OHL: Taylor-made for Cup Run

Heading into the OHL playoffs the Windsor Spitfires were the team to beat. They remained in the CHL top-10 rankings the entire season staying within the top two seeds during the course of the year. The Spitfires made several trades to inject some experience to a relatively young roster and the moves made by GM Warren Rychel paid off. The Spitfires defeated Owen Sound, Plymouth Whalers, London Knights and the Brampton Battalion to return to the Memorial Cup for the first time since 1989. McKeen's profiles many key contributors for the Spitfires success this postseason.

Ryan Ellis (2009), D, Windsor

Ellis once again demonstrated his commanding offensive skills by leading the playoffs in backend scoring .. with 31 points through 20 games, Ellis was particularly effective in a five-game-series win over the Knights, where he notched at least a point in every game including four multiple-point games .. he slowed down a bit in the OHL finals and was not as much as a factor citing potential injury issues or fatigue .. has done a good job of adding some additional weight, as he has beefed up 10 pounds since the start of the season to a respectable 183 .. firm grasp of the game coupled with a dimension of calmness makes opponents constantly adjust their systems .. routinely makes the smart play, is rarely muscled or pressured off the puck and habitually finds his options with alarming accuracy .. simply put, he dictates the tempo of the game to his own liking with the puck .. without the puck Ellis has some shortcomings .. he is able to cleverly stay square with oncoming forwards and angle them to the side, however he does struggle with quick players when forced to react quickly in a reverse motion .. foot races are not his strength either but he does an admirable job positioning himself within the three feet of the boards to make the right play to secure the puck .. doesn't play with a mean streak and will need to be more assertive in front .. Ellis has learned to contain his kamikaze attacks and is very mindful not to sacrifice his position defensively .. it makes him more valuable that he understands to play within the team structure and not deviate from the systems, unlike the riverboat gambler that a P.K. Subban is like .. he still has a penchant for exploding up the ice but it is usually the direct result of a broken play that allots him an odd-man rush .. his methodical approach at the line also stimulates offence and is what makes him a successful player .. the ultimate test will be to see how he reacts to some of the bigger forwards on Kelowna and if he can put his stamp on the Memorial Cup with a strong two-way performance, as a spot within the top 10 appears imminent come NHL draft day.

Jesse Blacker (2009), D, Windsor

Blacker did not play much in the final three rounds, as he was used rather sparingly by coach Boughner .. after acquiring the likes of Shutron his icetime took a hit, as the Spitfires in pressure games would opt to go with only two defensive rotations .. Blacker is an effective player that can spearhead a rush and even though the points were not documented on the scoresheet he does show the ability to create .. good forward mobility but upgrades to both his lateral movement and reverse skating speed will be a must .. had a tendency to gamble in some games and did not see the ice for a regular shift afterwards .. his compete level is high, he refuses to allow his man to beat him without trying to get a piece of him .. sometimes he lets guys get by him, which causes odd-man breaks .. his puck skills are improving, he wants to do too much but has learned to simplify his game in order to see the ice with consistency .. the Spitfires coaching prohibit him from taking more chances .. his time has yet to arrive but with the graduations of several defenseman including Shutron and Kwiet he should see his confidence grow expansionary and will undoubtedly post career highs next season in all offensive categories.

Eric Wellwood (2009), LW, Windsor

Wellwood transformed his game from a checking forward into a top-six forward during the playoffs .. his confidence grew considerably in the London series where he scored two overtime GWG in the series, one to clinch the series .. an opportunistic scorer who relies on his speed and ability to pressure the pointman off the puck for scoring chances .. he has good anticipation and reads plays well .. equipped with decent hands for passing and a good shot, his skills are not blinding but he works well with others .. Wellwood is a complementary player who will not be able to carry a line but his hard work and attention to detail make him successful.

Taylor Hall (2010), LW, Windsor

Hall exploded offensively in the playoffs leading all scorers with 36 points in 20 games .. he started the postseason by completely demolishing the Owen Sound Attack with 12 points in a four-game sweep where he recorded three points in each contest .. Hall's game is based around his speed and creativity .. he intimidates with his speed because he gets on the defenseman fast .. he is shifty and often draws penalties, as players are forced to haul him down to restrain him .. he is often situated up high in order to generate a strong forecheck that is supported by his teammates in a 1-2-2 formation .. once he gains control of the puck he can just as easily wire it home with his shot or find the open man in front .. he draws two guys to him but can still make the appropriate play .. his balance and added strength has helped him in the dirty areas to dig out pucks from scrums .. not naturally aggressive, he will throw his weight around .. coach Boughner has been using him in PK situations where he has thrived .. in 5-5 situations, he tends to be carefree without the puck in his possession but when forced to play defence he is more than capable .. like a natural goal scorer, he goes hard to the net with his stick on the ice at all times .. he can be guilty of taking too long of shifts .. Hall has all the tools to be successful and a strong Memorial Cup will only add to his growing resume of success .. he has had a knack for being a clutch scorer after scoring GWG at the Under 17 (to win gold) as well as the GWG to clinch the Spitfires OHL crown.

Greg Nemisz (Cgy), RW, Windsor

A consistent performer in both the regular and postseason .. Nemisz tends to score his goals when his team is already up by a large margin .. he has not carved out a niche for himself as a clutch player, as his play is very uninspiring .. he understands how to use his size down low and in the slot but he is not naturally aggressive and gives up on loose puck battles from time-to-time .. his stealth like ability to read the game and get into position is an asset but bringing more urgency to his game is essential .. silky smooth hands allows him to manoeuvre well in tight spaces and he can own the boards with his size .. he needs to shoot more on his off-wing and drive wide but he is usually apprehensive about getting hit so he attempts the cut back move into the centre to unload a shot .. this move works for him at the junior level but may spur different results at the pro level .. Nemisz has an opportunity to assert himself in the Memorial Cup and establish himself as a dominant power forward capable of running over players to win at any cost, this type of transformation would bode well for him in the eyes of the Calgary Flames.

Dale Mitchell (Tor), RW, Windsor

Mitchell had an 11-game point scoring streak in the playoffs and only went three games without recording a point during the Spitfires run to the Memorial Cup .. a compact skater with quick acceleration .. uses his stocky build to get into the clear and works the boards down low to manufacture offensive chances .. battles through checks but leaves himself exposed and gets rocked pretty hard when he does .. what separates him from others is his ability to make quick decisions while not sacrificing his speed .. his passes are tape-to-tape and he architects plays with his stickhandling skills .. Mitchell has matured in his play and become more responsible away from the puck .. he developed nice chemistry with Timmins and Wellwood and if the Spitfires are going to have a chance at winning the Memorial Cup they will need to continue to play at a high level.

Justin Shugg (2009), RW, Windsor

Shugg played a very small role in Windsor's success this season .. he has good hands but also has plenty of shortcomings in his game .. unable to crack the lineup in a top-six scoring role due to his inability to play physical and backcheck .. easily knocked off the puck and even though he tries to hit, in most cases he loses his balance and becomes completely removed from the play .. considered more of a finesse player, Shugg did score a hat trick in a rather meaningless game - a 10-1 drubbing in game 1 of the finals .. too often, he took shots in poor shooting lanes and was not willing to pay the price in the danger areas of the ice to score .. shows some outbursts of offensive creativity and given graduations next season, Shugg should be able to step into a scoring role which should help his overall confidence - that is if he is not traded first.

Scott Timmins (2009), C, Windsor

The ultimate glue guy, Timmins was the leading scorer for the Rangers prior to being acquired at the OHL trade deadline .. since then, he has taken a back seat in the offensive department and assumed more of a defensive role .. he often matched up against the opposition's best players and did an outstanding job of keeping them off the scoresheet while modestly producing points .. his skating still needs refinement but he benefits from making the simple and safe play, as not to expose his lack of speed by gambling and drawing himself out of position .. he is not a natural scorer, as his goals come as a result of hard work and patience in front .. Timmins is strong along the boards and retains his balance well to absorb hits .. he takes a hit to make a play and protects the puck well in the process .. his positive attitude and ability to adapt to any game situation has made him a coveted prospect and one who may warrant draft consideration in the later stages.

Adam Henrique (NJ), C, Windsor

Henrique was the ultimate shutdown, secondary scorer the Spitfires were hoping for during their OHL playoff run .. he tailed-off during the Brampton series but his performance against Plymouth in round two was instrumental in the Spitfires advancing .. he scored six goals in the series including a hat trick in the final game also adding the GWG to clinch the series .. combines a intriguing offensive game with a complementary defensive conscious and is starting to marry it with some grit and toughness .. took on Matt Duchene in an even decision, his first fight since January .. slowly putting it together, as he notched 30 goals and became a viable second-line scorer .. his hands are sensationally quick in the slot, as he can bury a shot with resounding accuracy .. adjusts to developing plays and knows how to read the game .. modest skill set to open up the ice for both himself and his teammates .. understanding how to use his size better and is learning to lean on guys to better position himself down low .. should be a 40-plus goal scorer next season as he continues to mature.

Andrei Loktionov (LA), C, Windsor

A model of consistency, Loktionov never went two games without registering a point during the playoffs .. constantly around the puck, he knew what was going to happen before it did, which is the mark of an elite playmaker .. not blessed with speed to win footraces, he does however have a surprising first step that catches opponents sleeping .. extremely effective when he drops his shoulder and drives wide to the net .. he is determined and always wants the puck .. his smarts and tremendous work ethic make him a regular on the PK .. Lotkionov likes to pass a little too much and would benefit from being more selfish .. he needs to work on taking the puck to the net more and chase down rebounds .. at times, he tries to be too fancy with the puck and needs to minimize his errors .. his game is heavily compared to Michal Handzus (without the size), as the two approach the game in the same style.