Spitfires, fans bask in Cup victory
City and team take to streets for parade to celebrate championship
It was a red, white and blue love-in as the Windsor Spitfires and their fans celebrated the club’s Memorial Cup win Wednesday evening with a downtown parade and rally.
“It’s cool for the city to pull it off being the big underdogs and it’s very rewarding for this city,” said Godfrey Cammidge II, who brought his sons Godfrey III and Jackson downtown to take in the parade.
Cammidge stuck out in the crowd because he was actually decked out in a 1988-vintage brown and orange Windsor Compuware Spitfires jersey that belonged to his father Godfrey I.
Wearing their white jerseys, the Spitfires made their way north on Ouellette Avenue from Wyandotte Street in a parade of top-down convertible Ford Mustangs.
Co-captains Jalen Chatfield and Jeremiah Addison and assistant captain Cristiano DiGiacinto were in the first car with the Cup itself.
Hundreds of fans decked out in Spitfires gear lined the street and cheered as their heroes slowly passed, and many high-fived or took selfies with the players.
The parade crept along Ouellette and into the Festival Plaza for a rally.
“I just want to thank you all, on behalf of the Windsor Spitfires, for being there the whole season, you guys are great,” Spitfires cocaptain Jalen Chatfield told the crowd of about 2,000 people.
“I’ve been here the last two years and, like Rocky and everybody else was saying, you guys really are the best fans in the CHL, the best fans I’ve played in front of.”
The rally began and ended with Queen’s We Are the Champions blasting from the loudspeakers and the crowd singing along. The Spitfires sat in chairs behind a podium.
Spitfires president Bob Boughner thanked the crowd for their support.
“This dream started 10 years ago with the ownership group about bringing a Memorial Cup to Windsor and we got denied a couple of times, but we kept our heads up and we weren’t going to quit until we brought this tournament to Windsor,” Boughner told the crowd.
“One reason was just to make sure we put on an unbelievable tournament, showcase this wonderful city that we live in and show the rest of the hockey world how Windsor does it. And I think we did it the best.”
Coach Rocky Thompson thanked the fans, but also his own players for the experience.
“These guys behind me did something very special as well,” Thompson said.
“I’ve been the one who’s been truly blessed to be able to work with them, they’ve made me better. It’s been great, it’s been special, and now we’ll be able to remember it for the rest of our lives, and I thank you guys for that.”
Mayor Drew Dilkens recalled the day last year that he and some of the Spitfires’ management travelled to Toronto to make their pitch for the Cup.
“I remember sitting in the room with a number of the folks here, including Warren Rychel, and Dave Branch (crowd boos loudly) said to Warren: ‘How can you ensure us that we’re going to have a competitive team because they don’t give the Memorial Cup to cities unless they have a competitive team,’” Dilkens said.
“And Warren spent 15 or 20 minutes convincing Dave Branch that the Windsor Spitfires would have a competitive team.
“Do we have a competitive team this year? You’re damn right.”
You guys really are the best fans in the CHL, the best fans I’ve played in front of.