Attack beef-up blueline with addition of Konnor Smith
The Owen Sound Attack made the first splash of the new year earlier this week, adding Anaheim Ducks prospect Konnor Smith to their blueline along with fellow defending OHL champion Sam McCue from the Peterborough Petes.
In exchange, Owen Sound dealt 12th overall 2023 OHL Priority Selection choice Nico Addy and Czech defender Martin Matejicek to Peterborough, along with a third-round pick in 2026.
The Attack, who boast a strong group of veterans in their lineup this season, sit seventh in the Western Conference, having lost their last two games with a record of 16-15-2-1. The defending champion Peterborough Petes have had an up-and-down season, at one point winning four games in a row in the month of November. They’ve currently lost eight of 10, and sit eighth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-16-3-1.
“Looking at the roster and wondering how to bolster the lineup, we felt adding a big strong defenceman would be a priority of which we were able to accomplish,” said Attack GM Dale DeGray of the move. “It’s not easy, trading your first round, 16-year-old but those are the prices you need to pay to bring quality players.”
A fourth-round pick by Anaheim last summer, the 6-foot-5, 206Ib. Smith, often referred to as the “Big Rig” in Peterborough, has put up eight points (7-1–8) over 28 games this season. The Windsor, Ont. native was a big part of Peterborough’s OHL championship title last spring, following-up a 15-point regular season with 23 playoff appearances where he logged two assists and a plus-5 rating.
McCue was Peterborough’s seventh-round pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection and has enjoyed a breakout season in 2023-24, recording 11 goals, four assists and 15 points through 34 games. The Sudbury, Ont. native is the younger brother of London Knights forward Max McCue.
Peterborough’s youth movement gets underway with the addition of Addy, who won an OHL Cup title with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens last spring. He was also a member of Ontario’s gold medal-winning entry at the Canada Winter Games last February in Prince Edward Island. The 6-foot-4, 213Ib. Addy from Casselman, Ont. has a goal and two assists through 27 games this season. An 18-year-old from Jihlava, Czechia, Matejicek was Owen Sound’s first round (28th overall) pick in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. He has two points (1-1–2) over 35 games.
Addy wore #22 and Matejicek #5 in their Petes debuts on Wednesday night in Sarnia.
“We’re excited to be able to add Nico and Martin to the lineup,” noted Petes GM Mike Oke. “Nico is a big young forward with a ton of potential who won the OHL Cup last year. Martin is a big defenceman who plays solid in his own end and can move the puck.”
Smith and McCue are slated to make their Attack debuts on Thursday as Owen Sound visits Erie.
New guys looking GOOD in Maroon and White 😎
📸 Natalie Shaver pic.twitter.com/JtIlHHdnxp
— Peterborough Petes (@PetesOHLhockey) January 4, 2024
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