Windsor Spitfires honour Mickey Renaud

 

 

By Erik Zarins

Staff Writer

 

On Feb. 18 2008, the City of Windsor and the Spitfires community lost a key member of the hockey club.

It became a tragedy when the news revealed it was none other than Spitfires captain Mickey Renaud.

Renaud was 19-years-old when he died of a rare heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which causes the muscles inside the heart to tighten and reduce the flow of blood which can cause sudden cardiac death. His teammates were the pallbearers.

Upon hearing the news, the Spitfires immediately retired Renaud’s number 18 the following day. His banner was raised on Sept. 25, 2009 at the first home opener played at the WFCU Centre. When the arena first opened, the road leading to the arena was named “Mickey Renaud Way” in his honour.

Charities and scholarships like Mickey’s Run and the Mickey Renaud Memorial Scholarship have kept his spirit and legacy alive.

One legacy in particular is the memorial window that fans inside the WFCU Centre pass during game days that displays his hockey stick, family photos, fan letters and remembrance, commemorative pucks and a mini Calgary Flames Stanley Cup; the team which drafted him.

What remains spectacular is the locker stall from Windsor Arena where the Spitfires had previously played for 84 years. Renaud’s stall features his skates, pads, helmet, gloves and his jersey, all of which have remained untouched for seven years.

Hannah LeClair, an early childhood education student at St Clair College, recalls her memories of the late great hockey player.

“He had massive impact on Windsor. He gave our team hope of a Memorial Cup and a reputation not to be misjudged,” said LeClair. “When I was in Grade 4, my class was doing a skating trip with the Spitfires and I remember him being just so fun and full of life.”

Renaud started his junior hockey career with the Tecumseh Chiefs of the former Western Ontario Hockey League in 2004. He began playing with the Spitfires in 2005. Throughout his career, he gained a reputation as a “fan favourite” player due to being a Tecumseh native.

At the 2007 NHL Entry Draft he was selected by the Calgary Flames in the fifth round 143^rd overall. He attended the Flames training camp before being cut from the team and sent back to Windsor. He was named the Spitfires captain at the beginning of the 2007-08 season. His dream of being in the NHL would tragically be cut short.

Fast forward to 2015 and the legacy still lives on throughout the Windsor Spitfires community. The 2015 Mickey Renaud night drew 4,781 fans at the WFCU Centre to watch the Spits play against the Plymouth Whalers. Despite taking a 1-0 lead after one period of play, Windsor eventually lost 3-1.

Before the game, several ex-Spitfire players took to Twitter to pay their tributes to Mickey Renaud.

Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall tweeted, “Remembering a great captain and an even better person today. RIP Mickey.”

Buffalo Sabres defensemen Mike Weber tweeted, “Wishing I was with my @SpitsHockey family today to remember a great friend and leader Mickey Renaud. #OurCaptainForever.”

Orlando Solar Bears forward Brady Vail, who spent last season with the Spitfires, tweeted, “Remember #18” along with a tribute photo of Renaud.

The Calgary Flames paid their respects to the young prospect tweeting “Today we remember Mickey Renaud, who passed away 7 years ago. RIP Mickey.”

OHL Tonight broadcaster Angelo Aversa joined the broadcasting team for the Spitfires a year after Renaud’s passing but still had memories about how much of an impact the teenager had on the team.

“I started working for the Spitfires the year after his passing and I was part of the first night that they paid tribute to him.” said Aversa.

“My biggest memory of him is just the way he competed following his draft with the Calgary Flames,” said Aversa “He came in here early on and he really showed what it took to get to the next level and you can tell how hard he wanted to work. I wasn’t around the team, but from the stories I heard, you just knew how much this team is meant to him and his teammates and that was the first memory I’ve had of him.”