Windsor defeats Erie 4-3 to win Memorial Cup

WINDSOR, Ontario – Aaron Luchuk broke a tie 5:07 into the third period and the Windsor Spitfires beat the Erie Otters 4-3 on Sunday night to win the Memorial Cup.

Jeremy Bracco had a goal and two assists, Logan Stanley and Graham Knott also scored and Michael DiPietro made 32 saves for Windsor.

Also the champion in 2009 and 2010, the Spitfires became the first host team to win since the Shawinigan Cataractes in 2012 and the 10th since the round-robin format was introduced in 1972.

Before the four-team Canadian Major Junior Hockey Championship, the Spitfires went 44 days between games after being eliminated in the first round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. They were 4-0 in the tournament, also beating the OHL champion Otters 4-2 on Wednesday night to the reach the final.

Dylan Strome, Warren Foegele and TJ Fergus scored for Erie. Strome was the tournament MVP.