Where Are They Now? Windsor Spitfires’ Overagers Part 2 – The Hockey Writers – OHL

The Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Windsor Spitfires have seen hundreds of graduations over the decades. When an overage (20-year-old) player moves on, though, they leave a legacy and we often wonder what happened them as time went on.

Teams in the OHL are allowed to dress three overage players in a game. They’re often players who excel in all areas of the game – on the ice, in the room, and in the community. While some head to the NHL after leaving the Spitfires, others take different paths, whether that’s a pro career elsewhere or even another area of life. In March, we looked at four former overagers to see where they wound up. Now, we’re going to look at four more to see where life took them.

Defenceman Andrew Perrott – 2021-22

We start this one off with a fan favourite. In January 2022, general manager Bill Bowler brought in overage defenceman Andrew Perrott for toughness and a touch of offence as the club was looking to make a surprising run in the OHL’s Western Conference.

While the club had physical defencemen, bringing in a veteran like Perrott was a big boost to the group. The 5-foot-10, 215-pound Columbia Station, OH native had spent four seasons in the OHL, including three with the Owen Sound Attack, and had a solid reputation for being that physical, in-your-face style who put up 30 points a season and defended teammates with no hesitation. He came as advertised and finished the season with 26 points and 45 penalty minutes in 39 regular-season games. He also added 14 points and 31 penalty minutes in 25 playoff games as the team lost in the OHL Championship, marking the end of his junior career.

Unfortunately, despite how impressive he was for the Spitfires, he was only around for a short time. What happened after he left the club? Perrott almost immediately signed with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL). From 2022-24, he split time between them and the Indy Fuel of the ECHL. In 2024-25, he also played for the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) and the Hershey Bears (AHL). He returned to the IceHogs in July 2025 where they were excited to have him back and continue his development.

Defenceman Grayson Ladd – 2017-22

You don’t need to be flashy to be effective and former Spitfires’ defenceman Grayson Ladd was a perfect example.

The Kent Bridge, ON native (near Chatham) was the Kitchener Rangers’ first-round pick in 2017. Then-GM Warren Rychel acquired him in a January 2018 move that saw veteran forward Logan Brown head the other way. The 6-foot-2, 187-pound Ladd was a smart, simple player who was effective in his own end, using positioning and reasonable size to cut off the opponent. In the offensive zone, he wasn’t going to make the highlight reels but he put up 50 points for the Spitfires in 157 games. He was a quiet leader who earned the alternate captain’s “A” in 2021-22.

Unfortunately, when Bowler (who took over in 2019) had a chance to get the tough defenceman Perrott from the Attack, that meant moving an overage player. Ladd was the guy so he was shipped to the North Bay Battalion in a separate package deal. What happened after he left the Spitfires?

Ladd finished his time with the Battalion scoring 14 points in 36 games. He was held scoreless through 11 playoff games but the experience was solid. Following that, he spent two seasons at the University of Ottawa, scoring 12 goals in 35 games, before moving onto to policing in southwest Ontario.

Forward Alex Aleardi – 2012-13

The 2012-13 season was a struggle for the Spitfires. They were near the bottom of the league and offence was tough to come by. After getting Boston Bruins’ prospect forward Alex Khokhlachev back from Moscow Spartak of the Kontinental Hockey League, which provided offence, Rychel made another move by getting veteran sniper Alex Aleardi from the Plymouth Whalers. He was older but they needed his point-per-game style.

He didn’t disappoint, either. Despite being just 5-foot-9, 180-pounds, the Fort Wayne, IN native was quick, physical, played strong in both ends, and finished with 42 points in 28 games for the Spitfires. He was an instant fan favourite and it was disappointing that he was only on the team for a short time. Where did he go after leaving the OHL?

He headed to the AHL where he played parts of three seasons (along with the ECHL) until 2015. From there, he went to Europe where he played in Sweden for two seasons, Austria for part of 2017-18, and then France until 2021. In 2022, he came back to the ECHL and he’s been with his hometown Fort Wayne Komets since 2024. Last season, he was named their captain. Here’s him talking about the playoff beard last season.

Me: Who would you say has the best beard on this team?

Alex: Oh, it’s gotta be me on that one.@FWKomets captain Alex Aleardi (@Aleardi42) got a jump start on a playoff beard. Not that we’re mad about it.

Right up your alley, @TheBeardAgent. pic.twitter.com/oRSrVMxuuA

— Glenn Marini (@GlennMariniWANE) May 7, 2026

In June, Aleardi re-signed with the Komets to stay with the club for a third season. He will actually be joined by former Spitfires’ forward Cody Morgan, who also signed with the club in June.

Goaltender Troy Passingham – 2009-11

Goaltender Troy Passingham is one of those stories that’s been talked about for years. He joined the Spitfires as an 18-year-old in 2009-10 with just two junior games in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League under his belt. The hope was that he would help veteran Josh Unice and then take over in 2010-11. That didn’t happen.

Unice struggled and Passingham used that opportunity to show what he could do. It’s safe to say he stunned almost everyone when he finished 2009-10 with 50 games, a .902 save percentage (SV%), and a 2.78 goals-against average (GAA). Rychel eventually released Unice and brought in then-Washington Capitals’ prospect goaltender Philipp Grubauer at the deadline from the Belleville Bulls to give him some veteran help. The duo became a rock for the club in the playoffs and Memorial Cup.

In 2010-11, Grubauber was moved to the Kingston Frontenacs while Passingham returned for an overage season and put up similar numbers with a 3.24 GAA and .898 SV% in 17 games. However, just before the 2011 trade deadline, Rychel sent him to the Sarnia Sting. What happened once the veteran left the Spitfires?

After playing 24 games for the Sting, Passingham joined the ECHL’s Florida Everblades for a single game. He then went to Ryerson University from 2011-16 where he played in 103 games. That was followed by playing in the southern United States for various clubs and leagues from 2016-20.

In 2021, Passingham moved overseas and joined the Liege Bulldogs of the Central European Hockey League (known then as BeNeLiga, now the CEHL). They’re located in Liege, Belgium. He’s played 130 games as of the end of 2025-26, which included championships in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Troy Passingham prolonge chez les Bulldogs jusqu’en 2024 https://t.co/TDQTDt9LP8 pic.twitter.com/wguk6xpoMQ

— DH les Sports + (@ladh) April 20, 2022

While the goal is often the NHL, Perrott, Ladd, Aleardi, and Passingham have carved out impressive careers for themselves elsewhere. It’s a testament to their talents and their overall character. We wish them the best in the future.