Spirit add defenseman Bishop in trade with Sudbury

Saginaw, Mich. – Spirit GM Dave Drinkill announced Tuesday evening that the team has acquired 6’6” defenseman Will Bishop from the Sudbury Wolves in exchange for a sixth round pick in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection and a 12th round pick in 2027.

“We’re excited to bring a player like Will into our system,” said Drinkill. “His size and skating open up a lot of opportunities and we look forward to helping his game develop.”

From London, Ont., Bishop saw 32 games in a Wolves uniform during the 2022-2023 campaign and recorded four assists. Additionally, the right-shot defenseman notched six points (2G, 4A) in 17 games with the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL).

“I’m really excited for the opportunity that Spirit management has given me,” said Bishop, 18. “I’m looking forward to meeting the team and its staff. This is going to be a very special year for the Spirit.”

Bishop was selected by the Wolves in the seventh round, 120th overall, of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. He spent the 2021-2022 season with Ridley College of the Midwest Prep Hockey League (MPHL), skating in 17 games before cracking Sudbury’s lineup for his first two OHL games. Bishop was drafted from the London Jr. Knights U16 AAA program. He will wear the #4 sweater for Saginaw in 2023-2024.

With his new team, Bishop will attend training camp next week at Saginaw Bay Ice Arena. The Spirit will follow with four preseason games in September before opening the regular season in Kitchener on September 29th. Saginaw’s home opener will come on September 30th as they welcome the Sarnia Sting to the Dow Event Center at 7:05pm.

For tickets and other information, visit saginawspirit.com or follow the team on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

For media inquiries, contact Dillon Clark at [email protected].