Game Notes: Kingston faces tough test in Sudbury as they look to go perfect on Northern Trip
For the Frontenacs, it’s historically one of the most difficult road trips of the season. The northern swing that sees them travel through North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury is one where Kingston typically struggles and getting 3/6 points is considered a success. Today, the black and gold are wrapping up their trip in Sudbury looking to go perfect; already earning wins over the Battalion (4-1) and Greyhounds (6-5).
From the Archives of Jim Gilchrist:
Legendary Frontenacs play-by-play announcer Jim Gilchrist sent these notes in for today’s matchup:
- The Frontenacs have gone 2-3 in their last five when playing in Sudbury
- Frontenacs beat Sudbury 7-2 earlier this season in Kingston with six different goal scorers
Finish the Weekend off Strong
The OHL trade deadline week can always prove to be a crazy one, and in Kingston’s case it was exactly that. After acquiring a trio of players from Saginaw in Joey Willis, Ethan Hay, and Will Bishop, they didn’t even get to have a practice before getting on the bus and heading north. In fact, they played the Battalion and Greyhounds without a practice either. Charlie Schenkel didn’t even meet his new team until they arrived to the Soo just a couple hours before puck drop on Friday.
Yes it’s been a wild week, but all things considered it’s still been a successful one up to this point. As Cedrick Guindon said during the first intermission interview against the Greyhounds on Friday night, “management showed their belief in us by getting these players and now it’s time for us to repay the favour.”
The Frontenacs are looking to close out their northern trip a perfect 3-for-3, but the Sudbury Wolves are the toughest test out of the three teams this weekend. Currently sitting 5th in the East behind Kingston by just two points, they made some moves at the trade deadline that solidify them as a strong contender in a wide open Eastern Conference. They beefed up their defensive core by acquiring Noah Roberts from the Brantford Bulldogs and offensive weapon Henry Mews from the Ottawa 67’s, and returning to the lineup today after significant time away due to injury is San Jose SHarks first round pick Quentin Musty.
Players to Watch
Kingston – Tuomas Uronen
There’s just nothing bad you can say about the Finnish import. Tuomas Uronen has been a ray of positivity since arriving to Kingston in an offseason trade from Ottawa, filling the net with pucks and having such a positive impact on the game. Fresh off a silver medal at the World Juniors with some big time goals to boot, Uronen will be looking to carry the momentum from his tournament into even more success with the Frontenacs as they push for the playoffs in the second half o of the OHL regular season.
Sudbury – Kieron Walton
With 66 points in just 38 games, Kieron Walton has been the leader of the Wolves this season. After news broke that Quentin Musty wanted out of Sudbury at the beginning of the season (returning to the lineup today), someone had to step up for the team and take over that scoring role. Walton has done that and then some. With his 6’6”, 216lb frame he is deceptively fast and can get to any area of the ice he wants. The Winnipeg Jets draft pick can impact the game in a wide variety of ways, so the Frontenacs need to be on the look out for #22 whenever he is on the ice.
Tune-In: Fans have the opportunity to tune in to each game in real-time through Fronts Radio, featuring Kingston’s Pure Country 99. Fans can also tune in on 102.7 WOW FM to catch the game. The renowned play-by-play announcer, Jim Gilchrist, will be narrating the games, both home and away.
Listen Live (Streaming): Pure Country 99 https://chl.ca/ohl-frontenacs/fronts-radio-streaming-live-on-pure-country-99/
Next Home Game:
Friday, January 17th – vs Soo Greyhounds – 7PM Puck Drop