Windsor Spitfires captain Mickey Renaud, drafted by the Calgary Flames, passed away suddenly Feb. 18
Somewhere north of the clouds, Mickey Renaud is smiling.
Hey, it's what captains do. When you're given that ‘C' to wear a few inches from your heart, it lasts forever.
Sadly, the undisputed leader of the Windsor Spitfires drifted into legend before his 20th birthday. The popular 19-year Renaud collapsed and passed away last month, a roundhouse punch that staggered a family, a team, a city.
You would have to forgive the people of Windsor if they still have a tough time looking at the standings. It may be a stretch to say hockey no longer matters. Windsor, like it was prior to Feb. 18, is still a hockey town. That can never change.
But it's too much, too soon. Now is not that time. No one knows when that time will come, when the score will really matter again.
But if you look closely, you'll see Mickey Renaud is still inspiring his charges, even as he sleeps.
Since tragedy hit and they laid their captain to rest, the Spitfires, driven by a season that has suddenly turned into a tribute, have quietly managed to come away with points, including four wins, in all six games they have played post-goodbye.
Ask any Spitfire playing with a heavy heart these days. I'd be willing to bet, to a man, they would surrender the season, take a loss for every remaining game, if it meant one more high-five, one more slap on the back, one more bus ride with their captain.
But those kids aren't givien the luxury of dreaming. That is what memories are for. That stall with the #18 remains vacant.
So the Spitfires are going to go out and try to do the next best thing.
To win. For him.
It's the way Renaud continues to inspire his team, just as he did when he sat in that stall.
And it's their way of letting Renaud know. It's their tribute to him.
A tribute the Spitfires seem intent on paying right through the Memorial Cup this spring.
And you can bet Renaud is watching.
True captains always do.