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Revisiting Spitfires’/Generals’ 2023 Brett Harrison Trade
Brett Harrison of the Windsor Spitfires. (David Jewell / The Hockey Writers)

When a team decides to go all-in for an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) title, moves happen that nobody saw coming. That was the case in January 2023 when the Windsor Spitfires shocked the league, acquiring one of the biggest names on the trade market.

After going to the OHL Championship in 2021-22 and losing to the Hamilton Bulldogs in Game 7, Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler was looking to put everything into the 2023 Trade Deadline. He showed in 2021-22 that he was willing to go for the shock factor, and this deadline was no different. With the club holding the first seed in the Western Conference, he made a pair of moves – bringing in Team Canada (2023 World Juniors) captain Shane Wright (Seattle Kraken) and a second major piece from the Eastern Conference. This one may have been even bigger, in terms of assets.

Spitfires Acquire Harrison

On Jan. 3, 2023, Bowler made the shocking move, acquiring Oshawa Generals’ offensive star Brett Harrison (Boston Bruins). The news sent ripples throughout the league that Bowler wasn’t playing around. Here’s how it looked.

To Spitfires:

  • forward Brett Harrison

To Generals:

  • Generals’ second-round pick in 2023
  • Generals’ second-round pick in 2024
  • Barrie Colts’ third-round pick in 2024
  • Sudbury Wolves’ third-round pick in 2025
  • Spitfires’ third-round pick in 2026
  • Spitfires’ fifth-round pick in 2026

With no conditional picks involved, each team got their assets right away. Who got what, though?

What the Spitfires Got

The Spitfires were an offensive dynamo, leading the OHL in goals since nearly the start of the season. With players like Matthew Maggio (New York Islanders), Jacob Maillet, and Alex Christopoulos, who combined for 127 goals for the season, this was a team that could beat you in multiple ways.

OHL: Spitfires’ Captain, Isles’ Prospect Maggio Joins-50 Goal Club

Harrison was Bowler’s second acquisition of the deadline, just after they got veteran defenceman Jacob Holmes from the Sudbury Wolves. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Dorchester native came advertised as a big scoring center, and he provided. After 33 points in 27 games for the Generals, he added another 18 goals and 36 points in 30 games for the Spitfires. He was a favourite on the ice and great with the fans off of it. However, like others, he stumbled a bit in the playoffs with just four points in four games. It was part of the Spitfires becoming the first top-seeded team in OHL history to get swept by the eighth-seed, in this case, the Kitchener Rangers.

Make no mistake, Harrison brought his A-game in the regular season. He did exactly what he was brought in to do – score, create, and lead. He was polite, professional, and seemed to enjoy his time with the Spitfires. However, the sweep in the playoffs was a tough way for the veteran to finish his time in the OHL.

What the Generals Got

In a move like this, the team getting the picks has to hope that some of them pan out, especially if you’re not getting a young talent in return. Fortunately, they paid off, in multiple ways.

The Generals’ second-round pick in 2023 became goaltender Isaac Gravelle. He spent a season in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Jr B with the Port Colborne Sailors before making the OHL in 2024-25. He’s expected to play a larger role for the team in 2025-26.

The Generals’ second-round pick in 2024 became center Brooks Rogowski out of Brighton, MI. He had 23 points in 66 games for them last season. While he should return to the club in 2025-26, he committed to Michigan State University for 2027-28 as part of the new NCAA/CHL allowance for transfers, which happened last November.

The Colts’ third-round pick in 2024 became defenceman Brady Blaseg. He split 2024-25 between the Carleton Place Canadians of the Central Canada Hockey League Jr. A, where he had nine points in 23 games, and the Generals (two assists in nine games).

The Wolves’ third-round pick in 2025 and the Spitfires’ third-round pick in 2026 both got traded to the Rangers for a third-round pick in 2023. That became forward Tristan Delisle. However, it didn’t end there. While he had 19 points in 66 games over a season and a bit, the Generals traded him to the Owen Sound Attack in early October 2024 as part of a giant trade to get Winnipeg Jets’ prospect Colby Barlow. He wound up with 61 points in 62 games, plus another 33 points in 21 playoff games as the team lost to the 2025 Memorial Cup champion London Knights in the OHL Championship.


Colby Barlow, Oshawa Generals (Tim Cornett/OHL Images)

Finally, the Spitfires’ sixth-round pick was sent to the Guelph Storm, along with goaltender Patrick Leaver, in exchange for veteran goaltender Jacob Oster. He became a consistent beast for the Generals, with a 2.82 goals-against average and .905 save percentage over 117 games. He even won the OHL Goaltender of the Year in 2023-24 as he helped backstop the team to back-to-back OHL Championships (lost both to the Knights).

Generals Smiling After Trade

In an ideal world, both teams benefit from a big trade like this. The veteran helps his team get to a championship while the picks turn out to be key pieces to the other team’s long-term puzzle. In this case, only one team wants to look back at this with any real memories.

The Generals used all of their picks for something beneficial. They used some to acquire veterans who helped them get to two OHL championships (despite losing both), while the rest of the picks will help them in the future. It’s not often that this many picks work out well in a trade.

Unfortunately, the trade was a bust for the Spitfires. While Harrison was great in the regular season, he wasn’t able to do much in the playoffs. He wasn’t the reason they lost the series, by any stretch, but the price was heavy at the time, and it looks even worse now.

Since he took over in 2019, Bowler has been swift in making moves that help the Spitfires. Many of those moves have done well. However, this one is getting added to the “let’s forget it happened” pile.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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