Kingston Makes Another Momentous Trade, Acquiring One Of The Top OHL Goaltenders From The Soo Greyhounds

The Kingston Frontenacs may not have any draft capital for the next couple of years, but they are sending a strong message to the rest of the league and their fierce competition in the Eastern Conference: they are a team to be feared when the playoffs arrive.

Frontenacs General Manager Kory Cooper has been very active on the phone since the start of the new year. He has successfully acquired Saginaw Spirit Memorial Cup champions Joey Willis, Ethan Hay, and Will Bishop.

In his latest move, he has traded for Soo Greyhounds goaltender Charlie Schenkel in exchange for fellow overage netminder and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Nolan Lalonde, along with four draft picks.

Related: Kingston Has Sights On An OHL Championship After Trading For Tampa Bay Lightning Prospect & Shutdown Defenseman From Saginaw

Below are the full details of the trade:

Kingston Frontenacs Receive:
G, Charlie Schenkel
2024-25 season statistics: 9-11-0-0, 2.89GAA, .914SV%, 2SO

Soo Greyhounds Receive:
G, Nolan Lalonde
2024-25 season statistics: 9-7-4-0, 3.25GAA, .884SV%, 1SO
2026 3rd round pick (SOO)
2025 5th round pick (BRAM)
2028 6th round pick

Kingston's goalie tandem of Lalonde and Mason Vaccari wasn't living up to the expectations the organization had hoped for this season. After all, they did give up a third and seventh-round draft pick for Lalonde in the summer.

Related: Kingston Frontenacs acquire Memorial Cup winning goaltender

Is Schenkel the answer? Will he be their starter when the playoffs start? His performance in last year's playoffs certainly shows he can fit the bill.

Schenkel's 2.36 goals-against average in the 2024 OHL Playoffs was the second lowest. In the second round versus Saginaw, he allowed six goals on 24 shots in Game 3. He rebounded with a 27-save shutout in Game 4. They lost Game 5 in overtime but he made 37 stops on 40 shots. Then, on the brink of elimination, he recorded another shutout to force a Game 7.

The Greyhounds went on to lose Game 7 by a score of 3-1 to no fault of the 6-foot-5 goaltender.

As per Kingston's press release, Cooper had glowing remarks towards his new right-handed catching netminder:

“Charlie has been a top goaltender in our league for the last two seasons. His stats are near the top of the league in every category, and his analytics back that up. Being able to record numbers like his on a consistent basis provide us with the boost we need to find success.”

Here's a fun tidbit: With Schenkel joining Kingston, he gets to reunite with his former teammate Cedrick Guindon. They played together during their OHL draft year on the Rockland Nationals U18 AAA team.

Related: Peterborough Petes Sign German Defenseman, Who Represented His Country At The 2025 World Junior Championship

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