Season Recap -- Windsor Spitfires

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Subject: Season Recap

Author:
Mickey Renaud

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Date Posted: 14:54:49 03/23/07 Fri

Hello Spitfire fans;

These are my thoughts regarding the 06/07 season.

At the start of the season, I came into training camp with the some curious thoughts on the team and how we would fair in the league. I understood that our team was young and that it would take some time to adjust because the OHL is a very highly skilled league where experience plays a big factor. Our first game was the home opener against the Erie Otters and although we played well, we ended with a 5 - 2 loss. That game could somewhat sum up our season because for the most part in games we were competing well but just found it hard to win hockey games.

At around the Christmas break our team wasn't in the playoffs but we were close enough to make a strong push at the final playoff spot. Although, as the team somewhat struggled around the trade deadline, the coaching staff decided to make some changes and traded a lot of our older players to other teams. This was a tough time because these were guys that I got to know very well and people that I respected both at and away from the rink.

The second half of the season showed that our team at times found it difficult to compete against some of the other teams in the league. Although this may have been the case, this hockey team never gave up. Every night we went out and gave it our all. A guy like Scott Todd who had a tough injury early on in the year and then was forced to play out his career in a tough position was consistently playing hard and stuck up for his young teammates on many occasions. His teammates are very appreciative of that and we all wish Scott the best in his future.

I felt the coaches did a good job of running the team this year. This was Bob's first year as head coach in the league and he put in a consistent, hard working effort. He was very honest and always tried to get the most out of the players on the team. D.J. Smith put a lot of time with video of our past games going over mistakes and would always put in extra time working with a lot of the young defencemen. D.J. can also be credited with our high penalty killing percentage because of his hard working attitude. Bill Bowler often worked extra with the forwards; whether that meant shots around the net or face-offs, he would put in his time for the benefit of the players. All of the players are thankful for their efforts towards the team.

The fans have really been good to the team this year. They have been loyal all year long, even in the worst of times. I believe we have passed the over 100,000 total attendance mark which is a remarkable feat and shows the loyalty to the team. As a player I hope the team does better so we can repay the fans for being so patient with our young and developing team.

Moving into next season, I have high expectations. This season obviously had its ups and downs but I feel it did many positive things. The team as a whole gained a lot of experience and that will benefit us for the next few years. Returning players such as Greg Nemisz and Adam Henrique had excellent rookie seasons and are going to be looked to for even bigger roles next year. Mark Cundari was a solid offensive threat on defence and he will be looked to anchor our defensive unit next year. Veterans such as Bailey, Turkiewicz and Snetsinger will provide us with a lot of our offensive numbers and returning 2nd year guys like Baldwin, Greenop and Kurtz will chip in offensively while providing a tough defensive role. Look for Hudes and Nolan to have break out seasons offensively next year and for Eric Wellwood to have a bigger role with the club after some experience in the league. Our defense should also be much stronger as we understand what it takes to win in this league on a consistent basis.

As a returning player I am hoping for a strong playoff run next season and to make the last season in the "Barn" a successful one.

Thanks to everyone for all of their support throughout the year.

Mickey Renaud # 18

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