Kingston Frontenacs forward Darcy Greenaway is a rookie in every sense — except to the Ontario Hockey League rule-makers.

Greenaway, with a team-leading 35 points in his first OHL season, is fourth in scoring among first-year players.

However, under a rule implemented prior to the the 2009-10 season, Greenaway doesn’t fall into the rookie category in the OHL. (Neither do Guelph’s Tanner Richard or the Sault’s Michael Schumacher, who are second and third, respectively, among first-year scorers).

The league rule now says a player only has two years of eligibility as a rookie — as a 16- or 17-year-old (to start the season).

Ted Baker, vice-president of the OHL, said the rookie rule was designed to prevent 18- or 19-year-old players — in most cases Europeans — who may have played in a pro league before coming to the OHL from being classified as freshmen.

“We were addressing the player at the pro level or the mature level (a player who originally went to U.S. college before coming into the OHL at a later age),” Baker said.

Greenaway, who turned 19 last Thursday, appears to be the perfect example of a player who fell through the crack in regards to the intentions of the rule change.

Baker stopped short of admitting to that. But he did allow that the league had to draw the line in some manner. Under the current guidelines, Greenaway isn’t eligible to win the Emms Family Award as the top rookie.

He also won't be eligible to be on the end-of-the-season all-rookie teams.

The rookie snub to Greenaway is ironic since he came up through the OHL’s main feeder system, the Ontario Minor Hockey Association. In other words, he was developed in an association where players aspire to go to the OHL.

Greenaway, who is from the village of Wilton and played minor hockey for both Kingston and Loyalist Township associations, has persevered by using hockey programs below the OHL to get a shot at playing major junior.

“It (Greenaway’s status) raises a good case, but where do you draw the line. It isn’t easy,” Baker said.

One person who isn’t worried about the rookie status is Greenaway.

“Maybe I am a rookie, I guess, but I have been given a good opportunity (with Kingston). I couldn’t have asked for more,” said Greenaway.

“I got drafted by London (seventh round in 2009), but unfortunately I didn’t fit in the puzzle there.” Greenaway said.

When he couldn’t crack the Knights lineup, Greenaway played one season at Lake Forest Academy in Illinois and then made the Wellington Dukes' Tier II junior A program for the 2010-11 season.

“Darrin Madeley (at Lake Forest) and Marty Abrams (at Wellington) run good programs. I think that prepared me well,” Greenaway said.

On target for more than 50 points this season, Greenaway said numbers — he has 17 goals and 18 assists — weren't on his mind when he came to Kingston’s camp in September.

“I just wanted to make the team,” said Greenaway, who is a part-time student at Queen’s University, taking sociology.

“It’s been awesome (playing in his hometown). Having family and friends come out in support has been great.”

Head coach Todd Gill likes what he has seen.

“He has probably been our most consistent performer offensively,” Gill said.

“He’s a good little offensive guy. He has to work on his defence like everybody. Once he cleans that up he will be a very valuable player in the future, not that he isn’t now.”

Gill said OHL rookie rule or not, Greenaway faced the same obstacle as all first-year players.

“The fact of the matter is he didn’t play in this league and he had to learn (to do it) by fire,” Gill said. “He has done a real good job for us.”

FRONTENAC NOTES

The Frontenacs (13-29-2-2) are in Peterborough Thursday night (7:05, Cogeco Ch. 13, 88.7 FM) to face the Petes (21-19-3-3) for the fourth time this season. Kingston won the last time the two played in Peterborough. The Petes have won both games at the K-Rock Centre The Frontenacs host the Oshawa Generals on Friday night and the Sarnia Sting on Sunday afternoon. ... Greenaway, who has been referred to both being from Odessa and Wilton, said he prefers Wilton. “Some people say (Wilton) is part of Odessa, but I live in Wilton,” is Greenaway’s reasoning. ... Evgeny Grachev won the Emms Family Award in 2009 when he was a 19-year-old forward for the Brampton Battalion. The OHL made its rookie rule change that summer. ... Kitchener’s Radek Faksa, 17, is the leading rookie scorer with 42 points. Faksa is from the Czech Republic. Max Domi of the London Knights is second at 34 points. ... The other two 18-year-olds with high point totals in their first year are Guelph’s Tanner Richard, a Swiss native, with 40 points and German native Michael Schumacher of the Sault Greyhounds, who has 21 goals and 36 points. ... Ryan Kujawinski, Sarnia's top pick last year, has four goals and nine points in his eight games with the Frontenacs. Kujawinski has five goals and 15 points for his rookie season. Domi, drafted by Kingston and traded to London after he wouldn't report, had eight goals at the end of October but only four since. He has gone nine games without scoring.