OHL Windsor Spitfires..best CHL team ever?

[TYayo]

With as many as 18 players eligible to return from their Memorial Cup winning roster from last season, the Spitfires have the luxury of experience and chemistry but remain cautiously optimistic entering the new campaign.
With a defensive core of
Cam Fowler - Ryan Ellis - MArk Cundari- Jesse Blacker - Harry Young and Forwards the like of Taylor Hall and Richard Panik and Austin Watson i think potentially they are one of the best teams ever assembled
Also some food for thought..as it stands Right now Defenceman Cam Fowler and Forward Taylor Hall are the 2 names most talked about that could possibily go # 1 overall this year...Has any other team ever had this happen before?

 

[habomatic]

Better than the team London had when they were pretty much unbeatable? They're a good team but I have my doubts they're the best CHL team ever.

Cheers,
fly

 

[wjhl2009fan]

With as many as 18 players eligible to return from their Memorial Cup winning roster from last season, the Spitfires have the luxury of experience and chemistry but remain cautiously optimistic entering the new campaign.
With a defensive core of
Cam Fowler - Ryan Ellis - MArk Cundari- Jesse Blacker - Harry Young and Forwards the like of Taylor Hall and Richard Panik and Austin Watson i think potentially they are one of the best teams ever assembled
Also some food for thought..as it stands Right now Defenceman Cam Fowler and Forward Taylor Hall are the 2 names most talked about that could possibily go # 1 overall this year...Has any other team ever had this happen before?

I am not sure if i would say there the best team ever.THere up there but the best ever i am not sure.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Not close to being considered in the top 5 let alone alone at the top!!
No particular order...Kamloops Blazers from the 90's(?), New Westminster Bruins of Steamer Smyl and Barry Beck era,
Baby Habs of the late 60's, Toronto Marlies of the early 70's, Soo Greyhounds (3 straight Memorial Cup appearances(?)),
Kitchener Rangers early 80's (Bellows, Al MacInnis and Scott Stevens on d) then the London Knights.

Maybe in a cpl years we can start to talk about Windsor!

 

[CharlieGirl]

A very good team, without question. They should be exciting to watch this year, but it's a bit premature to declare them the best ever.

I recall a lot of people ready to crown the Spokane Chiefs the 2009 Memorial Cup champs after the 2008 Memorial Cup, because they had so many returning players. Didn't see them in Rimouski this year...

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

Better than the team London had when they were pretty much unbeatable? They're a good team but I have my doubts they're the best CHL team ever.

Cheers,
fly

Yeah, the 2004-2005 London Knights were simply amazing.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Yeah, the 2004-2005 London Knights were simply amazing.

Vic...love your avi!
Nice spin-off of Nick Drakes album...
http://www.last.fm/music/Nick+Drake/Bryter+Layter

 

[nowayguy]

Windsor has a shot at being the better team for sure, I'd say they are just as talented as well. Although, London's mastery of the Memorial Cup that year makes it seem like an almost impossible task.

 

[JL17]

My thoughts are Windsor already has there fingers on the OHL title. They are a better team then last year but Kitchener and Plymouth are much better teams with London being better up front and in net.

I think Windsor will come very close to breaking the all time record for wins.

 

[Leperus Leprechuan]

We'll see.

What if Ellis makes the NHL and Hall and Fowler get injured. Anything can happen.

They do look amazing on paper though and I'm pumped for thursday.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

My thoughts are Windsor already has there fingers on the OHL title. They are a better team then last year but Kitchener and Plymouth are much better teams with London being better up front and in net.

I think Windsor will come very close to breaking the all time record for wins.

Plymouth? The whalers lost so much talent. They'll probably struggle this year.

 

[HockeyNator]

Also some food for thought..as it stands Right now Defenceman Cam Fowler and Forward Taylor Hall are the 2 names most talked about that could possibily go # 1 overall this year...Has any other team ever had this happen before?

Only two times: Gary Monahan and Pete Mahovlich from St. Michael's Juveniles were two first picks in NHL Amateur Draft in 1963 as well as Rejean Houle and Marc Tardif from Montreal Junior Canadiens in 1969.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Also some food for thought..as it stands Right now Defenceman Cam Fowler and Forward Taylor Hall are the 2 names most talked about that could possibily go # 1 overall this year...Has any other team ever had this happen before?

But will they be happy sharing one puck?

Having two great players on one team is great or it can actually be a curse!

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

In terms of OHL teams, that 2004-05 London Knights team is the measuring stick, IMO. I've watched Junior hockey for over 25 years, and that team was the best team I've seen in that time, WHL, OHL, or QMJHL. It might not have produced the most future NHLers, but it was the best junior team.

 

[SpItFiReZ]

Windsor was pretty much on par last season with London did.

There was many people watching to see if Windsor would beat London's record, which it was close. Other hand, Windsor didn't dominate like that London team did all year long.

I think the Spitfires will be hard pressed to beat last years team IMO. But still should be the top team in the league.

 

[Penguins23]

In terms of OHL teams, that 2004-05 London Knights team is the measuring stick, IMO. I've watched Junior hockey for over 25 years, and that team was the best team I've seen in that time, WHL, OHL, or QMJHL. It might not have produced the most future NHLers, but it was the best junior team.

Imagine if Rick Nash wouldn't have turned pro so early....crazy.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Windsor was pretty much on par last season with London did.

There was many people watching to see if Windsor would beat London's record, which it was close. Other hand, Windsor didn't dominate like that London team did all year long.

I think the Spitfires will be hard pressed to beat last years team IMO. But still should be the top team in the league.

That bold part is the key. Windsor's win and point total was close, but that London team just looked so much better than any team it played over the course of the season.

Windsor (and you can check the NOOF and the comments of diehard Spits fans) had many a night where they seemed almost disinterested and played down to the level of their opponent, only to pull out the win at the end due to immense talent. With London, each and every game they seemed driven to prove that you stood no chance in hell of beating them.

 

[Dominator13]

Yeah, the 2004-2005 London Knights were simply amazing.

Question 1)Was that the year with Perry and Schremp or the one with Kane and Gagner?

Question 2) with Hall and Fowler possibly going 1 and 2, has this ever happened before? (Sedin's don't count, even if they went 2 and 3)

BTW you guys forgot Greg Nemisz in that already impressive list

 

[JL17]

Question 1)Was that the year with Perry and Schremp or the one with Kane and Gagner?

Question 2) with Hall and Fowler possibly going 1 and 2, has this ever happened before? (Sedin's don't count, even if they went 2 and 3)

BTW you guys forgot Greg Nemisz in that already impressive list

It was Perry and Schemp.

I'm still not sold on Nemisz. He got pushed around pretty good in the London series and took several big hits. To me he's in the same boat on McRae. Needs a big year.

Plymouth has better goaltending this year plus Seguin a year old and your blueline is huge.

Agreed with the statement of a disinterested team. London did what Tiger Woods does. Stomp on you till theres nothing left.

 

[habsfans333*]

No its not even close...

1983-84 Voisins de Laval is still the best junior team ever.

Mario Lemieux, Vincent Damphousse, Yves Courteau, etc

The team scored 527 goals. The 2nd team in GF had 371.

 

[Ward Cornell]

No its not even close...

1983-84 Voisins de Laval is still the best junior team ever.

Mario Lemieux, Vincent Damphousse, Yves Courteau, etc

The team scored 527 goals. The 2nd team in GF had 371.

How so....Ottawa, Kamloops and Kitchener beat them in the Memorial Cup!
Laval went home without a win being outscored 18 to 10!

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

No its not even close...

1983-84 Voisins de Laval is still the best junior team ever.

Mario Lemieux, Vincent Damphousse, Yves Courteau, etc

The team scored 527 goals. The 2nd team in GF had 371.

They weren't even the best team that season, let alone ever.

I'd think the first criteria for a team to even be considered "best junior team ever" would be to actually win the Memorial Cup, first and foremost.

 

[Canad93]

But will they be happy sharing one puck?

Having two great players on one team is great or it can actually be a curse!

Soooo many teams would like that problem. Besides, Fowler plays defence, so I'm sure they'll manage to share somehow..

Question 1)Was that the year with Perry and Schremp or the one with Kane and Gagner?

Question 2) with Hall and Fowler possibly going 1 and 2, has this ever happened before? (Sedin's don't count, even if they went 2 and 3)

BTW you guys forgot Greg Nemisz in that already impressive list

I don't think so but I doubt Fowler will go second anyway.

 

[habsfans333*]

They weren't even the best team that season, let alone ever.

I'd think the first criteria for a team to even be considered "best junior team ever" would be to actually win the Memorial Cup, first and foremost.

Its not always the best team who win the hardware at the end of the year.

93 HAbs, 05 Hurricanes, 09 Penguins etc.

Doesn't matter they didn't won the Memorial Cup or not.

It was the best junior team ever no doubt, 527 goals... come again please?

 

[Joe Hallenback]

Best CHL team ever was the 94-95 Kamloops Blazers