From a Yellow Paperclip to a Frontenacs Jersey
On Friday, March 20, the Kingston Frontenacs celebrated Fan Appreciation Night during their final regular season home game at Slush Puppie Place. As part of the evening, the team recognized a fan whose story captures the power of community, creativity, and the lasting impact of a first hockey game.
That fan is Solenne Nicol, a French exchange student at Queen’s University, whose Frontenacs journey began on December 31, 2025, when she attended her first ever hockey game as Kingston faced the Guelph Storm.
“My first experience on December 31 was incredible,” Solenne said. “When the flag bearer came out and then the players, the arena exploded in cheers. I had never experienced anything like it.”
For Solenne, the night was more than just her first hockey game. It became an introduction to Kingston, Canadian culture, and the way hockey can bring a community together.
“That first hockey game taught me how much hockey brings together a community,” she said. “I was struck by the fact that all ages were attending the game and cheering on their local team with passion.”
Inspired by the famous Canadian trade-up story of turning a single paperclip into something much bigger, Solenne decided to create her own Kingston version of the challenge. Her goal was to start with a yellow paperclip, chosen as a nod to the Frontenacs’ colours, and trade her way up to a Kingston Frontenacs jersey.
“The Frontenacs jersey was the perfect goal because it symbolises the beginning of my discovery of Canadian culture through discovering hockey,” Solenne said. “It also symbolises the Kingston community that I had the privilege to live alongside and discover throughout my semester and during my trades.”
Over the past few months, Solenne has traded with roommates, fellow Queen’s students, and local downtown businesses, steadily building her way toward that goal. Along the way, she says the support she received from the Kingston community became the most meaningful part of the journey.
“I think what surprised me the most was how genuinely curious and supportive people and local businesses were,” she said. “They consistently tried to give me a leg up, showing real enthusiasm for my project and a genuine desire to help me achieve it.”
Now, her story is set to come full circle.
During the second intermission on Fan Appreciation Night, Solenne will officially swap her two final items, a brand new leather handbag and a sealed copy of Catan, for a Kingston Frontenacs jersey. The two items she trades in will then be used as prizes, giving two other lucky fans the chance to go home with something special of their own.
“When I complete my final trade and receive a Kingston Frontenacs jersey, that moment will represent my incredible semester at Queen’s, meeting so many kind, curious, and wonderful people, while also discovering the importance of community and sport in Canada,” Solenne said.
What began with one yellow paperclip and one unforgettable night at Slush Puppie Place has become a story that reflects the spirit of Kingston hockey. On a night dedicated to the Kingston Frontenacs celebrating their incredible fans, the team will honour one fan whose journey shows just how far a small idea, and a welcoming community, can take you.
The trade become official and Solenne now has her Kingston Frontenacs jersey as a keepsake of her time in Kingston.
