The waiting is over for the Windsor Spitfires.

The 2017 MasterCard Memorial Cup host team will take the Quebec Major Junior Hockey Champion Saint John Sea Dogs in tonight's round-robin opener.

The Spitfires were eliminated in the first round of the OHL playoffs six weeks ago, after losing a seven-game series to the 2016 Memorial Cup champion London Knights.

Windsor will have gone 44 days between their Game 7 exit in early April and tonight's game.

With files from The Canadian Press.