Trade: Kingston acquires World Junior Gold Medalist, Joey Willis from Saginaw

Trade: Kingston acquires World Junior Gold Medalist, Joey Willis from Saginaw

Kingston, ON – The Kingston Frontenacs have acquired World Junior Gold Medalist and NHL prospect Joey Willis from the Saginaw Spirit in exchange for Ethan Weir and future draft picks.

Kingston Receives:

C – Joey Willis

Saginaw Receives:

F- Ethan Weir

2^nd Round ‘26 (FLNT)

2^nd Round ‘28 (ER)

3^rd Round ‘25 (NIA)

3^rd Round ‘26 (SAR)

3^rd Round ‘27 (KGN)

4^th Round ‘28 (ER)

5^th Round ‘27 (KGN)

7^th Round ‘28 (KIT)

Willis is a 5’11”, left-hand shot centre from Elmhurst, IL. He was originally drafted by the Saginaw Spirit at the 2021 OHL Priority Selection in the 4^th round, 79^th overall. Since joining the Spirit in 2022, Willis has appeared in 160 regular season games, scoring 46 goals and 82 assists for 128 points. He has also appeared in 28 OHL playoff games scoring 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points. In May of 2024, he, and his teammates captured the Memorial Cup with a thrilling last second goal in the final to defeat the London Knights.

“Willis is a highly skilled forward that brings a scoring touch to our team. In addition to his offensive skill, he has a well-rounded 200-foot game.” said Frontenacs General Manager Kory Cooper.

Willis was selected by the Nashville Predators at the 2023 NHL draft. They used the 4^th round selection, 111^th overall to add Willis to their prospect pool. In September he attended Predators training camp and appeared in a split-squad preseason game against the Florida Panthers before being returned to Saginaw.

In December of 2024, Willis was called to represent his country, making Team USA for the 2025 World Junior Championship. He recorded 2 assists at the tournament helping his team capture a Gold Medal by defeating Finland in overtime of the final, making him a Memorial Cup and World Junior Champion in less than 9 months.

“Joey has proven his value in big game situations, and we are excited to add those intangibles in our lineup.” GM Cooper continued.

The Kingston Frontenacs currently sit second in the OHL East division, trailing the Oshawa Generals by just 4 points with 3 games in hand. They begin a three-game road swing on Thursday in North Bay, followed by a visit to Sault Ste. Marie on Friday, and Sudbury on Sunday. The team will return to Slush Puppie Place on Friday, January 17^th for the first of four straight home games. Tickets are available at www.kingstonfrontenacs.com.