ottawa 67s will host a first-round series with games Friday and Sunday, and the sixth-seeded Kingston Frontenacs will lean on depth players — most notably Matthew Frost — in a bid to challenge the third-seeded opponent.
What Happens When Frost Becomes a Depth Leader?
Matthew Frost emerged as an unexpected second-half contributor in Kingston’s regular season. Teammate Nolan Buttar called him “our most valuable player in the second half, ” a notable endorsement given Buttar skates on the same fourth line with Frost and Riley Clark. Frost is a 19-year-old centre from Orleans who arrived in Kingston after a season with the Sherwood Park Crusaders in the British Columbia Hockey League and is committed to Boston College.
Frost’s early season numbers were modest: three goals and five assists in his first 38 games. Those totals were shaped by consecutive injury-affected seasons. He missed the end of the previous season after an injury that took him out for nine months, and surgeries limited him to 28 games in one season and 40 in another. Frost has declined to get into specifics about those injuries, saying that prolonged recovery made returning to game pace difficult and that summer skating cannot simulate competition.
What If Goaltending and McGowan Drive Momentum Against the Ottawa 67s?
Two internal drivers stand out as potential swing factors for Kingston. Coach Troy Mann has at times identified defenceman Maleek McGowan as the team’s “best player, ” signalling a defensive presence that can influence tight playoff games. Equally important to the Frontenacs’ turnaround has been the return-to-form of goaltender Gavin Betts; the team’s season trajectory was described as largely riding on that recovery.
Those internal variables intersect directly with the challenge of facing a third-seeded opponent in Ottawa. The combination of Frost’s late-season lift, McGowan’s impact on the back end, and Betts’ goaltending form forms the Frontenacs’ plausible pathway to an upset of the ottawa 67s.
What Should Teams and Fans Expect?
- Best case: Frost’s second-half play continues to trend upward, the fourth line provides stability, Betts sustains strong goaltending, and McGowan anchors the defence — a mix that gives the sixth-seeded Frontenacs a realistic upset route.
- Most likely: Contributions are mixed. Frost provides energy and occasional scoring, Betts’ form helps keep games close, and McGowan remains a steady presence, but the third-seeded opponent’s depth proves decisive in the series outcome.
- Most challenging: Injury history limits Frost’s availability or effectiveness, goaltending slips, and the Frontenacs are unable to find consistent secondary scoring, allowing the higher-seeded team to advance.
These scenarios rest only on the season signals Kingston has shown: Frost’s comeback and growing role, Nolan Buttar’s public endorsement of Frost’s value, Troy Mann’s appraisal of Maleek McGowan, and the season’s dependence on Gavin Betts’ return to form. Uncertainty remains inherent given Frost’s recent injury history and the compressed stakes of playoff hockey.
The first-round slate that begins with games Friday and Sunday will quickly reveal whether Frost’s second-half momentum and Kingston’s internal drivers are enough to alter the expected path. Observers should watch Frost’s line usage, Betts’ early-game handling, and McGowan’s defensive minutes for the clearest signals about the series trajectory against the ottawa 67s
