Week 1 Review

The Kingston Frontenacs (1-1-0-0) dropped the puck on the 2022-23 OHL season with a pair of games on the opening weekend of the Ontario Hockey League. The team picked up two points over the weekend. Beginning year 50 in franchise history, the Black and Gold took a 3-1 win at Leon’s Centre on September 30^th and followed that up with a 4-2 loss in Oshawa against the Generals on Sunday, October 2.

The new season marked the first OHL games for forwards Gabriel Frasca, Jacob Battaglia, Linus Hemström, and goaltender Ivan Zhigalov. Owen Outwater also made his Kingston debut after an off-season trade with the North Bay Battalion rounded out the newest Kingston members.

The Fronts look to take advantage of home cooking as the team plays the next five of six games at Leon’s centre, including four consecutive games beginning this Friday, October 7, against last season’s playoff foe North Bay Battalion. A second-weekend matchup pits the Western Conference Kitchener Rangers on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 pm for the first game the Rangers have been to Kingston since an October 26, 2019. The Rangers won that game 3-2 over the Fronts. The teams last met on Friday, November 15, 2019 in a 4-3 shootout win for the Rangers at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

 

Important Import

2022 Import pick Ivan Zhigalov made his goaltending debut against Erie in the opening night 3-1 victory making 32 saves for his first OHL win, sitting second in OHL save percentage (.939). The Belarusian entered action with a season of Major Junior hockey in his arsenal spending the 2021/22 season in the QMJHL earning 28 wins. He showed veteran leadership and a steady hand throughout his first two games in the Balck and Gold crease, including starring in the 4-2 loss to Oshawa, which included an empty net marker for the Gens. The 62 saves are third-most for goaltenders with two games played and leads the league with only four goals against for goalies with multiple starts. Only Sarnia’s Ben Gaudreau had a better goals-against-average (1.99) than Zhigalov’s 2:03, making at least two starts.

 

Newcomer Name Call

Freshmen Gabriel Frasca and Jacob Battaglia earned their first OHL points on the opening weekend. Frasca was one of 12 league freshmen to pot their first tallies with a beautiful breakaway goal against Oshawa’s Patrick Leaver. With the Fronts on the penalty kill, the forward stole the puck at Kingston’s blueline before showing off speed to beat Gens defenders. He finished the play by beating the veteran Oshawa goaltender with a quick low shot early in the third period.

Battaglia made an excellent play to set up Jackson Stewart in the home-opener to get the Fronts off and rolling on the first goal of the season, leading to the 3-1 win versus the Otters. 2022 Import pick Linus Hemström got his junior career off to a strong start with four shots-on-goal and an empty netter versus Erie for his first goal in OHL action. The Sweden native had a pair of assists in the pre-season.

 

Defence Never Rests

Braden Haché, one of three assistant captains, showed off his physical presence in his third season on the blueline. The Florida Panthers 2021 draft pick returned from NHL training camp last week in mid-season form with multiple hard checks and polished puck-moving ability. In the first period, an opening night scrap with Kingston native and Otters’ captain Cameron Morton sparked the group to a team-wide physical effort. Maleek McGowan and Tommy Budnick also highlighted an energized defence group with intense play. McGowan showed flashes of his desire to be a tough player to go against in his two games last season and did a great job adding minutes to a defence crew without Ben roger (OTT), who remains at NHL camp.

 

Special Teams

Head coach Luca Caputi’s special teams’ units have been excellent on the defence side, with some timely saves by Ivan Zhigalov and key shot blocks by Jake Murray, Nathan Poole and Tommy Budnick. The Fronts penalty killers allowed just a goal against nine opposition powerplays, with a critical kill coming in the win over Erie. Early in the second frame, the Fronts killed off a 5-on-3 Erie man-advantage, not allowing a shot on goal, to keep a tie game at 1-1 before taking over in the third period for a 3-1 win. Rookie skater Gabriel Frasca scored a shorthanded goal against Oshawa during one of six penalties killed off during the tight 4-2 loss. Frasca is the only OHL rookie to have a shortie so far.

The penalty killers have helped the powerplay out as the Fronts offensive attack with the extra man has struggled with an 0/5 stretch over the first two games. Patrick Leaver was outstanding in losing the Gens as the powerplay units had some excellent opportunities to pot the first of the season. Oshawa’s shorthanded goal against in the first period was a key for the opposition in their 4-2 empty-net goal win, forcing the Fronts to chase the game after an opportunity to take an early lead in a hostile building.

 

Powerplays

(0/5) – (T-9^th East Conf / T- 16^th OHL)

(1/9) – ( 2^nd East Conf / 5^th – OHL)

 

BMW Kingston Hardest Workers:

• D Braden Hache v ERI
• F Jackson Stewart v OSH

 

Three Stars Cup:

1. G Ivan Zhigalov (63 – 69 saves) .939 save percentage 2^nd OHL
2. F Paul Hughes (GWG, 1A)
3. F Jackson Stewart (1G,1A) / Gabriel Frasca (1G,1A)

 

Fronts Notes

• Shane Wright (SEA), Ben Roger (OTT), Paul Ludwinski (CHI) remained at NHL camps during week one
• Former Kingston juniors Matt Bradley, Justin Morrison, Brad Rhiness, and Jakob Brahaney returned to Kingston ice as the team continued its season-long celebration of 50 years of junior hockey in the Limestone City

 

Team Stat Pack – GP (2)

Record (1-1-0-0)

 

Leaders (Top 3)

Goals – Stewart, Hughes, Hemstrom, Brooks, Frasca (1)

Assists – Thibodeau, Battaglia, Frasca, Soto, Hughes, Stewart (1)

Points – Stewart, Hughes, Frasca (2), Hemstrom, Thibodeau, Battaglia, Soto, Brooks (1)

PIMs – Hache (7), Stewart (6), Poole, Belanger, Frasca, Hemstrom, Budnick (2)

SOG – Arcuri (7), Thibodeau (6), Hughes (5)

 

On The Front

Be a part of the Kingston Frontenacs 70s theme night at the next home game on Friday, October 7, against the North Bay Battalion. Owen Outwater is set to play his former squad for the first time at 7:00 pm. The night features hits from the past and spotlights the 1970s Kingston Canadians era.

The double-dip weekend continues October 9 with a Sunday afternoon affair. The Frontenacs will host the Kitchener Rangers at 2:00 pm. Join us for the first Sunday Funday event with family fun activities on the main concourse! Doors open at 1:00 pm.

96.3 Big FM and 104.3 Fresh Radio are your exclusive home for play-by-play with Frontenacs voice Jim Gilchrist. Fans can listen to the action live at https://frontenacs.leanplayer.com/

Fans can also follow along with team social media channels at Twitter, Facebook and IG for updates.

All home game tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.ca or visiting the Leon’s Centre box office. Group tickets, Flex Packs and season ticket memberships are available at www.kingstonfrontenacs.com.