Adam Prudhomme
Editor
A bit of Ontario League Hockey action will come to Napanee on Sept. 13 when the Kingston Frontenacs host the Ottawa 67’s in an exhibition match, starting at 7 p.m. at the Strathcona Paper Centre.
“Napanee has always been a great hockey and softball community,” said Frontenacs executive director of business operations Justin Chenier, who also grew up in Napanee. “This was an opportunity for us to branch out to the area a bit and work with the local minor hockey association.”
Coming off a down year in 2018-19, the Fronts are looking to reap the rewards of their 30 point season that saw them score the top pick in the 2019 draft. They used that pick to select 15-year-old Shane Wright, who was granted exceptional player status in order to be draft eligible at age 15. The Don Mills native joined the likes of John Tavares, Connor McDavid, Aaron Ekblad and Sean Day in gaining exceptional player status ahead of the OHL draft. He turned heads when he scored 150 points for his hometown midget team, a team that produced three of the OHL’s top four picks this spring.
Kingston’s stop in Napanee will be the third of their four game exhibition schedule.
“The coaching staff will use that game to work on line combinations and give ice time to a variety of guys,” said Chenier. “In some cases it’ll be the first time seeing a player and they’ll use this game as an opportunity to see what they have. We do have a game at the Leon’s Centre on Aug. 30 so it won’t quite be the first opportunity to see Shane Wright in a Frontenacs jersey, but it’s still a very unique opportunity.”
Wright, a forward, measures in at 6 ft, 179 pounds. Some of the scouting reports listed on www.OntarioHockeyLeague.com say ‘Shane is one of the most gifted and talented players to come along in a number of years. He has a combination of skill, speed, hockey sense and determination that really separates him from his peers.’
The Sept. 13 exhibition game figures to be quite a test for the new look Frontenacs, who played last year as the youngest team in the league. Their opponents, the Ottawa 67’s, are coming off a season that saw them go 50-12-4-2, giving them 106 points and the top spot in the East. They reached the league finals before bowing out to the Guelph Storm in six games.
Their strong finish meant they had to wait until 21st to make their selection, picking defenceman Jack Matier.
The 67’s lineup could also include Austrian-born Marco Rossi, who projects as a possible top-10 NHL draft pick in 2020. Last year the 17-year-old had 29 goals and 36 assists for Ottawa in 53 regular season games, adding another 22 points in 17 playoff games with six goals and 22 assists.
Tickets for the game are expected to be available online at www.KingstonFrotenacs.com later this week, with game day sales at the door as well. Chenier says they are also finalizing details with a fundraising initiative with Napanee’s minor hockey programs as well, with more to be announced as the date gets closer.
Kingston will kick off the regular season on Sept. 20 at the Leon’s Centre when they welcome the Oshawa Generals for Opening Night.