Spitfires brace for Memorial Cup battle

The Windsor Spitfires are preparing for a Memorial Cup battle with the junior hockey tournament set to start this weekend.

Team president Bob Boughner, whocoached the Spitfires to back-to-back Memorial Cup championshipsin 2009 and 2010,says his players have been through rigorous preparation in order to be ready for their first game Friday night.

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"We kept them busy and now Iknowthey're just excited for the puck to drop," he said.

Being the host city of the Memorial Cup comes with its own challenges, Boughner explained.

"There were a lot of late nights in board rooms planning for this," he said. "All the planning's done, now it's about execution."

Tourism officials in the region are expecting a significant economic boost as the tournament rolls out. Based on previous tournaments hosted in other cities, the region could seebetween $10 million and $17 million pumped into the local economy, according toTourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island.

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Boughnersays the tournament will also have several legacy projects for residents to enjoy long after the tournament is over. One of those projects is theMemorial Cup Remembrance Garden at the WFCU Centre, which was unveiled earlier this month in honour of war veterans.