Revisiting Spitfires’ & 67’s 2016 Jeremiah Addison Trade

The 20-year-old Brampton native was 6-foot, 187 pounds, could play that physical style you need in the Memorial Cup, and was coming off a career-high 56 points in 66 games for the 67’s the previous season. Giving up a pair of seconds for the overage veteran was a small price for what Addison could bring… and he delivered.

The Montreal Canadiens’ prospect had 43 points in 51 games for the Spitfires, playing the style that the team and their fans loved. He was loved in the room, too, as he was named a co-captain with defenceman Jalen Chatfield. It was a pretty ideal scenario.

While the club was hosting the Memorial Cup, it wanted to go in as OHL Champions. It didn’t happen, though. They finished fifth in a historically tough Western Conference; it remains the only season since at least 1997-98 where 90 points in 68 games earned you only the fifth seed. Unfortunately, the Spitfires were eliminated in Game 7 of the first round by the London Knights. However, Addison had five goals in that series, setting up what would become an epic final show.

In the Memorial Cup, he showed why he was worth every penny. He scored five goals in four games, including a now-infamous hat trick in the final round-robin game against the OHL-Champion Erie Otters to secure a spot in the Championship game. That’s where the Spitfires went back-and-forth with the Otters (who won the Semi-Final game) until forward Aaron Luchuk scored in the third period to give the Spitfires a 4-3 lead and the eventual Memorial Cup championship.

At the time of the move, the hope was that Addison would provide a bit of everything to the club. When the final buzzer went on the season, he put himself in the Spitfires’ history books with a story to be told well into the future.

Also in the deal was the 15th-round pick, which was used on forward Hunter McKown out of St. Louis. He played for the US National Team Development Program. He then went to the NCAA and is now playing in the Canadiens’ system.

What the 67’s Got

Fortunately, two of the three picks helped the 67’s over the course of time.

The IceDogs’ second-round pick in 2019 was sent to the Otters in January 2019 in a package for forward Kyle Maksimovich. The 67’s were going for the OHL Championship that season and brought in the offensive veteran to help with the run. He wound up with 25 points in 28 games for them in the regular season and another 22 points in 16 playoff games.

Unfortunately, they lost in the OHL Championship to the Guelph Storm in six games. It’s worth noting that the 67’s also acquired Spitfires’ star goaltender Michael DiPietro (then a Vancouver Canucks prospect) for that run.

The Spitfires’ second-round pick in 2022 was shipped to the Soo Greyhounds in April 2022 in return for the 67’s third-round pick in 2024 and the Greyhounds’ second-round pick in 2025.

The third-round pick was sent to the Hamilton (now Brantford) Bulldogs in January 2023 in a large package for forward Logan Morrison, who was the OHL Playoffs Most Valuable Player in 2022 (strangely, against the Spitfires). He finished the season with a dynamic 39 points in 22 games for the 67’s and another 16 points in 11 playoff games as they lost in the second round to the Oshawa Generals.

The second-round pick went to the Saginaw Spirit in January 2023 in another large move for star defenceman Pavel Mintyukov. He came as advertised and put up 34 points in 32 games, plus nine points in 11 playoff games.

The 15th-round pick in 2018 was used to take goaltender Davis Tolnai. He remained with the Burlington Eagles of the South Central Triple A Hockey League, playing two seasons for their U18 AAA club, and has since moved on from playing hockey.

Verdict: Memorial Cup Hat Trick Seals Win for Rychel

This move looked fairly straightforward and simple. However, both teams benefitted in the long run, just one more than the other.

The 67’s got two picks that turned into three outstanding players in Maksimovich, Morrison, and Mintyukov. There’s no denying that they did well in 2019, getting to the OHL Championship, and the 2023 run was not a bad idea at the time. The organization got full value for the picks and, in most situations, they could argue the win here.

However, Addison was elite during the Memorial Cup. Without his hat trick in the final round-robin game, it’s hard to say if the Spitfires even make it to the Championship game, let alone win it. The moment jolted the team and the city and will go down as one of the most talked-about games long into the future.

The 67’s did very well on their end, but it’s difficult to top a Memorial Cup hat trick that sends your team to the Championship. That has to give the Spitfires the win in this trade.