Spitfires trade goalie Michael DiPietro to Ottawa

CTV Windsor: Spits trade Dipietro It's been an emotional couple of days for Spitfires goalie Michael Dipietro. Bob Bellacicco has trade reaction.

The Windsor Spitfires have traded star OHL goaltender Michael DiPietro to the Ottawa 67's.

In return, the Spitfires get Russian forward Egor Afanasyev, Ottawa's 2nd round pick in 2019, London's 2nd round pick in 2021, Ottawa's 2nd round picks in 2022 and 2023; and a trio of conditional picks – Ottawa's 2nd in 2021, Ottawa's 3rd in 2021 and Ottawa's 3rd in 2022.

The Spitfires also sent their 4th round pick in 2020 and Kingston's 2nd round pick in 2024 to Ottawa to complete the deal.

DiPietro says he is looking forward to joining an Ottawa team that is making a run at a championship, but it’s tough to leave Windsor.

"I'm a Spitfire and I always will be no matter where I go," says DiPietro."Growing up and watching the Spitfires and  having the honour to play for them and win the Memorial Cup. I look back and there are so many memories."

DiPietro was drafted by the Spitfires in 2015 and led the team to the 2017 Memorial Cup. He also holds the franchise record for victories with 86 wins.

The 19-year-old Amherstburg native was also drafted by the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks in 2017.

Windsor General Manager Warren Rychel admits this trade was tough, comparing it to the deal that sent his son Kerby Rychel to Guelph in 2013.

Rychel says DiPietro did so much for the team on the ice, and off the ice as the fact of the OHL organization.

"I was very blessed to have the opportunity to impact as many people as I did," adds DiPietro.

DiPietro expects to play for Ottawa this weekend before he leaves Monday for Team Canada’s evaluation camp for the World Junior hockey team in Victoria B.C.

Afanasyev, 17, was in his second season with the Muskegeon Lumberjacks of the USHL.

In 64 career games there, the Tver, Russia native scored 17 times and added 23 assists to go along with +8 rating and 24 penalty minutes.

In the wake of DiPietro's trade, Rychel added goaltender Colton Incze from Niagara in a separate trade in exchange for a 4th round pick in 2022.

Incze, 19, from Oakville has played in 41 games over parts of three seasons in Niagara, compiling a career 11-15-0 record.\