Revisiting Spitfires’ & Firebirds’ 2024 Oliver Peer Trade

While some big Ontario Hockey League (OHL) trades take several seasons to play out, one significant Windsor Spitfires’ trade from 2023-24 has already become nearly a closed book.

Between current general manager Bill Bowler and former GM Warren Rychel, the Spitfires have had numerous trades over the last 20 seasons that took multiple seasons to play out. Whether they were involving distant picks, more trades within the trade, or both, we didn’t know the final results until long down the road. However, there have also been a few trades that, despite involving multiple pieces, were over and done with within a season or two. That’s how one January 2024 move with the Flint Firebirds involving Oliver Peer wound up. Let’s dive in.

Peer Traded to Firebirds

With the Spitfires looking to shuffle the roster a bit during a turbulent 2023-24 season, they moved the popular overage (20-year-old) forward Peer to the Firebirds before the January 2024 trade deadline. Here’s how it played out:

To Firebirds:

• 20-year-old Peer

To Spitfires:

• Kitchener Rangers’ second-round pick in 2025
• Barrie Colts’ third-round pick in 2026
• Peterborough Petes’ third-round pick in 2026
• Colts’ fourth-round pick in 2027
• Mississauga (now Brampton) Steelheads’ 11th-round pick in 2026

The move happened during a flurry of trades from Bowler at the deadline, where he made numerous moves in rapid-fire succession.

What the Firebirds Got

The big piece in the deal was the 20-year-old Peer. The 6-foot, 170-pound Burlington native came to the Spitfires during the 2021-22 training camp as a free agent. He had been passed over in the OHL Draft but had incredible speed, an impressive work ethic, and was a character off the ice. All he needed was a chance to put it all together and the club gave him that. He earned an OHL contract and never looked back.

After nine points in 50 games in 2021-22, he continued his stellar play in the playoffs which included a huge goal in Game 1 of the OHL Championship against the Hamilton (now Brantford) Bulldogs. From there, he kept going, scoring 67 points in 63 games the next season, followed by 47 points in 37 games in 2023-24 before the move to the Firebirds.

The Firebirds were fighting for a playoff spot with a likelihood of finishing seventh or eighth in the Western Conference, which meant a first-round match against either the Saginaw Spirit or London Knights. Both of whom were loading up for an OHL Championship run. As good as Peer was on the ice, and how valuable he was off of it, the move didn’t make a lot of sense. He wasn’t going to get them past either team on his own.

He did the best he could during the regular season and wound up with 33 points in 30 games for the Firebirds, getting them into the eighth seed. Unfortunately, that meant the Knights in round one and bowing out in a disappointing four-game sweep. He has since moved on to the NCAA.

What the Spitfires Got

Bowler moved the Rangers’ second-round pick in 2025 plus the Colts’ 2026 and 2027 picks to the North Bay Battalion on Jan. 9, 2025 in a package for 19-year-old defenceman Wyatt Kennedy. The Ottawa native was 6-foot-5, 210-pounds, played a tough, simple game, and had just been to the Eastern Conference Championship. With the potential for him to return for an overage season in 2025-26, Bowler didn’t hesitate to make the move.

Kennedy wound up playing 95 games for the Spitfires with five goals and 35 points, bringing a calm and toughness to the defence. He wasn’t going to be flashy but you knew he was out there. He was also named a finalist for the OHL Ted Baker Teammate of the Year Award in 2025-26 for his off-ice work.

The Petes’ third-round pick in 2026 went to the Sudbury Wolves in January 2026 as part of a large package to get veteran forwards Nathan Villeneuve (Seattle Kraken) and Alex Pharand (Chicago Blackhawks). The Spitfires were going on a run to the OHL Championship and needed Villeneuve’s offence and Pharand’s veteran depth. While neither was as productive as they would have liked, the club still got to the Western Conference Championship, losing to the eventual Memorial Cup Champion Rangers in Game 5.

Finally, the Steelheads’ 11th-round pick was used to get gritty forward Cole Dubowsky from the Colts. The now-19-year-old gave Bowler some toughness and fourth-line depth but was in-and-out of the lineup all season. For a late pick, it wasn’t a bad trade.

Verdict: Kennedy Gives Spitfires the Edge

Trades like this often involve the veteran going on a longer playoff run while the picks panning out over several seasons. That wasn’t the case here.

The Firebirds got the player they wanted. Peer brought production, leadership, and his usual character self. It just wasn’t the right time for the move. As valuable as he was, the Knights and Spirit were juggernauts that season and getting past the first round, let alone the second, was a monumental ask for the team.

The Spitfires moved all of their picks fairly quickly. While the Villeneuve and Pharand trade didn’t provide the production that was hoped for, they were still valuable both on the ice and in the room. The Dubowsky trade may end up dissipating, depending on if he makes the roster this season. It was fun while it lasted.

It was the Kennedy aquisition, though, that puts Bowler into the win column here. The veteran gave them almost 100 games, playoff experience, and a genuine threat on defence. He wasn’t flashy but came as-advertised and you couldn’t ask for much more.

You never know how a trade will wind up, especially with several parts. However, this move went quickly for both the Spitfires and Firebirds and it’s now likely a distant memory.