2025-26 Season Preview: Kingston Frontenacs
Published on September 8, 2025 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kingston Frontenacs News Release
The Kingston Frontenacs (40-20-5-3) reached the second round of the OHL Playoffs last spring, falling to the Barrie Colts after a promising regular season under head coach Troy Mann. The offseason brought significant turnover, with captain Quinton Burns, Emil Pieniniemi, and Cal Uens all moving on, leaving questions on the back end. Still, Kingston enters 2025-26 with a fresh wave of talent and plenty of intrigue. Goaltender Gavin Betts, fresh off a bronze medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, steps into the crease as a 17-year-old poised for stardom, while top prospect Aleks Kulemin headlines an exciting group of newcomers. Veterans Tyler Hopkins and Jacob Battaglia will be leaned on for stability and leadership as the Frontenacs look to retool on the fly. With a blend of proven experience and high-upside youth, Kingston will once again set its sights on a deep run in the Eastern Conference.
Recent Transactions
*- denotes conditional draft pick
DATE TEAM TRANSF. TO TEAM TRANSF.
Aug. 13 NIAG Jack Brauti KGN KGN 10 2029
OSH 5 2027*
KGN 5 2029*
Jun. 30 KGN Mason Vaccari FLNT FLNT 14 2026
FLNT 5 2026*
SAG 6 2026*
Jun. 12 KGN Matthew Soto PBO SAR 3 2027
OSH 5 2027
PBO 5 2029
Jun. 10 KGN Ethan Miedema GUE GUE 14 2027
BFD 2 2026*
WSR 5 2026*
SAG 3 2027*
Jun. 9 KIT Tomas Pobezal
KIT 2 2025 Import KGN KGN 1 2025 Import
KGN 8 2029*
Futures Watch - a list of some of the new faces fans should be keeping an eye on as the team prepares for the upcoming campaign.
Five Questions Heading Into 2025-26:
After reaching the second round of the OHL Playoffs last spring, the Kingston Frontenacs enter 2025-26 with a retooled lineup and plenty of intrigue. To get a sense of what's ahead, we asked four media members who cover the team closely to weigh in on the biggest storylines for the upcoming season.
1. Who is your breakout candidate?
Tim Cunningham (Colour commentator, YourTV): Tyler Hopkins
Jan Murphy (Reporter, The Kingston Whig-Standard): Gavin Betts - It has to be goaltender Gavin Betts. The Frontenacs selected the young netminder in the second round, 37th overall, in the OHL priority selection in 2024, and he saw limited action last season, during which he looked extremely confident. After winning bronze recently at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and after the Fronts cleared their goaltending position by moving former netminder Mason Vaccari to the Flint Firebirds, the crease belongs to Betts, who the club believes is a star in the making. At just 17, with multiple appearances at the national level already, it's hard to fault them for that belief.
Allan Etmanski (Play-by-play, YourTV): Camden McCuaig - He had a taste of OHL action last year, but spent the majority of his time in the CCHL working on things he needed to improve to be a full-time OHLer. He's rounded out some edges in his game, is a big body and with the opportunities Kingston has due to roster turnover, has the chance to really shine in 2025-2026.
Jim Gilchrist (Play-by-play, FM 104.3 Fresh Radio): Jacob Battaglia
2. What's the Frontenacs' biggest question mark entering 2025-26?
Cunningham: Graduation of impact players from last season
Murphy: The blueline - The biggest question mark has to be on the blue-line, where the club lost a ton of experience and talent with the graduations of former captain Quinton Burns and Emil Pieniniemi to the NHL, and the loss of Napanee's own Cal Uens (signed with QMJHL's Quebec Remparts). This year's D corps will be led by towering trade-deadline acquisition Will Bishop, who the club managed to bring back, and the likes of Vann Williamson, Lukas Moore and a hopefully healthy Maleek McGowan, who was limited to 56 regular-season games and just five playoff games due to injuries last season. The D was a strength of the Fronts last season, and for them to mimic anything that even closely resembles last season, the D will have to be a strength again.
Etmanski: Goaltending - but more in the sense of how they will handle their first OHL season. Betts already has some games with Kingston, junior experience, and lots of accolades to go with it, and Minchak comes in with good numbers and a Colgate commitment. Everyone knows that it's a big jump from U18 and junior A to the OHL. Players are bigger, faster, shots are more accurate, harder, and the peaks, valleys and grind of a 68-game season can be tough to navigate for the first time. How will they handle it without a veteran in the mix to lean on?
Gilchrist: Balanced scoring among the four lines
3. Who will the Frontenacs' top NHL Draft prospect be by the end of the season?
Cunningham: Gavin Betts
Murphy: Gavin Betts - Tough call this early, though. Betts will likely get a hard look all season by scouts, but goaltenders don't typically get drafted this young, so it's tough to say. Centre Nolan Buttar, should he have a solid season under head coach Troy Mann, is another contender. Unlike last season, when Tyler Hopkins was the clear favourite coming into the season, and Kieren Dervin shot his way up the depth charts under Mann, this season is a bit of a guessing game outside of Betts and Buttar, who were both drafted by the Frontenacs in 2024.
Etmanski: Aleks Kulemin - I know that a lot of people will say that's the easy choice, but when you look at the way he plays, his size, frame, the way he sees the ice...there's a lot of potential there. And he's still a couple of seasons away from his draft year.
Gilchrist: Gavin Betts
4. Which new addition are you most excited to see?
Cunningham: Aleks Kulemin
Murphy: Aleks Kulemin - With a massive turnover in the offseason, Kingston will ice an entirely revamped lineup come opening night. Aleks Kulemin, the club's top pick in this year's OHL Priority Selection and the son of former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nikolai Kulemin, is someone fans should be excited to watch. He plays a 200-foot game and has the potential to thrive under Mann, who has turned the likes of Tuomas Uronen, Jacob Battaglia, Hopkins and Dervin into stars. It's also hard not to froth at the mouth over the emergence of Betts as the No. 1 between the pipes. Goaltending is paramount in the OHL, and it is likely the reason the Fronts were unable to advance past Barrie in the OHL playoffs this past season. It should be fun to watch his growth. Honourable mention goes to Ben Pickell, who is a fan favourite, and Vann Williamson, who seems to get better every season.
Etmanski: Andrew Kuzma - He's gone through life-changing, major surgery, and now is getting a chance to play in the OHL after a year off. Andrew has produced every step of his career, and with him landing in Kingston and playing alongside his younger brother for the first time, I think the setting and environment are right for a big bounce-back year for him.
Gilchrist: Aleks Kulemin
5. Who will the Frontenacs' MVP be in 2025-26?
Cunningham: Maleek McGowan
Murphy: Gavin Betts - The MVP call is tough. To me, if the club finishes in a home playoff position, it's likely because of Betts, and he's the hands-down MVP in my mind. But this is a big season for the likes of Battaglia and Hopkins, both of whom are most likely future NHLers. For the Frontenacs to succeed, these two individuals must continue to develop. Battaglia has risen from a fourth-liner to a star under Mann, and Hopkins is following that same trajectory. While I think Betts has the potential to be the MVP, I believe it's incumbent upon Battaglia or Hopkins to make sure they are.
Etmanski: Tyler Hopkins - Every year, he has taken a step forward and last season that resulted in him getting drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round. With that comes more expectations and pressure. From what I've seen in his game, there's no reason to think he won't meet them. I expect the Frontenacs to get a lot out of him this year.
Gilchrist: Gavin Betts
Ontario Hockey League Stories from September 8, 2025
- 2025-26 Season Preview: Kingston Frontenacs - Kingston Frontenacs
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
