regular season demonstrates the greatest all around ability both offensively and defensively.

Phoenix Jewelers Rookie of the Year – Ben Johnson
The Hiram Walker and Sons Rookie of the Year award is presented annually to the Spitfire rookie who demonstrates the greatest all around ability each game throughout the regular season.

Scott Miller Award – Ty Bilcke
The Scott Miller Award is presented to the player who shows the most on and off ice commitment to the team throughout the regular season.

This award was named in honour of Scott Miller, who was rewarded for his commitment to the Windsor Spitfires organization, becoming the first player to have his number (23) retired by the Spitfires in team history. He played for the Spitfires from 1972 to 1976 and served as the team’s Captain from 1975-1976.

Paul Maurice Award for Determination and Dedication to the Organization – John Laporte/Dennis Gignac
The Paul Maurice Award is presented annually to a staff member of the Windsor Spitfires organization who has demonstrated the most dedication and commitment to the team.

This award was named in Paul Maurice’s honour as he played for the Spitfires from 1984 to 1988 and won an OHL Championship with the team in his final season (1987-1988).

Maurice was captain of the team in 87-88 and as an overager, he gave up his captaincy and spot on the roster so the Spitfires could acquire overage goaltender Pat Jablonski in the middle of season, solidifying the team’s goaltending position in what proved to be a banner year for the Spits.

Maurice served as an assistant coach with the Spitfires for the remainder of this season and used this opportunity to start his successful career as a head coach in the OHL and NHL from the 1993-1994 season to the present time. He currently serves as the Head Coach of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Jake Pollen Hardest Working Spitfire of the Year – Brady Vail
The Jake Pollen Hardest Working Spitfire is presented annually to the player whose hard work in the gym, community and on the ice has helped the organization become better both on and off ice.

Pollen, who passed away in March of 2011, served as a dressing room attendant with the Spitfires for 20 seasons, retiring in 2009. His dedication to the Spitfires in each of these seasons remains unquestioned. The Windsor Spitfires established this award a few seasons prior to his retirement from the team and will continue to hand it out annually in his honour.

McDonald's Best Defensive Defenceman – Saverio Posa
The McDonald's Best Defensive Defenceman is awarded to the defenseman who is best on the team in his own end of the ice.

Peter Thomson of Sunlife Financial Academic Achievement Award – Ben Johnson
The Peter Thomson of Sunlife Financial Academic Achievement award is awarded annually to the Spitfire Player who achieves the highest academic standard on the team.

Windsor Essex County Real Estate Board Most Improved Player – Jordan Maletta/Adam Bateman
The Windsor Essex County Real Estate Board Most Improved Player award is presented annually to the player whose efforts on and off ice, from training camp to the conclusion of the regular season, has helped him become a better overall player.

Devonshire Cup Most Underrated Player – Michael Clarke
The Devonshire Cup Award is awarded annually to the player who is most underrated and is more valuable to the team than one realizes.

Jason Bennett Award for Community Service – John Cullen
The Jason Bennett Award for Community Service is presented annually to the player who attends the most community based events during the 2010-11 season. Jason Bennett, a Windsorite and fervent Spitfire supporter was tragically killed when he was struck by a drunk driver at 10 years age in Windsor. The Spitfires organization renamed their award for community service in his honour.

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Windsor Spitfires Graciously Decline Hosting 2013 U-17 Tournament

(Windsor) Following a successful 2012 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge in Windsor and neighbouring communities, the Windsor Spitfires, after much consideration, have graciously declined the opportunity to bid to host next year’s 2013 tournament.

An amazing effort was put forth by all Host Committee members and volunteers during the preparation and execution stages of last year’s tournament. We saw an entire region come together in a short period of time and have built lasting relationships with neighbouring communities/facilities in Amherstburg, Essex, LaSalle and Tecumseh.

“It truly opened our eyes as to what this region can do in terms of sports tourism,” said Spitfires Business Manager Steve Horne. “The volunteers that put countless hours into this past event should be proud of themselves as they helped this event leave a lasting impression on the entire hockey community. There are some new and exciting components that we can now consider including in future bids.”

“It was felt that with the road we have coming ahead with the 2012-13 Spitfires season and our potential bid for the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup that our entire energies would not be able to be made available to host this event in a manner that Hockey Canada and our organization has come to expect,” said Spitfires President and Head Coach Bob Boughner. “We would be pleased to assist any future host committee’s in any manner we can as there were some great lessons we learned over the process. Our organization looks forward to crossing paths with Hockey Canada in the future and supports their programs and events 100%.”

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Brady Vail Named Precision Jewellers Player of the Month

(Windsor) The Windsor Spitfires announced today that forward Brady Vail is the Precision Jewellers Player of the Month for the month of February 2012. Brady was a dominant force both offensively and defensively this month by not only racking up ten points but also often times shutting down the opposing teams top forward. Vail scored 4 goals and added 6 assists in February which pushed his season totals to 19 goals and 25 assists (as of March 1). Vail currently sits in third on the Spitfires in overall scoring with 47 points which is already 37 points more than his total points output from a year ago. Vail also was a +1 rating in the month of February and is a +3 for the season, which makes him one of only two with a plus rating on the team.

The 18-year-old Palm City, Florida native has emerged as a star this season for the Spitfires and is primed and ready to be selected early in the upcoming NHL draft. His two-way style of play and willingness to be a team player has not only made him a more effective player but has made his teammates around him better as well.

Great work Brady! Keep it up!

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Ben Johnson Named Spitfires Player of the Week

(Windsor) Playing in our group of Top-6 forwards, winger Ben Johnson has been outstanding of late.

His strong play last week has earned him Tecumseh and South Walkerville Vision Centres Player of the Week honours.

On a line with Brady Vail and Chris Marchese, Johnson was electric in a 5-2 win over Brampton on Thursday night, scoring twice and adding an assist.

The rest of the weekend didn't go as well for the Spits, who lost 2-0 in Plymouth on Saturday night and then 7-1 at home to Saginaw on Sunday afternoon. But Johnson's relentless effort in both games was undeniable.

The 17-year-old native of Calumet, Michigan, is widely regarded as one of the top emerging talents in the OHL, thanks in large part to his superior skating, tenacity and playmaking skills.

Johnson has played in all 63 games this season, scoring 15 goals and adding 19 assists. Those numbers rank him eighth in goals and seventh in points among OHL rookies.

He is also sixth on the Spits in goals and seventh in points.

Johnson is a highly-regarded prospect for this summer's 2012 NHL Entry Draft in Pittsburgh; ranked 49th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's mid-term report.

The entire staff at Tecumseh and South Walkerville Vision Centres congratulates Ben on a great week and a fantastic rookie season.

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HIGH SCORING HIGH JINX AT THE WFCU

SPITS 8, WOLVES 6

Alexander Khokhlachev had two goals and three assists and Nick Ebert scored twice, as the Windsor Spitfires outgunned the Sudbury Wolves in an 8-6 win on Sunday afternoon at the WFCU Centre.

After a scoreless first period, the Spits exploded for five goals in the middle 20.

Ebert scored his fifth and sixth of the season to give the Spits a 2-1 lead. The Spits then tore off three goals in the final four minutes of the frame, as Jordan Maletta (5th @ 16:42), Khokhlachev (23rd @ 18:49) and Zack MacQueen (16th @ 19:47) gave Windsor a 5-2 lead after 40 minutes.

Chris Marchese's 17th goal of the season gave the Spits a 6-3 lead at 9:16 of the third period. KoKo made it 7-3 with a nifty tip at 10:21 on the power play.

After Derek Schoenmakers and Josh McFadden cut the lead to 7-5, Brady Vail capped a brilliant day with an empty net goal at 19:16 to make it 8-5.

Derek Holden had two assists and John Cullen made 36 saves in goal for the win, as the Spitfires moved within four points of Saginaw for sixth place in the Western Conference.

SCORING
FIRST PERIOD
NO SCORING

SECOND PERIOD
SUD LEIVO 26 (THIBODEAU) 3:08
WSR EBERT 5 (KOKO, CZINDER) 4:33
WSR EBERT 6 (KOKO, HOLDEN) 9:32 PP
SUD KUCHIN 23 (SCHOENMAKERS, LEIVO) 12:32 PP
WSR MALETTA 5 (ALONGE, CLARKE) 16:42
WSR KOKO 23 (MARCHESE) 18:49 PP
WSR MACQUEEN 16 (VAIL) 19:47

THIRD PERIOD
SUD LEIVO 26 (SGARBOSSA, PANCEL) 0:22
WSR MARCHESE (BRAITHWAITE, KOKO) 9:16
WSR KOKO 24 (HOLDEN, MARCHESE) 10:21 PP
SUD SCHOENMAKERS 22 (MACDONALD) 10:35
SUD MCFADDEN 14 (SCHOENMAKERS) 11:40 PP
WSR VAIL 19 (MACQUEEN) 19:16
SUD SCHUTT 8 (BAPTISTE, LACROIX) 19:56

SHOTS
WSR 12 - 15 - 12 = 39
SUD 10 - 16 - 14 = 40

PPS
WSR 3-FOR-6
SUD 2-FOR-5

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SPITS GET SMOKED...AGAIN! STING 5 - SPITS 0

A four-goal third period turned a tight game into a blowout on Friday night, as the Sting beat the Spitfires 5-0 before 3,748 at the RBC Centre in Sarnia.
Domenic Alberga, Reid Boucher, Anthony DeAngelo, Ryan Spooner and Justice Dundas all scored for Sarnia (30-21-2-5), which moved two points up on Owen Sound for fourth place in the Western Conference with the win.

Jaroslav Pavelka made 29 saves in a losing cause for Windsor (25-28-4-2).

Wins by both Sault Ste Marie and Guelph further muddied the race for the final two playoff spots. The Greyhounds are now just two points back of the Spitfires for seventh in the conference, and the Storm are just three back with three games in hand.

Trailing 1-0 in the second period, the Spits were awarded a 90-second, 5-on-3 advantage when Tyler J Brown was given a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for hitting Kerby Rychel from behind. But the Spits couldn't tie the game and threatened on only a few occassions over the final 20 minutes.

Boucher banked one off Pavelka and in to make it 2-0 Sting just 1:55 into the third period. DeAngelo supplied the dagger, weaving his way through the Windsor defensive zone before beating Pavelka with a backhander high, making it 3-0 at 8:05.

Spooner's 26th came on the power play at 12:13, before Dundas scored a meaningless goal - his first in OHL goal - with the game out of reach at 18:32.

The Spits are off Saturday, before hosting the Sudbury Wolves Sunday afternoon at 2:05.

SCORING

FIRST PERIOD:
SAR ALBERGA (14) (NIKANDROV, BROWN) 13:48

SECOND PERIOD:
NO SCORING

THIRD PERIOD:
SAR BOUCHER (24) (SARAULT) 1:55,
SAR DEANGELO (5) (LUCIANI, BOUCHER) 8:05,
SAR SPOONER (26) (THOMPSON, MURPHY) 12:13 PP,
SAR DUNDAS (1) (THOMAS) 18:32

SHOTS:
WSR 9 - 12 - 7 = 28
SAR 8 - 10 - 16 = 34

PPS:
WSR 0-FOR-5
SAR 1-FOR-4

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SPITFIRES GET SMOKED, LONDON 5 WINDSOR 0

Seth Griffith scored three times and Michael Houser made 25 saves for the shutout, in a 5-0 Knights win over the Spits on Thursday night at the WFCU Centre.
Josh Anderson and Jared Knight had the other goals for London (39-11-0-1).

Jordan DeKort was solid in his Spitfires debut, spelling Jaroslav Pavelka at the 13:34 mark of the first period. The rookie goaltender made 17 saves and was solid throughout.

Pavelka was victimized for three goals on just eight shots.

Former Spitfires forward Austin Watson and Tampa Bay prospect Vlad Namestnikov chipped in two assists each.

The loss leaves Windsor (23-25-3-2) two points back of Saginaw for sixth in the Western Conference.

The Spits are right back at it on Saturday night, as the Erie Otters head to town. Gametime is 7:05.

SCORING
FIRST PERIOD
LDN KNIGHT (20) (MCKEGG, DOMI) 6:44
LDN ANDERSON (8) (NAMESTNIKOV, FERRY) 11:23
LDN GRIFFITH (37) (WATSON) 13:34 PP

SECOND PERIOD
LDN GRIFFITH (38) (HORVAT, TINORDI)

THIRD PERIOD
LDN GRIFFITH (39) (NAMESTNIKOV, WATSON) 11:34

SHOTS
WSR 5 - 12 - 8 = 25
LDN 11 - 5 - 12 = 28

PPS
WSR 0-FOR-2
LDN 1-FOR-3

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Spitfires’ Ryan Ellis Wins Red Tilson Trophy as OHL’s Most Outstanding Player of the Year

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Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that defenceman Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires is the 2010-11 recipient of the Red Tilson Trophy awarded to the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player of the Year as voted by the writers and broadcasters that cover the league.

Ellis, who scored 101 points in 58 games with 24 goals and 77 assists became the first defenceman in 17 years to score more than 100 points in a season.  He is just the fourth defenceman in the 67-year history of the Red Tilson Trophy to win the award following Brian Campbell (Ottawa, 1999), Bryan Fogarty (Niagara Falls, 1989), and Ron Howell (Guelph, 1956).  He is also just the third member of the Windsor Spitfires to win the award and first in 30 years following Ernie Godden in 1981 and Glenn Hall in 1951.

“This is a great honour and very exciting for me,” said Ellis.  “The guys who have their names on this trophy have done some great things for hockey.  The fans in Windsor have been instrumental to our success over the years and I want to thank everyone for the best four years anyone could ask for.”

The 20-year-old from Freelton, ON, was selected by the Spitfires in the second round, 22 overall in the 2007 OHL Priority Selection.  He adds to an already impressive list of OHL awards including the Max Kaminsky Trophy as Defenceman of the Year earned this season as well as in 2008-09.  He is a three-time All-Star named twice to the First Team this season and in 2008-09, and was a Second Team All-Star last season.  Ellis was also named to the OHL’s All-Rookie team in 2007-08 the same season he was recognized as the Bobby Smith Trophy winner as the OHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year. 

“On behalf of the Windsor Spitfires we are very excited for Ryan,” said Spitfires Vice-President and General Manager Warren Rychel.  “He leads by example and while his on-ice accolades are clear it is also his character off the ice that has been tremendous and instrumental in helping our younger players with their development this season.  He has given so much to the community.  It will be tough moving forward without Ryan Ellis but he will be remembered as one of the greatest and one of the players that helped put the Windsor Spitfires on the map.”

A winner throughout his four-year junior career with the Spitfires, the 2009 first round pick of the Nashville Predators captured two OHL and Memorial Cup titles and was named to the MasterCard Memorial Cup All-Star Team in 2009.  Internationally, Ellis is the only player in the history of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence to win Gold at each of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (2008), IIHF World Under-18 Championship (2008), Memorial of Ivan Hlinka (2008), and the IIHF World Junior Championship (2009).  He also earned silver medals with Canada at the 2010 World Junior Championship and again in 2011 in Buffalo, NY, when he served as Team Captain and was named Best Defenceman of the tournament setting a new IIHF and Team Canada record for most career-points by a defenceman with 25 in 20 games. 

“True and simple Ryan Ellis is a winner,” said Predators President and General Manager David Poile.  “I love players that are able to compete in April and in May and Ryan has shown his ability to be one of the best when his teams are competing for a championship.  He has had a fabulous junior career, but equally important is how he has conducted himself as not just a special player but a great person.”

With 314 points in 226 career games, Ellis is just the third defenceman in OHL history to record 300 career points and trails only Rick Corriveau who recorded 329 points in 260 games with London and Niagara Falls from 1987-92, and Denis Potvin who recorded 330 in 257 games with the Ottawa 67’s from 1967-73 for career points by an OHL defenceman. 

The Red Tilson Trophy is the most prestigious individual award presented by the Ontario Hockey League.  Accredited media were asked to select their top three choices from the 20 nominees representing all 20 member clubs.  Players received five points for a first place selection, three points for second place and one point for a third place selection.

In the 75 ballots collected, Ellis received 245 points in the voting process and was listed as the number one choice on more than 50% of all ballots.  He finishes ahead of Top Scorers Tyler Toffoli of the Ottawa 67’s who received 135 voting points, and Jason Akeson of the Kitchener Rangers who finished in third place with 74 points. 

The trophy is named in honour of Albert "Red" Tilson, who was killed in action in Europe during World War II. Tilson was the OHA scoring champion for the 1942-43 season after scoring 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 22 games with the Oshawa Generals.

Other winners of the Red Tilson Trophy include Frank Mahovlich (Toronto 1957), Mike Foligno (Sudbury, 1979), Doug Gilmour (Cornwall 1983), Eric Lindros (Oshawa 1991), David Legwand (Plymouth 1998), Brad Boyes (Erie 2001 & 2002), Corey Perry (London 2005), and John Tavares (Oshawa 2007), with Tyler Seguin of the Plymouth Whalers receiving the award last season. 

Ellis will be the OHL’s nominee for the Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year Award presented at the CHL Awards Ceremony during the 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Mississauga.   

 

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