Game Notes: New look Frontenacs hit the ice in North Bay on Thursday night
After what has been a crazy week for the Frontenacs already, Kingston is set to hit the ice Thursday night for the first time since the epic come from behind victory over the Oshawa Generals last Friday night. After a game scheduled in Barrie was postponed last Sunday, the Fronts pointed the team bus north on Wednesday morning for one of the longest road trips of the season, starting with the North Bay Battalion tonight.
The Frontenacs enter Thursday undefeated in 2025, beating Brampton on New Year’s Day and Oshawa a few days later. Kingston will have a chance to grab more points on Thursday against a Battalion team that started the New Year on a three-game losing skid and seventh in the Eastern Conference standings.
From the Archives of Jim Gilchrist:
Legendary Frontenacs play-by-play announcer Jim Gilchrist sent these notes in for today’s matchup:
- Kingston has won four straight games against North Bay
- The Frontenacs have just one loss in their last six matchup with North Bay
- Cedrick Guindon enters tonight with 99 career goals, just one away from the century mark
The New Guys
As mentioned at the top of the article, it has been a crazy week for the Kingston Frontenacs with three major trades made since Tuesday. The metaphoric chips are all in after the General Manager of the Kingston Frontenacs, Kory Cooper made waves the week of the OHL trade deadline. On Tuesday, Kingston added three Memorial Cup Champions in Ethan Hay, Will Bishop, and Joey Willis. Acquiring the trio from Saginaw in exchange for Ethan Weir, Xander Velliaris, and a slew of draft picks. Thursday morning, another big move was made sending Nolan Lalonde and three draft picks to Sault Ste. Marie for Charlie Schenkel.
It is expected Willis, Bishop, and Hay will make their Frontenacs debut in North Bay on Thursday night. It is unknown if Schenkel will dress against the Battalion.
Players to Watch
Kingston – Quinton Burns
The captain has stepped up magnificently While Emil Pieniniemi and Maleek McGowan have been out of the lineup. Already playing big minutes this season, Burns has been asked to eat up even more minutes and he’s delivered and then some. Burns has been shutting down the opposition’s top units, and is even at a point per game since Pieniniemi and McGowan have been out. Burns has been leading by example and will be looking to do more of the same on the road tonight in Barrie.
North Bay – Zach Wigle
The newest member of the Battalion is expected to make his debut with North Bay on Thursday night. The over-ager was acquired from Barrie earlier in the week. From Oakville, Ontario, Wigle has been productive in his 20-year-old season recording 22 points in 36 games in Barrie. Those numbers should inflate even more in a more prominent role with North Bay.
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
