Blueliner with ties to Windsor pleased with trade
For right defenceman Michael Renwick, a trade to the Windsor Spitfires on Tuesday is almost like coming home.
A native of Mississauga, Renwick is the grandson of former Spitfires head coach Dave Prpich. Windsor acquired him from the Hamilton Bulldogs for a second-round draft pick in the 2022 OHL Draft, which was acquired earlier from Oshawa, along with a conditional second-round pick in 2024, which was acquired earlier from Kitchener, and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024 that is Windsor’s.
Hamilton will get the fifth-round pick if Renwick plays an overage season while the second-round pick in 2024 will become a thirdround pick in 2023 only if there is no OHL season in 2020-21.
“I’m super excited,” Renwick said. “It’s a bit of a homecoming because my mom’s from there, my aunt and cousins still live there and my grandparents.”
A second-round pick by the Bulldogs in the 2018 OHL Draft, Renwick is a player that has been on the Spitfires’ radar for a long time.
“We’ve liked this kid since his minor-midget year,” Spitfires’ general manager Bill Bowler said. “This is something we’ve been working on. He’s just a solid kid and I think he’ll be a top-pair defenceman in our league.
“There was a reason he was taken in the second round. He can play against the other team’s top line, he’ll compete, he’s just an allaround good defenceman with a good hockey IQ.”
The six-foot, 185-pound Renwick played for Canada at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, but was limited to just 18 games in his rookie season due to a shoulder injury. He bounced back in 2019-20 to produce three goals and 17 points in 59 games before the season was shutdown due to the COVID -19 pandemic.
“Playing with Hamilton was great, but I think the trade’s what’s best for me,” Renwick said. “I’ll be successful in Windsor. I’ve only heard good things about them. It’s a great organization and great staff and I think it’ll be cool that I get to pull on the jersey.”
With the selection of right defenceman Daniil Sobolev in Tuesday’s CHL Import Draft, the Spitfires could have a crowd at the back end next season. Grayson Ladd, Louka Henault and Dylan Robinson are set to return. Connor Corcoran and Joe Rupoli remain overage options and the club has signed second-round pick Nicholas De Angelis from this year’s draft.
“It’s a great problem to have,” Bowler said. “I would love to have too many Ohl-calibre defencemen because we want to create depth at every position.”
Renwick is looking forward to taking on a bigger role with the Spitfires.
“Hopefully I can do that, exceed expectations and be a huge part of the team,” he said. “The (Western Conference) is a lot more competitive and that’s exciting. It’s a bigger challenge and I love the challenge.”