Congratulations to the Windsor Spitfires for winning the 2009 Mastercard Memorial Cup thanks to their 4-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets on Sunday. The Spits found net on their first three shots before the first TV timeout, and held on over the final 53:00 to bring the Cup to Windsor for the first time in team history.
With junior hockey’s final game of the season in the books, so too is the busiest 14 months in the career of Rockets dman Tyler Myers. The 6’8 defenseman scored the first goal of the tournament and added three assists in three round robin games before finishing -1 in the final. Steady with the puck and tough to get around throughout, Myers, who was also named WHL Playoff MVP, was named to the tournament all-star team in a nice ramp-up for NHL duty in 2009-10.
But first the dust must settle on what was a long 2008-09 for Myers.
First round exit from the 2008 WHL playoffs last March…
Off to Russia two weeks later to skate for Canada at the U18s…
To Toronto for NHL Combine in late May…
Drafted by Buffalo in June…
Prospect camp at Niagara U in July…
Team Canada Development Camp a couple weeks after…
Off to Kelowna’s camp in August…
Then to his first Sabres training camp and preseason appearance…
Back to Kelowna for the season grind…
Off to Ottawa to tryout for Team Canada…
Wins U20 World Junior Gold…
January comes, and Myers the prospect becomes Myers the more confident beast as a result of his one goal, +5 outing at the WJC’s. Still 18 years old, he had played 27 WHL games leading up to IIHF tourney, racking up a respectable four goals, 16 assists, and a +9 rating.
In his next 53 games including the WHL playoffs, the right-side anchor kept pace with 10 goals and 32 assists, all the while improving his even strength effectiveness with a remarkable +35 rating.
In all, the exhausted Myers played a total of 90 games that counted in the standings in 2008-09. There may never be another calendar year as grueling as this one. May Myers enjoy his accomplishments and get some well-deserved rest.
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