Spitfires Bring Winning Attitude to Team Canada Camp
Team Canada will be looking to capture a record sixth straight gold medal when they hit the ice at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Saskatoon, SK, this December.
The reigning MasterCard Memorial Cup Champion Windsor Spitfires were well represented at the summer development camp with four players invited of the 43 from the Canadian Hockey League, the most of any club.
Returning from the 2009 Canadian gold medal winning team is defenceman Ryan Ellis joined with Spitfires’ forwards Greg Nemisz, Adam Henrique, and Taylor Hall.
A winning attitude is something that the Team Canada brass are preaching from the early stages of the summer camp, and is something that the Spitfires were able to practice down the stretch after trailing early in the 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Rimouski, QC, before rallying to win four straight games to bring home the franchise’s first title.
“Last year was a long season but we grinded it out and were fortunate to win the Memorial Cup” said Ellis, the OHL’s Defenceman of the Year. “Coming here we have the same attitude that we have to win everything. For a group of Spitfires to make it would be a great accomplishment for our team.”
“You learn so much during a run like that” said Nemisz. “We have four guys here at camp because of it and could have had a couple more. When you go through something like that you learn so much about how to win a championship.”
Ellis was one of nine returning players from the 2009 gold medal squad in attendance at the camp, held August 5-9 in Saskatoon, and believes his Windsor teammates can compete at the World Junior level.
“They have all been part of Team Canada events before and they all know what they are doing and what to expect. They are all very professional with how they do things” added Ellis.
Nemisz won gold with Canada at the 2008 World Under-18 Hockey Championships. Henrique, who finished the MasterCard Memorial Cup event tied for first in scoring with nine points, also has a gold medal on his resume, winning with Team Ontario at the 2007 Canada Winter Games. Hall, who won the Wayne Gretzky Trophy as MVP of the OHL Playoffs and the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as MVP of the MasterCard Memorial Cup, was a late cut at last year’s selection camp but won gold with Canada one year ago at the 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka.
Spitfires Head Coach Bob Boughner won back-to-back OHL and CHL Coach of the Year honours and is currently leading Canada’s Under-18 Team behind the bench at the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka in his first experience with Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.
“We learn from the best with the management in Windsor” said Hall. “To come to a camp here it is a lot like Windsor where winning is a big thing and being perfect everyday is huge.”
All four players were grouped together at camp with Team Red in Saskatoon which helped ease the transition from playing at the club level to competing with the best players in the CHL.
“It has been lots of fun and more exciting to come here with teammates and more comfortable in the room and relaxed on the ice” said Henrique. “We know what to expect, we have played in big games together all year.”
The Spitfires begin defense of their title Thursday September 17, 2009, when they host the Plymouth Whalers and will be looking to repeat their dream season in what should be a big season for Hall, a top prospect heading into the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
“We are expecting a big year in Windsor and when we get there we want to be leaders on and off the ice and hopefully go back and have a good start.”
“We had an outstanding run this year and are looking to do it again next year” Henrique said. “With a core group of players returning, I think we can do it again.”
For more information about Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence and the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships please visit www.hockeycanada.ca
Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL