Ben Garagan with the Hamilton Bulldogs, acquired by the Windsor Spitfires on January 10, 2019. Photo courtesy of Brandon Taylor/OHL Images.Ben Garagan with the Hamilton Bulldogs, acquired by the Windsor Spitfires on January 10, 2019. Photo courtesy of Brandon Taylor/OHL Images.
Windsor

UPDATE: Spitfires make a flurry of deadline day deals

The Windsor Spitfires wheeled and dealed as the OHL trade deadline passes, making a series of moves since Wednesday night.

As of the deadline at noon Thursday, the Spits had picked up a forward, traded two away, acquired a goaltender and dealt away the rights to another goalie. They also collected a total of four draft picks over the past 24 hours.

The team announced Thursday morning that it had acquired centre Ben Garagan from the defending OHL-champion Hamilton Bulldogs. In return, the Spits are sending their 15th round pick in the 2022 OHL draft.

The 20-year-old Garagan, from North Bay, Ont., has played for the Bulldogs and the Sudbury Wolves over the past four seasons. He has eight career goals, 17 assists, and 116 penalty minutes. Garagan is currently out with an injury, but the team said he is expected to join them sometime Thursday. He will wear #12.

The Garagan deal came less than 12 hours after Windsor traded forward Mathew MacDougall to the Erie Otters for a trio of draft picks.

Windsor clearly wasn't done dealing with the Otters, as they announced right after the deadline that they picked up the rights to goalie Jackson Bernard. In return, they are sending the rights to forward Reid Russett to Erie.

The 17-year-old Bernard was the Otters' 15th round pick in 2017. The Illinois native has appeared in seven games this season with the Spits' junior-B affiliate, the LaSalle Vipers. He posted a 3.63 goals-against-average and an 82.2 per cent save percentage.

Russett, on the other hand, was the Spits' second-round pick in this year's Priority Selection. The 17-year-old from Ottawa has scored four goals and 12 assists over 33 games this season with the Smith Falls Bears of the CCHL.

Finally, the Spitfires sent the rights to goaltender Lucas Patton to the Guelph Storm, in exchange for their 12th round pick in the 2022 Priority Selection. The 19-year-old appeared in goal six times last season with Windsor, but had spent the vast majority of the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons with the Chatham Maroons. He has appeared in 23 games so far this year with the junior-B Kitchener Dutchmen.

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