Despite the devastating loss, Windsor Spitfire fans were still excited to see their favourite hockey team back on the ice Friday night.

The Spits are celebrating its 40 year anniversary with many new rookies on the team. Over 5,600 fans packed the WFCU Centre for the team’s first game of the season.

Jamie Deslippe says he’s been coming to Spits games since he was a kid. “I think the beginning of the season they might have a few struggles, but I think teams are going to underestimate them and I think they’re going to surprise a lot of teams this year,” says Deslippe.

Deslippe has made it a family tradition, bringing his two kids Logan and Greenlee since they were young. “I’m thinking that they’ll come off strong than last year because each year they just keep getting better and better,” says Greenlee. “I yell most of the time,” says Logan. “I think they can come back strong for the 40 years.”

The Windsor Spitfires take on the Guelph Storm Sunday at the WFCU Centre for a 2pm start.