Kingston relies on youth after top scorers move on

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While the Kingston Frontenacs may lack the offensive firepower they had a season ago, head coach Troy Mann sees his young core trending in the right direction.

Kingston scored the fifth-most goals in the league last year and went 40-20-5-3, reaching the second round of the playoffs.

Much of Kingston’s offence from a season ago is gone. Cedrick Guindon and Ethan Hay have moved on to college, while Tuomas Uronen, Joey Willis, and top blueliners Quinton Burns and Emil Pieniniemi have all graduated.

Overagers Ethan Miedema and Matthew Soto were traded this summer, creating more opportunities for younger players.

“Our offence isn’t as strong as last year. We lost a lot of firepower, but we have younger players coming along,” Mann said. “Kulemin, for example, I think is going to be a superstar in this league."

“Snyder was a great find as an eighth-round pick. With the NCAA changes, you can draft some American kids, and some of them really turn into players.”

Kingston invested heavily in Aleks Kulemin last spring, selecting him ninth overall after he led the Don Mills Flyers to the OHL Cup finals. In 69 games, Kulemin scored 24 goals and had 67 points, making him one of the most valuable forwards in the draft class.

Aleks is the son of former NHL forward Nikolay Kulemin, who played 669 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders and won multiple international medals with Russia.

Nolan Snyder had 34 goals and 62 assists for 96 points in 62 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program last season. The right winger is committed to Penn State for 2028.

Both 16-year-olds have made a successful jump to major junior. Kulemin has been strong on draws and is plus-8 with 13 points in 32 games, while Snyder has 14 points in 37 contests, with each scoring five goals this season.

In November, Kulemin won a silver medal at the U17 World Challenge with Team Canada White.

Robert Lefebvre /OHL Images

Kingston also recently added to its young offensive core by acquiring Alex McLean and four draft choices from Guelph in a trade that sent Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Tyler Hopkins to the Storm.

McLean, a ninth overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, is in his second OHL season. The Perth, Ontario, native has eight goals and 23 points in 32 games this season. The 17-year-old centre is eligible for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Player development has always been a key part of Mann’s coaching career, with NHL success to show for it. In the AHL, he developed top forwards including Drake Batherson, Josh Norris, Nick Paul, and Chandler Stephenson.

With Kingston, Mann is still focused on helping his players reach their full potential.

“You’re trying to get guys drafted,” he said.

With increased responsibility for Kingston’s youngest players, Mann is leaning heavily into the youth movement and trusting the long-term payoff.

The Frontenacs are remaining competitive and sit in an Eastern Conference playoff spot at 16-17-2-2.

“I think the more you play them now, the better they’ll be by March,” Mann said. “Kulemin, I tried to keep him around 10 minutes early, but with injuries some nights, he’s probably close to 20.”

For Mann, balancing patience with progress remains the challenge, but one he's embracing as Kingston’s young forward core continues to mature.