Spirit acquire three draft picks from Ottawa for forward Nic Sima

Saginaw, Mich. – Spirit GM Dave Drinkill announced Tuesday evening that the team has traded overage forward Nic Sima to the Ottawa 67’s in exchange for three draft picks in the OHL Priority Selection.

To Ottawa:

• (F) Nic Sima

To Saginaw:

• 2nd Round Pick in 2028 (BAR)
• 3rd Round Pick in 2027 (BRAM)
• 4th Round Pick in 2027 (OTT)

“Nic has become like family to myself and to Chris Lazary,” said Drinkill “We have been through so much together over the past four seasons. He was a massive impact player on the ice, but that doesn’t come close to the things he did off the ice, in the community, or in our dressing room. This was a difficult trade to make, but it allows Nic to join a team poised for a long playoff run. He will always be a piece of our Spirit family and we look forward to watching him continue to succeed in his hockey journey.”

Sima recently skated in his 202nd regular season game with the Spirit, becoming the 26th player in team history to cross the 200-game threshold with the organization. His offensive output of 10G-12A—22P in 36 games this season have him on pace for career-highs across the board. The Mississauga, Ont. native finishes his Spirit career with 40G-46A—86P after arriving in a trade with the North Bay Battalion in November of 2022.

Between the Spirit and Battalion, who drafted him with the 27th overall pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, Sima has produced 46G-56A—102P in 278 OHL games. He added nine points (4G-5A) in 37 career playoff games. Sima’s best postseason came in 2024, with three goals and two assists in 16 games during Saginaw’s trip to the Western Conference Final. He added two goals, including the tournament opener against the Moose Jaw Warriors, in Saginaw’s 2024 Memorial Cup Championship run.

After the 2024-2025 season, Sima became the first player in team history to win the Ted Baker Teammate of the Year Award. The OHL recognized Sima with the award after he was deemed the best teammate based off selfless play, on and off-ice leadership as a mentor and role model to other players, as well as a commitment and dedication to his team. He has also received the Spirit’s internal Community Service, Post Secondary Academic Excellence, and Heart and Soul awards during his four seasons in Saginaw. The 20-year-old Sima is committed to play hockey at the University of Michigan at the end of his overage season.

The Spirit return to home action this week against the Kingson Frontenacs on Thursday, January 8th. Puck drop at the Dow Event Center is at 7:05pm.