While most Ontario Hockey League (OHL) fans look forward to the January 10 trade deadline for the big moves, the summer trade season can’t be overlooked. Over the last 10 years, the Windsor Spitfires have used the summer to swing deals that will help the club in the present and in the future.
The league’s trade window opens in early June, lasts for a few weeks, and then closes again until early August. Between June, August, and early September (before home openers), teams scramble to make necessary moves to get their roster in order. While the Spitfires’ moves have varied in size, some had a significant impact on the club moving forward. Today, we’ll explore a few that moved the needle and gave fans a bit of a thrill.
Windsor/Hamilton Trade – June 30, 2020
To Spitfires
- Defenceman Michael Renwick
To Bulldogs
- Oshawa Generals’ second-round pick in 2022
- Spitfires’ fifth-round pick in 2024 (conditional)
- Kitchener Rangers’ second-round pick in 2024 (conditional)
What the Spitfires Received
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the OHL in March 2020, the Spitfires knew that they would need to rebuild a good chunk of their club because of graduation. One of those young pieces was defenceman Michael Renwick, a Mississauga native with ties to the City of Windsor.
New general manager (GM) Bill Bowler, hired in July 2019 following long-time GM Warren Rychel, acquired the 6-foot, 185-pound Renwick, whose grandfather, Dave Prpich, has been a part of the Spitfires organization for decades. The youngster had potential for a solid two-way game and the club was eager to see how that would fit in the post-COVID-19 game.
When the league started up again in 2021-22, Renwick made an immediate impact with 29 points in 67 games. He then upped his game with 35 points in 65 games in 2022-23. Not only was he producing at both ends of the rink, but he could also throw the body and lead the room, earning an alternate captain’s “A.” He was the kind of player any team would want – play hard, contribute, and give no excuses. He graduated this offseason and has since moved on to the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL).
What the Bulldogs Received
The Generals’ second-round pick was traded to the Rangers in a package deal for tough defenceman Arber Xhekaj. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Hamilton native had 17 points in 33 regular season games but became a force in the playoffs with 16 points in 18 games en route to the OHL Championship. He was later signed by the Montreal Canadiens.
The Rangers’ second-round pick in 2024 became a third-round pick in 2023 when there was no 2020-21 season due to COVID-19. That third-round pick was then traded to the Peterborough Petes for dynamic forward Mason McTavish, who was a key piece to the Bulldogs’ 2022 OHL Championship. The Spitfires’ fifth-round pick in 2024 was conditional on Renwick playing in 2022-23, which he did, and the Bulldogs still have the pick.
Related: Bulldogs Win 2022 OHL Championship After Game 7 Win over Spitfires
A deal like this starts off small in hopes of a player getting a bigger opportunity. In some cases, like this one, it becomes massive for both clubs. The Spitfires got an invaluable piece to their 2021-23 rosters while the Bulldogs used their picks to bring in two game-changing talents for their title run. It’s tough to top that in any deal.
Windsor/Barrie Trade – June 26, 2016
To Spitfires
- Forward Julius Nattinen
- Barrie Colts’ 12th-round pick in 2017
To Colts
- Defenceman Kyle Auger
- Guelph Storm’s second-round pick in 2017
- Flint Firebirds’ fourth-round pick in 2017
What the Spitfires Received
When the Spitfires were named 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup hosts in May 2016, it was an opportunity for Rychel to really go big when building his roster. One of his first moves was to shore up his Import slots. Each team can have two Import players (those whose parents or guardians reside primarily outside of Canada or the United States) and the club already had Russian defenceman Mikhail Sergachev.
Rychel went to the Colts and got Finnish forward Julius Nattinen, who had 71 points in 52 games with the Colts in 2015-16. He wasn’t expected to produce as much with the Spitfires but he still managed 38 points in 51 games and another four points in four Memorial Cup games. The team was loaded and he provided the depth and leadership they needed. It was his only season with the club, though. The Anaheim Ducks’ 2015 second-rounder graduated to play a season in the American Hockey League (AHL) before heading to Europe. He’s now with HIFK Helsinki in SM-Liiga (Finland).
The 12th-round pick became forward Cameron Recchi who went the US route and is now with the University of St Thomas in Minnesota in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).
What the Colts Received
When Rychel drafted Auger in 2015, the hope was that he would become the next coming of former Spitfires’ defensive great Ryan Ellis (313 points in 226 games from 2007-11). However, despite the potential, he struggled to get any production going. Instead, he was reluctantly shipped off to the Colts, who promptly traded him to the Ottawa 67’s for a third-round pick in 2017. That pick became goaltender Calvin “Jet” Greaves, who was a big part of the Colts’ roster from 2018-20. Now, he’s in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ system.
Both the Storm and Firebirds’ picks were traded to the Mississauga Steelheads for forward Kirill Nizhnikov as part of a larger package deal. He was then later traded to the Sudbury Wolves in a deal for several picks. One of those picks was used to get forward Tyson Foerster, who had 114 points in 139 games for the Colts from 2018-22 before moving to the pros, while another one was used to acquire Spitfires’ star Aaron Luchuk, who had 64 points in 38 games in his half-season with the team.
In the end, the deal worked for both clubs. The Spitfires got a valuable depth forward for their Memorial Cup championship while the Colts ended up getting multiple productive pieces that worked for their future.
Windsor/Oshawa Trade – Sept. 17, 2018
To Spitfires
- Defenceman Sean Allen
To Generals
- Spitfires’ fifth-round pick in 2023
What the Spitfires Received
Sometimes, a trade is worth it even without significant production. This was the case with the Spitfires’ deal to get Generals’ tough guy Sean Allen in Sept 2018.
Coming into 2018-19, the club knew they were still rebuilding and getting that one “Sherriff”-style player was invaluable. While they had power forwards Will Cuylle (New York Rangers) and Curtis Douglas, those two were needed on the ice as much as possible. That’s where Allen came into the picture.
With just one goal and 15 points in 150 games, plus 297 penalty minutes, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound defenceman wasn’t going to light up the scoreboard but could stand against the toughest the league threw at him. He managed seven points in 55 games for the Spitfires, including a goal, but his value came in the room and his take-no-prisoners approach to the game. He was a true throw-back tough guy and fans appreciated it.
After his season with the Spitfires, he moved on to the ECHL and he just wrapped up 2022-23 with the Cincinnati Cyclones, scoring 15 points and 219 penalty minutes in 69 games.
What the Generals Received
Going to the Generals was the Spitfires’ fifth-round pick in 2023. That was traded, along with forward Daniil Antropov, to the Saginaw Spirit in November 2019. In return, they got back their own second-round pick in 2020 and the Rangers’ third-round pick in 2024. Both of those picks were subsequently traded – in a package to the IceDogs for forward Phil Tomasino (January 2019) and to the London Knights (Dec 2021) for forward Stuart Rolofs, respectively.
Tomasino was an offensive genius for them with 43 points in 26 games in 2019-20 before COVID-19 shut the league down in March 2020. He has since moved on to the Nashville Predators’ system. After just nine points in 46 games with the Knights, Rolofs wound up with 100 points in 109 games for the Generals. He’s also eligible to return for one final season in 2023-24.
This is another deal where both clubs proved successful. The Spitfires got their policeman who was a fan (and locker room) favourite while the Generals eventually got some significant offensive pieces for their present and future.
Windsor/Kingston Trade – Aug. 20, 2019
To Spitfires
- Kingston Frontenacs’ sixth-round pick in 2022
To Frontenacs
- Forward Jordan Frasca
What the Spitfires Received
On the surface, this looked like a fairly minor deal. Frasca was the Spitfires’ seventh-round pick in 2017 and wanted a chance for a bigger role. Bowler gave him his wish and got the Frontenacs’ sixth-round pick in 2022 in return. However, looks can be deceiving.
The Spitfires kept the pick until January 2021 when they included it in a trade for London Knights’ goaltender Mathias Onuska. The 19-year-old had just five OHL games under his belt but just needed a chance to show his worth. When veteran Xavier Medina went on the shelf for undisclosed reasons, Onuska took his chance and ran with it, becoming a big part of the club’s 2022 OHL Western Conference championship.
Medina was released prior to 2022-23 (now in the United States Hockey League) and Onuska was named the starter. Unfortunately, inconsistencies and injuries hampered most of his season, but it’s still a definite feel-good story for him and the Spitfires. After the season finished, he got an Amateur Tryout Contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs but didn’t appear in a game. He has since signed on with the University of Waterloo for 2023-24.
What the Frontenacs Received
Frasca wanted a chance to develop and he got it with the Frontenacs. In 2019-20, he broke out with 15 goals and 43 points in 58 games before going all out with 42 goals and 87 points in 61 games in 2021-22. While he went undrafted, his production was enough to catch the eyes of the NHL. In March 2022, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract. He split 2022-23 between the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), scoring 12 points in 36 games, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) where he was pointless in eight games.
This was a classic case of low-risk, high-reward. The Frontenacs gave Frasca a chance and it paid off, while the Spitfires used a pick to take a chance on Onuska, who became a significant part of their roster. It’s tough to argue this deal on either end.
While the January trade deadline is on everyone’s calendar, summer deals can be just as entertaining. The Spitfires have shown that, whether a deal is big or small, there’s often value that shines through over the long haul. We’ll have to see if the summer of 2023 can provide any new fireworks for fans.