2019-20 Season Summary: Kingston Frontenacs

Their 19-39-2-2 record proves there’s work to be done, but one thing’s for sure: the future is bright in Kingston with superstar Shane Wright, who was the centre of more than just their top line this season. The 2019-20 campaign brought with it organizational changes, the creation of a new, reliable top unit, and an unlikely ticket to the postseason that never was.

Super Shane
Living up to his exceptional title, Shane Wright was the story of the Kingston Frontenacs this season. The first overall 2019 draft pick finished way atop the rookie scorers’ list with 39 goals (a feat he’d reach with his first OHL hat-trick) and 66 points to become the new top-scoring rookie in franchise history, tying Connor McDavid’s point total during his own rookie season as an exceptional status player. He made CHL history when he was named to a Kingston leadership squad headed by overaged defenceman Jakob Brahaney as an alternate captain at age 15, becoming the youngest player in CHL history to have been awarded the designation. Coming off a GTHL championship as their Player of the Year with a stacked Don Mills Flyers roster (that included fellow Kingston rookie Francesco Arcuri) as well as an OHL Cup title and tournament MVP honour, Wright stepped onto the OHL ice ready to make an impact, dazzling with high-level speed and highlight reel plays.

Chromiak completes the first line
Alongside leading centre Wright up front, sophomore skater Zayde Wisdom saw a big jump in point production. Having put forth just 10 points (3-7—10) over his 60-game rookie stint, Wisdom was given more opportunity to flourish as the team’s top right winger. The Frontenacs pieced together a consistent top offensive unit with the inclusion of left winger Martin Chromiak, who committed to the team in early January after starting the season with HK Dukla Trencin in Slovakia, Chromiak, eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft, was impactful upon arrival, rounding out his first 28 games in a Kingston uniform with 11 goals and 33 points. Altogether, the reliable trio chipped in for 79 of the team’s 198 goals scored over the course of the season.

Sneaking into a playoff spot
Anything would’ve been better than last year’s league-low 14-52-1-1 tally, but the Frontenacs’ season began on a bleak note, even riding a 12-game losing skid at one point between October and November that drove them back to the bottom of the all-too-familiar league standings. As much as they struggled to see the win column on a regular basis, the Niagara IceDogs’ steep drop-off allowed space for the Fronts to eventually squeeze into the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot as the season wound down. Throughout the season, it was safe to assume the Fronts wouldn’t fall below the last place North Bay Battalion’s dismal numbers – although the Troops kicked it up a notch with a 6-3-1-0 record in their final 10 games at the end and, when all was said and done, landed only four points below the Fronts’ and IceDogs’ shared total – and it appeared unlikely they’d budge from their ninth place standing, but as the losses kept coming out of Niagara, the points they were able to earn became the key difference makers. They concluded the season tied with the IceDogs for 42 points, with one more regulation-overtime win solidifying their higher standing toward a playoff run that would, unfortunately, not come.

Gilmour bids farewell
After 11 years with the Frontenacs, Doug Gilmour embarked on a new chapter, announcing his departure from the organization in November. After spending more than a decade with terms as head coach, general manager, and most recently President of Operations, Gilmour left for a new community representative role with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Propp lands a final home
Christian Propp’s OHL career saw many different stops; four to be exact, with drop-offs in Barrie, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Kingston. It’s in Kingston that he’d cap off his four-year OHL career between the pipes, providing a veteran presence to compliment younger netminder Ryan Dugas. Over the final 28 appearances of his junior hockey stint, Propp maintained an .874 save percentage and a 4.57 goals-against average with an 8-14-0-1 record.