Where Are They Now: Windsor Spitfires’ 2009 Memorial Cup Part 2

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The Canadian Hockey League’s (CHL) Memorial Cup is a battle of the best major junior hockey Canada has to offer. In 2009, the Windsor Spitfires won their first championship, in Rimouski, PQ. As the tournament returns there this season, we look back to find out what happened to some of that roster.

In 2006, Warren Rychel bought the Spitfires’ organization along with Bob Boughner and Peter Dobrich. Within just two seasons, they built a championship roster that included future NHL stars like Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, and Ryan Ellis. In February 2021, we looked back on that roster to find out where some of their key players wound up in their hockey careers. While some kept going with hockey at various levels, others got out of the game and into other ventures. Now, we look back at more players from that team. Are some still in the game? Did they move on? Let’s dive in.

Forward Andrew Yogan

It was no secret that Rychel liked two things – big, grinding players and taking a risk with American players. Andrew Yogan, their fifth-round pick in 2007, fit both of those. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Coconut Creek, FL native came to the club billed as a high-ceiling prospect who just needed a chance.

He got that chance in 2007-08 when he got into 50 games, scoring seven points. He was a big body who just needed time to adjust to the OHL level. In 2008-09, he seemed to be breaking out with eight points in his first 16 games. However, when you’re trying to build a championship roster, moves have to be made. He didn’t last long that season.

In order to build the Spitfires’ roster, Yogan was traded to the Erie Otters on Nov. 7, 2008, along with a second-round pick in the 2009 OHL Draft. In return, Rychel got the rights to goaltender Brandon Maxwell, who played a key role in a massive future trade that we’ll discuss below. What happened to Yogan after the move?

He wound up playing over 100 games with the Otters, scoring 45 goals and 93 points, before being traded to the Peterborough Petes in 2011-12. There, he wrapped up his OHL career with 41 goals and 79 points in 66 games. Following his OHL career, the New York Rangers’ fourth-round pick in 2010 moved on with his playing career.

Andrew Yogan. (Aaron Bell/CHL Images)

From 2012-17, Yogan played for several teams in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the ECHL. After that, he headed to Europe, starting in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL), which is the top league in Austria, followed by Slovakia, and now his current home with Dresdner Eislowen in Deutsche Eishockey Liga 2 (DEL2). In 2024-25, he had 19 goals and 43 points in 37 games.

Forward Scott Timmins

As we mentioned above, Maxwell was part of a major move with the Kitchener Rangers to help boost the Spitfires’ roster ahead of the 2009 Playoffs. The trade saw Rychel acquire defenceman Ben Shutron, goaltender Josh Unice, and, the next player on our list, forward Scott Timmins.

While the Spitfires were among the best offences in the OHL, they could always use veteran depth. The 5-foot-11, 192-pound Hamilton native had spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Rangers and was in the midst of a dynamic campaign of 25 goals and 49 points in 38 games. He was elite at the two-way game and was expected to be a big addition to the Spitfires’ bottom six.

Timmins fit in perfectly, scoring 24 points in 28 games, and was essential in their run to the 2009 Memorial Cup championship. A season later, he added another 30 goals and 54 points in 56 games, along with 22 points in 19 games in their quest to repeat with the 2010 Memorial Cup (five points in four games).

Related: Where Are They Now? Windsor Spitfires’ 2010 Memorial Cup

He fit into Rychel’s mould perfectly. However, what happened after he left the Spitfires? The Florida Panthers’ sixth-round pick in 2009 immediately headed to the AHL and got a taste of the NHL in 2010-11. After one point in 24 games with the Panthers, he made his home in the AHL for various clubs until 2015-16. That’s when he headed to Europe and, like Yogan, played in the EBEL and DEL2 until 2021-22. Following that, he made the long trek to Australia to join the Melbourne Mustangs of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL), where he is today. This season, he had 20 points in six games.

Timmins was one of those players that fit the Spitfires’ systems and roster perfectly. He brought an element to the team that few fans will forget.

Defenceman Ben Shutron

Shutron was the steady defenceman that came over in the deal, and he gave the Spitfires some nice stability on the back end. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Orleans native had played for the Kingston Frontenacs before joining the Rangers in 2007-08. When Rychel acquired him, he was the Rangers’ captain, bringing even more leadership to the Spitfires.

While Shutron was a near point-per-game player, nobody expected him to continue that with the Spitfires. He managed 10 points in 29 games but, more importantly, he played a strong two-way game and was a solid locker room presence. After the club won the Memorial Cup, where did this veteran wind up?

Despite being the Chicago Blackhawks’ fourth-round pick in 2006, Shutron didn’t dress in the pros. Instead, he went to the University of New Brunswick from 2009-14 and was named an alternate captain in his final season. In 2014-15, he played a season for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL with three points in four games before hanging up his skates.

Since retiring, he joined Team Canada as a team manager at the Spengler Cup from 2018-20 and has been an amateur scout with the Montreal Canadiens since 2021.

Goaltender Josh Unice

The final player in the Rangers’ deal was Unice. The 6-foot-1, 179-pound Holland, OH native played for the US National Under-17 and Under-18 teams before joining the Rangers in 2007-08. When the Spitfires got him in 2009, the idea was for him to back up veteran Andrew Engelage. It worked like a charm.

Unice didn’t get a lot of playing time with 12 appearances, sporting a 2.67 goals-against average (GAA) and .908 save percentage (SV%). He also saw just three playoff games. While he had five appearances for the Rangers during the 2008 Memorial Cup, he didn’t see action with the Spitfires’ turn. Despite that, he brought experience and a veteran swagger that Rychel knew he could lean on in times of need. That’s invaluable to a team.

In 2009-10, Unice saw action in three games with the Spitfires but struggled with a 10.27 GAA and .690 SV%. The club released him in November 2009. After that, he moved on to the University of Western Ontario until 2013-14. That was followed by four games with the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL. Like Yogan and Timmins, Unice then moved on to Europe in 2014-15 to play for three teams before retiring. Now, Unice is listed as working for Taft Law Firm in Detroit where he’s an associate focusing on business law.

Defenceman Mark Cundari

Our final player on this list is the 5-foot-9, 195-pound Woodbridge native, defenceman Mark Cundari. He was a Rychel original, the club’s second-round pick in 2006, and could do it all. If they needed a big hit or a big goal, he could provide both.

Cundari was with the Spitfires from 2006-10, seeing action in both the 2009 and 2010 Memorial Cups, including eight points in 10 games combined. While he didn’t get the spotlight of others, he was a vital part of their roster and a fan favourite for his willingness to do anything in his own zone. What happened to the slick veteran?

Despite being undrafted, he spent 2010-16 with various AHL clubs and saw eight NHL games with the Calgary Flames. He recorded his first NHL goal with them in 2012-13. After a stint in the AHL in 2015-16, he headed to Germany to play in the Deutsch Elite League (DEL) with various clubs. In 2019-20, he finished his career with the Villacher SV of the EBEL. In 2023-24, he joined the North York Rangers U16 AAA as an assistant coach.

The 2008-09 Spitfires’ roster was loaded with talent. Not just future NHL stars, but players who took their games to new levels all around the world and in different fields. This was a roster that neither the fans nor the organization will ever forget.

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