IceDogs add pieces to championship puzzle
Blockbuster trade with Kingston addresses ‘two biggest team needs’
The Kingston Frontenacs are reloading, the Niagara IceDogs are loading up.
After going for broke and advancing to the Eastern Conference final in their quest for an Ontario Hockey League championship, the Kingston Frontenacs are starting over.
IceDogs general manager Joey Burke couldn’t be happier. While sending defenceman Billy Constantinou and fellow sophomore, forward Ian Martin, to Kingston was difficult, getting Frontenacs scoring leader Jason Robertson and fourth-year defenceman Jacob Paquette in return made it a deal the IceDogs couldn’t pass up.
“This is a game changer,” Burke said. “We addressed our two biggest team needs and added the best goal scorer in the league, along with an elite shutdown defenceman.”
Robertson, who was selected by the Dallas Stars in the 2017 NHL Draft with the 39th pick overall, is on pace to score more than 40 goals for the third year in a row. In 24 games in his fourth season in Kingston, the 19-yearold from Northville, Mich., already has 23 goals and 15 assists for 38 points.
“Jason has proven time and again how high calibre of a player he is,” the IceDogs general manager said. “He is going to fit in perfectly with our top six.”
Paquette, also 19, was taken by the Nashville Predators in the seventh round of last year’s draft with the 216th pick. When the blockbuster trade was announced, the 6-foot-3, 216-pound Ottawa native had one goal and three assists in 24 games in the Frontenacs lineup this season.
He will be a solid addition to Niagara’s “already strong defensive core,” Burke said.
“Jacob is as solid as they come and will provide tons of stability to our back end.”
As was the case with Kingston last year, Niagara is committed to going deep into the playoffs and advancing to the Memorial Cup tournament for the first time in franchise history.
“We feel our depth is right where it needs to be to contend for a championship, and with this move we have put the pieces in place to really make some noise this season,” Burke said.
At the time of the trade, Constantinou, 17, had four goals and 11 assists in 22 games Martin, also 17, had one goal and three assists in 20 games this season.
The IceDogs wish only the best for Constantinou, their secondround pick in the OHL draft with the 36th selection; and Martin, taken the same year in the third round with the 51st pick.
“Any time you bring in players of this calibre, you have to trade away good young players,” Burke said. “And it’s always tough to part ways with guys like Billy
“We addressed our two biggest team needs and added the best goal scorer in the league, along with an elite shut-down defenceman.”
JOEY BURKE Niagara IceDogs general manager
and Ian, but in the long run this move will help in their development as young players.”
Accompanying Constantinou and Martin east are 11 draft picks spread over six years.
Kingston is getting two picks next year, Sarnia’s second, Windsor’s seventh; two in 2020, Kitchener’s third, Niagara’s 13th; three in 2021, Peterborough’s second, Niagara’s fifth and 11th; two in 2022. Niagara’s second, Kitchener’s third; Niagara’s second pick in 2023 and London’s third in the 2024 OHL draft.
The addition of Robertson and Paquette brings the number of NHL prospects on the Niagara roster to seven.
Daniel Bukac, Boston; Ben Jones, Vegas; Ivan Lodnia, Minnesota; Kirill Maksimov, Edmonton; Akil Thomas, Los Angeles; are the other NHL prospects in the current IceDogs lineup.
Bernd.Franke@niagaradailies.com 905-225-1624 | @TribSportsDesk