The Windsor Spitfires captured the 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup after defeating the Kelowna Rockets 4-1 in the Championship game on Sunday, May 24th, in Rimouski, QC.
The MAZDA Zoom Zoom - Western Hockey League Top 5 Plays of the Week are now available for viewing on www.whl.ca. Each week WHL Clubs submit their plays of the week nominations to the WHL Office, of those clips a ‘Top 5’ are selected and produced into a high energy package to be displayed on www.whl.ca and WHL Club websites every Friday.
Jared Cowen completed his second full season in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs. The 18-year-old from Allan, SK, put up seven goals and 21 points with a solid +15 rating in 48 regular-season games for the Chiefs in 2008-09, but suffered a season-ending knee injury at the end of January. As a 16-year-old rookie in 2007-08, Cowen became a key fixture on the blue line in helping the Chiefs win the WHL and Memorial Cup championships.
Selected by Spokane with the first overall pick in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft, Cowen is a towering presence on the blue line who boasts a rare combination of size, strong skating ability and excellent hockey sense. At over 6’ 5” and 220 lbs, Cowen has the size and strength to dominate in the defensive zone. He uses his size and reach effectively to break up passes, win battles on the boards and move opposing forwards from the front of the net. With his strong hockey sense, skating and puck skills, Cowen is also very adept at making first passes or carrying the puck out of the zone, himself. Many feel Cowen boasts plenty of offensive upside as well.