Whalers trade Farmington Hills native Alex Aleardi to Windsor, acquire Lorentz

By Michael Caples – 

With the Plymouth Whalers regaining the services of Mitchell Heard, somebody had to go.

That somebody turned out to be Alex Aleardi.

The 20-year-old Farmington Hills native was traded to the Windsor Spitfires today, to make room for the return of Mitchell Heard.

Plymouth acquired 19-year-old left winger Zach Lorentz in the exchange.

Ontario Hockey League teams are only allowed three ‘overagers’, with Aleardi, Colin MacDonald and Austin Levi occupying the three Whalers’ openings for the majority of the season. However, the Colorado Avalanche reassigned Mitchell Heard back to the Whalers from their AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters.

Aleardi had 15 goals and 14 assists in 39 games with the Whalers this season, along with 44 penalty minutes.

It’s the second time this season that Lorentz has been traded, and the third time in his OHL career. The Waterloo, Ont., native played two seasons with the Kitchener Rangers before being traded to Peterborough for the start of the 2012-13 season. He played in 22 games with the Petes – scoring five goals and six assists – before being traded to Windsor on Nov. 22.

The Ontario Hockey League’s trade deadline is set for Thursday at noon.