Spits deal Lorentz for Aleardi

by Rob Benneian

Warren Rychel has had a busy day.

First the Windsor Spitfires general manager confirmed star centre AlexanderKhokhlachev will return from Spartak Moscow, where his father is the general manager.

Less than five hours later, Rychel struck a deal with division rival Plymouth Whalers to acquire overage forward Alex Aleardi. In exchange, the Spits will give up 19-year-old forward Zach Lorentz, who was acquired Nov. 22 from Peterborough. The Spitfires also acquired defenceman Trevor Murphy, a Windsor native, in the trade with Peterborough.

Lorentz had one goal and six points in 15 games with Windsor while Aleardi has 29 points in 39 games for the Whalers this season.

The Spitfires will now have three overage players, the Ontario Hockey League limit, as Aleardi joins fellow 1992-born players Saverio Posa and Emerson Clark.

Plymouth had until Jan. 9 to trade one of their four overage players after forward Mitchell Heard was sent back from the Lake Erie Monsters, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.

Aleardi will join his new teammates Jan. 10 when the Spitfires welcome the Brampton Battalion.