Stephens, Cirelli biggest names moved ahead of OHL trade deadline

Stephens(Pictured) was traded by the Saginaw Spirit to the London Knights for four second-round picks between the 2018 and 2020 OHL Priority Selection Drafts and three third-round picks between 2017 and 2021. (Photo: SaginawSpirit/ Facebook)

Centres Mitchell Stephens and Anthony Cirelli, who won silver for Canada together at the world junior hockey championship, were two of the biggest names moved on Monday as the Ontario Hockey League’s trade deadline approaches.

The OHL’s trade deadline is noon ET on Tuesday.

Stephens was traded by the Saginaw Spirit to the London Knights for four second-round picks between the 2018 and 2020 OHL Priority Selection Drafts and three third-round picks between 2017 and 2021.

Stephens was a second round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Cirelli was sent by the Oshawa Generals to the Erie Otters in exchange for rookie forward Allan McShane and five draft picks. Cirelli, who is also a Tampa Bay prospect, has 13 goals and 21 assists this season. McShane has seven goals and 16 assists so far this season.

Oshawa also traded veteran defenceman Mitchell Vande Sompel to London in exchange for rookie defenceman Ian Blacker and five draft picks.

Vande Sompel was drafted by the New York Islanders following the Generals Memorial Cup win in 2015. Blacker is a fourth round selection who has played in 23 games with London in his rookie season.

Also, the Knights traded six-foot-seven, 217-pound defenceman Chris Martenet and three draft picks to the Ottawa 67’s. In return, London gets the rights to forward Dante Salituro and an eighth round pick (2021).