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Nathan Villeneuve, Sudbury Wolves (Terry Wilson / OHL Images)

Spitfires Acquire Villeneuve & Pharand From Wolves in Blockbuster

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Dave Jewell | Last updated Jan 5, 2026 4:45 PM ET

Windsor Spitfires general manager Bill Bowler is going all-in again. With the 2025-26 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) trade deadline approaching on Friday, the team made a splash on Monday morning with a familiar trade partner.

From the start of the season, the Spitfires were expected to be among the OHL’s elite teams. They have a strong 2006-born (19-year-olds) group along with a youth base (2008-and-2009-born) that’s come along very well. After finishing second in the Western Conference and first in the West Division last season, they’ve been battling for the top spots since opening night this season. With the deadline nearing, Bowler had been quiet about his intentions. However, history has shown that the quiet rarely lasts and, as we know, history tends to repeat itself.

Spitfires Acquire Villeneuve and Pharand from Wolves

The Spitfires have a history of making deals with the Sudbury Wolves. At the start of the 2023-24 season, Bowler moved veteran defenceman Nick DeAngelis up north for young defenceman Conor Walton and picks. On Monday, they made another blockbuster as Bowler’s intentions were made clear. Here’s how the deal shapes up.

To Spitfires:

2006-born forward Nathan Villeneuve (Seattle Kraken)
2005-born forward Alex Pharand (Chicago Blackhawks)

To Wolves:

2008-born forward Jean-Christoph Lemieux
Second-round pick in 2027 (Ottawa 67’s)
Second-round pick in 2028 (Spitfires)
Third-round pick in 2026 (Peterborough Petes)
Third-round pick in 2028 (Spitfires)
Third-round pick in 2028 (Oshawa Generals)
Fourth-round pick in 2029 (Spitfires)
Fifth-round pick in 2028 (Spitfires)
Fifth-round pick in 2029 (Spitfires)

What the Spitfires Get

The Spitfires have been searching for a top-line centre and they may have found it in Villeneuve. The 6-foot, 195-pound Ottawa native is an offensive stud who can be a thorn in everyone’s side.

In 196 career OHL games, he has 85 goals and 186 points, along with an impressive 277 penalty minutes. This season, he was “Mr. Everything” for the Wolves, scoring 16 goals and 44 points in 28 games and wa s named captain in October.

The Kraken prospect (second round, 63rd overall, 2024) can play any style that’s needed, whether it’s an offence showdown or physical and defending teammates. He’s known for his on-the-edge game and brings even more leadership to an already tight Spitfires’ locker room.

Pharand, 21, is a Sudbury native and played three-and-a-half seasons with the Wolves. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder was originally drafted by the Petes. However, he was moved to the Hamilton (now Brantford) Bulldogs in January 2021 in a package for Mason McTavish and, 24 hours later, was shipped to the Wolves for Chase Stillman.

In 270 games with the Wolves, he had 67 goals and 129 points. This season, he had 10 goals and 26 points in 37 games. He’s a big man who wore the alternate captain’s “A” this season and will complement the Spitfires’ depth very well.

What the Wolves Get

The big piece going back to the Wolves is the 17-year-old Lemieux. The Spitfires’ second-round pick in 2024, he came advertised as a gritty winger who could produce and has lived up to that.

Last season, the 6-foot, 190-pound Ottawa native had 19 points in 46 games along with an assist in six playoff games. He showed flashes of grit, physical play, and an offensive instinct that’s hard to teach. Unfortunately, injuries limited his games.

J.C. Lemieux of the Windsor Spitfires. (David Jewell / The Hockey Writers)

This season, he’s been better with 10 goals and 18 points through 33 games including a hat trick at home against the Brampton Steelheads in November. The biggest issue for him was getting top-six ice. It’s tough when the Spitfires are going for a run and you’re just 17 years old. He was often on the third line and getting inconsistent minutes. Fortunately, he joins a rebuilding Wolves club that has a history of developing NHL talent so the ice time should be plentiful for his draft season. If he plays his game, there’s little doubt that he’ll become a fan favourite.

The picks are also big for the Wolves, who were without a second-round pick in 2027 or 2028. They have lots of options now in rounds three through six, stretching until 2029, in case they make a run down the road.

The cost seems high but the OHL has shown this season that playing requires paying up. The eight picks and a player (nine assets in total) is one of the bigger moves in the league since the start of the season. Is it Bowler’s last? That’s to be determined. In 2022-23, he was “all-in” by bringing in NHL prospects Shane Wright and Brett Harrison. This feels similar so don’t be shocked if the roster continues to look different before the weekend. The overage (20-year-old) deadline is Thurs., Jan. 8 at noon. The deadline for everyone else is Fri., Jan. 9 at noon.