Connor Chartrand was only a year and a half old when Mickey Renaud passed away unexpectedly in 2008 but understands what it means to receive the award that bears the name of the former Windsor Spitfires' captain. "It is an absolute honor to receive this award. Knowing how respected Mickey Renaud was and what he meant to his fellow teammates makes me very proud to be mentioned for these attributes." said Chartrand who was captain of the Windsor AAA-Zone U-16 team this past season.
Renaud was a selfless leader and revered by his teammates. After the Spits won the Memorial Cup they took the team pic with Renaud's sweater front and centre. "Connor displayed all of these attributes for us this year." said head coach Matt Zuccato. "He came to the rink everyday ready to play and gave all he had. Connor always put his teammates first and played the game the right way."
Although the season didn't end the way the Jr. Spits had hoped, Chartrand says he had a blast, "Our coaches set the expectations high for us and did not accept anything but the best from us."
The team responded during a season interrupted by the pandemic. They reeled off a 14-game unbeaten streak during a mid-season stretch that also saw them win the Waterloo Golden Puck tournament, "It was an incredible moment when we saw all the talent of our full team firing on all cylinders. I am so happy that this great group of teammates had this opportunity in our midget minor year after so many years of training for this moment." said Chartrand.
The 15-year old says he'd like to be chosen during the upcoming OHL draft. The Villanova student says he'll head to local junior camps as well. He has nothing but respect for Windsor AAA-Zone and would also consider returning for his midget major year. "I'd like to play at the highest level of hockey and continue to push myself and surround myself with the best possible competition. I love being on that ice and love putting in the work to be ready for game time."
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