In an ideal world, a hockey trade benefits both clubs, whether it’s in the short term or long term. A November 2023 move between the Saginaw Spirit and Windsor Spitfires has worked out about as well as anyone can ask for.
After Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler helped them earn back-to-back first seeds in the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Western Conference (2021-23), the team struggled in 2023-24 and started to “reshuffle the deck.” Part of that meant moving pieces that could help other clubs, while building their own future at the same time. One of Bowler’s biggest moves came in November 2023, and it’s a trade that the Spitfires will continue to benefit from for seasons to come.
Spitfires Trade Christopoulos and Dionicio to Spirit
It was no secret that Bowler was likely to move some pieces around to focus on the future. He went all-in for 2021-22 and 2022-23, getting to the OHL Championship in 2022. However, he needed draft picks and long-term assets, and the only real way to do that was to send out veterans. The big move came on Nov. 9, 2023, when he made a blockbuster deal with the Memorial Cup host (and future champion) Spirit. Here’s how it looked.
To Spirit:
- Forward Alex Christopoulos
- Defenceman Rodwin Dionicio
- Kingston Frontenacs’ sixth-round pick in 2024
To Spitfires:
- Defenceman Roberto Mancini
- Forward Valentin Zhugin
- Peterborough Petes’ second-round pick in 2024
- Soo Greyhounds’ second-round pick in 2025
- Ottawa 67’s fourth-round pick in 2026
What the Spirit Got
The Spirit were hosting the 2024 Memorial Cup and needed all the veteran assets they could get. Christopoulos, 20, was coming off a 49-goal campaign and was primed for a big championship run. While the 6-foot, 194-pound Richmond Hill native wasn’t large, he was a pitbull on the ice. He was fierce, hard to knock off the puck, and as competitive as they come. He let his actions do the talking and wound up with 24 goals and 42 points in 49 games, along with another seven points in 17 playoff games and four points in five Memorial Cup games.
Related: Bloom’s Late Goal Earns Saginaw the Memorial Cup Championship
Also going to the Spirit was Dionicio (Anaheim Ducks). The 19-year-old was born in Newark, NJ, but grew up in Switzerland. He had 63 points in 49 games for the Spitfires and used his 6-foot-2, 207-pound frame to hit anyone that came near him. With the Spirit, he was just as impressive with 20 goals and 53 points in 44 games along with an outstanding 17 points in 17 playoff games. He also added five points in five Memorial Cup games and remains in the Ducks’ organization.
Finally, the sixth-round pick turned into forward Brody Najim, who had six points in 43 games in 2024-25 and is looking to be a key piece to the Spirit’s future puzzle.
What the Spitfires Got
In the OHL, trades like this can be complicated. Christopoulos was an overage (20-year-old) player, and teams can only have three of those on their roster. Therefore, another 20-year-old had to come back to the Spitfires, and that was Mancini. Also, at the time, teams could only have two Imports (any player whose parents reside primarily outside of Canada or the United States) on their roster. This meant that when Dionicio went to the Spirit, an Import player had to come back, and that was the Russian, Zhugin. The rule has since changed to three players.
All season, the Spitfires had struggled to keep pucks out of their net, averaging over five goals against per game. Mancini was a 6-foot-4, 214-pound stay-at-home defenceman and became exactly what the club needed. It was tough leaving the Spirit after nearly 200 games with them, especially in a Memorial Cup season, but he made the best of it. However, Bowler soon traded him to the Flint Firebirds at the deadline in exchange for a second and third-round pick. The second became a pair of picks, one of which was used on newly-signed rookie defenceman Grady Spicer, while the other was used to get veteran defenceman Tnias Mathurin in August 2024. The third-round pick was sent to the Sudbury Wolves in January 2024 for veteran defenceman Djibril Toure. He played well before suffering a season-ending injury. He’s now in the Ottawa Senators’ system.
The club also got Zhugin, 19, to help with their offence. While the Russian forward had 14 goals and 35 points in 50 games and showed bursts of creativity, he never seemed to gel with any line. After the season was done, he left the OHL and is now back home playing in Russia.
The draft picks have become surprisingly straightforward. With the Petes’ second-round pick, Bowler got defenceman Carter Hicks, who has become a fixture on the club and is a future leader. The Greyhounds’ second-round pick was used on forward Ian Inskip, who impressed during Orientation Camp in early May. The Spitfires also have the 67’s fourth-round pick, as well.
A Win-Win Move
As we said, an ideal trade has both teams getting pieces that help them, whether it’s in the present or the future. The Spirit got two pieces that helped them hoist the 2024 Memorial Cup, beating the London Knights. They also got a nice piece for their future. The Spitfires got two pieces that helped in the short term, but became part of more moves that will likely help them out for seasons to come. They also got picks that have already paid dividends, and who knows what will happen with the final pick.
The Spitfires and Spirit aren’t usual trading partners, but this move worked out really well for both clubs. Was it an exception or a sign of things to come? Only time can answer that one, but if this was a one-off, neither team can really complain about the results.
