Firebirds acquire goaltender, defenseman in exchange for Will Bitten

By @MichaelCaples –

The Flint Firebirds sent away one of their best players today, but they’re getting a starting goaltender and promising defenseman in return.

The OHL franchise traded forward Will Bitten to the Hamilton Bulldogs in exchange for goaltender Connor Hicks and defenseman Fedor Gordeev.

Draft picks were also exchanged in the deal; Flint received Owen Sound’s second-round pick in the 2019 OHL Draft and Niagara’s second-round pick in the 2020 OHL Draft, while the Firebirds forfeit their 12th-round pick in 2017 to Hamilton.

“Our team is significantly better today with the addition of Connor who is an established number-one OHL goaltender and Fedor, a top young defenseman that brings a combination of size, skill and skating to our club,” said Flint Firebirds General Manager George Burnett in a release from the team.

Hicks played in 30 games with the Bulldogs last season, posting a 2.92 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in his last 15 contests. He was a free-agent invite to the Red Wings’ development camp in Traverse City this summer.

Gordeev, a 6-foot-6, 209-pound blueliner, posted 26 points in 44 games with the Ancaster Avalanche in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League last season. He was a third-round pick of the Bulldogs in the 2015 OHL Draft.