"Mikko Vainonen has good puck skills, but he is more shut down d-man and had a mean streak and he is a natural leader. He are so good in own end and give good first passes. For me, he is like a new Jere Karalahti, he is so similar, but don't have a drinking/drug problems like Karalahti. He was also captain in U18 championship Finnish team and won gold in HIFK junior A this year. I think he is absolutely steal. I think he go latest 3 round, but could go early second too. You get great prospect!"
So Vainonen is my favorite young player in HIFK and you get that 6th pick very good player. Lot of similar than London Jared Tinordi. He play last year 8 games in FNL and he do maybe only 1 little foul there, but he was one of the best against men in own end those games. I would wanted to see him in HIFK, but i think this is better for him get 1 (2) year in OHL.
General Manager Doug Gilmour is please to announce that the Hockey Club has signed 18 year old Slater Doggett to a contract. Doggett, a 1994 born forward, was a 12th round selection, 222nd overall in this past 2012 OHL Priority Selection. Last season he played for the Burlington Cougars of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, scoring 17 goals and 32 points in 47 games.
“We were looking at inviting him to training camp as a free agent,” said General Manager Doug Gilmour. “However, another OHL added him to the draft list, and we had to take him,” he added. “We are excited to have him signed and on board for the upcoming season”.
Slater Doggett
July 3, 1994
6.00 190
Forward
GP G A PTS PIMS
2011-12 Burlington Jr.A 47 17 15 32 47
2010-11 Mississauga Senators Midget N/A
comprehension is everything, I went what the...when I read it as I thought he was a free agent and the Fronts signed him before another team did. Good lord, too funny after I realized the Fronts chose him in the 12th round to protect him from being picked by another team and have now have signed him. I think I have been in the sun too much this year, or is it too much beer
Did anybody go to Cornwall to watch the under 17 camp ? Wondering how the Kingston draft picks made out, We went down for the Sunday afternoon games only to find out that the games had been switched to the morning.
I think Clint Windsor would be a good option for the backup if they don't think Richard/Wood can handle it.
I doubt very much that a 19 year old goalie aka Windsor would accept a backup role for an improving team not a contender
Kingston would rather groom a 17 year old or 18 year old backup
To be brutally honest, Kingston has shown in the past and so far this current regime is not any different in their goaltending philosophy that they have no clue in how to groom or better phrased develop a young goalie to be their starter. They know how to play the crap out of their older, already trained goaltenders.
To be fare to the current regime they didn't draft any goalies last year,they drafted a couple of goalies this year.To say they can't develope their own goalies is a little premature,they are doing the best they can with what they have. I think they will be more competitive this year and going forward.
Hopefully the Fronts have more Queens student offers this season, as last years game was the loudest of the year. They should be a much better team this year and hopefully I can afford to get to more games. I am looking forward to seeing one of my hometown Sudbury boys, Jacob Smith this year. With a year of experience and getting a chance to play with better players and with more icetime I expect him to have a breakout year. I was able to see Ryan Kujawinski play his minor midget year in Sudbury as well and it is great to see them both here in Kingston. Kuj and Smitty were brought up for 3 Major Midget AAA playoff games in Minor Midget and dominated the series. It's great to see them again. I think Tessier is going to the Quebec league. I am going to miss Bobkov and hope the replacement can steal some games as they will likely need some help. I'm looking forward to seeing the new team in September, going to bring some buds and have some suds at KRock.
Besides that huge block buster trade made by the Fronts yeaterday (Adam Lloyd to the Oshawa for 5th 2015) located at the end of the Whig article today about goaltender Morrison, Graham recaps who is leaving
"The Frontenacs are expecting up to 46 players when training camp opens on Aug. 30. Defenceman Andrew Tessier has moved to the Quebec junior league while Spencer Green, David Mazurek and Petr Beranek are forwards who will not be returning. …"
Here is my Fronts article from Hockey Writers, enjoy
The Kingston Frontenacs Blueprint: Off Season Foundations
With a regular season record of only 19 wins and 41 losses, the 2011-2012 season was not easy for the Kingston Frontenacs, or their fans. When Doug Gilmour became the teams general Manager prior to the season and called his vision for the future of the team “The Blueprint”
I recently had a chance to speak with Kingston Frontenacs Head Coach Todd Gill and he explained how the Blueprint came to be; “we decided back in September that we were going to tear it down and rebuild it. We knew it was going to be a long and trying year, and it has been.”
In my opinion one of the biggest steals of the draft was Dylan Di Perna. Di Perna is cut from a similar cloth as Mckeown. DiPerna is an incredible skater and very agile and light on his feet, his top speed was also one of the best i saw from anyone last year. Diperna may have had the hardest shot in ontario last year. This Kingston team is going to be Insane on the PP in a few years. This Kingston should contend for sure for the OHL championship in a few years. They landed 4 dynamic players in that OHL draft. Its nice to see after getting worked over last year in the Domi incident. Something now that looks like a blessing in disguise. Diperna and Mckeown are incredible puck rushes, the best 2 in the draft. The future is very bright. I also thought all season long that Spencer Watson was under-rated. He had 70 plus goals in the reg season. Kid is a sniper. Sam Bennett is someone who thrives in big games and has sick hands. Bennett has scored huge/clutch goals all his life dating back to the York Simcoe Express days.
I can't wait to watch those 4 kids plus you add in Doggett,Beakstead and the 2 Finnish imports it's going to look like a new team again. I hope all the returning players have worked hard this off season and can lead this team right from the get go. Should be an interesting year...Go Fronts Go!!!
Sorry BigBuck the cynic in me has to say - a new team compared to last years new totally made over team with 24 trades some multiple player draft picks last year and a mini version of revamping this year. IMO last years team though it struggled was certainly much more fun to watch then the past editions of late. I certainly do agree this will be the most exciting team possibly since that great 1995 team edition especially with the addition of these young players but some returning ones will have my eye too.
The Fronts fan BBQ will be on Sept 6th 5-7 at the KRC
Season tickets can be picked up starting Monday 27th Aug. from Brenda at the Fronts Shop
