Kingston Frontenacs GameDay October 7, 2016

Kingston.
“Jason is just one of those guys who finds
ways to get on the scoresheet,” said Gilmour,
who many could say had a similar knack during
his playing days. “He’s not the quickest guy on
the ice, but he always finds ways to make plays
and get to the net. He improved on his strength
this past summer and he will be a lot of fun to
watch.”
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Stephen
Desrocher could be a big asset on the blue
line as an overager. Desrocher was drafted as a
19-year-old by Toronto, giving the club until the
end of this season to sign him to an entry-level
deal.
Desrocher’s potential return would give the
Frontenacs a veteran to play alongside highly
touted youngsters in draft eligible Jacob Paquette
and 6-foot-6 Finnish talent Eemeli Rasanen.
“There’s a new look on the blue line with
Roland McKeown having moved on,” said
Gilmour. “We think Jacob Paquette can be one
of the top draft eligible guys in our league this
year, that Rasanen has a lot to offer with that big
wingspan and that (17-year-old) Jakob Brahaney
took big strides during his time with the Kingston
Voyageurs last season.”
The Frontenacs will also feature 19-year-old
Liam Murray, 18-year-old commitment Liam
Kendall and youngsters Colin Ven Den Hurk and
Emmett Gordon as options on the back end.
Overager Nathan Billitier also remains with the
club.
Jeremy Helving returns to the crease after
quietly emerging as one of the league’s top
goaltenders in a limited role last season. From
January to the end of the 2015-16 season, Helvig
went 12-1-0-1 with a 1.67 goals-against-average
and a .944 save percentage over 15 games. The
fifth round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes last
summer will see his share of minutes this time
around.
“It can be hard as a backup sometimes to
get into games when the team is on a roll, but
Jeremy stepped up and made the most of his
chances last season,” said Gilmour. “He paid
his dues, worked really hard in practice, and got
himself onto the NHL radar with a great second
half. He’s a big body that keeps getting better
and we’ll be counting on him.”
With plenty of questions from the outset this
season, the Frontenacs will take things a day
at a time until their roster is solidified following
decisions in the pro ranks.
“We’re going young here as well,” said
Gilmour of his club’s makeup. “We’ve added
some young guys to the group and we’re
committed to developing those players for the
future.”
“Mississauga looks like they’ll be good and
there are some other teams who will be making
improvements, but we think we’re right there.”
After setting new single-season marks for
wins (46) and points (97) last season, the
Frontenacs look to build off that momentum
and remain a competitive presence in the East
Division.
Reprinted with permission
© 2016 Ontario Hockey League
For convenient home deliverY call 613-544-5000 ext# 547101
16 KINGSTON FRONTENACS GAMEDAY MAGAZINE