There is one telling fact about Ryan Kujawinski, the 16-year-old the Kingston Frontenacs acquired last week to kick off a flurry of trading activity by general manager Doug Gilmour.

Kujawinski, whether it was back in his northern Ontario hometown of Iroquois Falls or the Ontario Hockey League cities of Sarnia and now Kingston, simply loves to play hockey.

"Anywhere out (on the ice) is good," the rookie said after his third full practice with his new team on Wednesday at the Invista Centre.

The anywhere also takes in the OHL. Kujawinski, who was at the top of Kingston's draft list back in May, never made it down to the No. 8 selection spot of the Frontenacs.

The Sarnia Sting chose Kujawinski, who had 35 goals (in 24 games) for the Sudbury Wolves midgets last year, fourth overall.

Kujawinski said it didn't matter when he went in the Priority Selection or who selected him — he was always going to report.

"I was willing to go anywhere. It was a honour (to be drafted). Sarnia chose me fourth overall and I accepted to go there," Kujawinski said.

The same goes for coming to Kingston. Kujawinski knows from a development standpoint, he is going to get more ice time on a younger Kingston lineup than in Sarnia, where the Sting have loaded up on veterans for a big playoff push.

"He is a great kid. He listens, he wants to learn and he is a talent," said coach Todd Gill, who plans to give Kujawinski and the trio of other newly acquired youngsters — Billy Jenkins, Jack Nevins and Adam Lloyd — ample playing time over the Frontenacs' final 28 games.

Gill has placed Kujawinski in the middle between two older players — captain Cody Alcock and Trevor Morbeck.

"I wanted to have him with two older players. We want to give him all the opportunities," Gill said.

One of Gill's concerns, of course, is that with a quick rise in playing minutes, some of the new players may hit the wall.

Asked if he felt he might run out of gas this weekend when the Frontenacs play three games in as many days in London, Sarnia and Kitchener, Kujawinski answered honestly.

"I don't know. I wouldn't know that yet," he said.

"But for the (World Under-17 Challenge), I played a regular shift so that kind of got me in shape for this, to get used to playing (a lot). I like (the idea)."

Kujawinski handled the extra minutes well in his first two games with the Frontenacs. He picked up four points, scoring his first Kingston (he scored once for Sarnia in 29 games) goal against the Peterborough Petes.

Against the Barrie Colts Sunday, Kujawinski did some impressive work in the offensive zone. He effectively took out Colts defenceman Ryan O'Connor along the boards, opening up the space for Alcock to move in for a clear scoring shot.

O'Connor, in fact, could be seen looking back after the play stopped to see what exactly he just ran up against. On another play in the third period, it was Kujawinski's deft backhand pass from the boards that gave defenceman Kyler Nixon a good scoring chance.

"Ryan has size and is a good skater. On top of that, he's a very good passer," Gill said.

At Wednesday's practice, Kujawinski and Jenkins were both used on a power-play unit along with Alcock, Morbeck and Nixon, the lone defenceman.

The six-foot-two, 195-pound Kujawinski, who doesn't turn 17 until March 30, has had six days to get used to his new teammates and surroundings.

It's going well, he reports.

"I'm getting more comfortable all the time. Just learning the systems and being around the guys, getting to know them," Kujawinski said.

"I'm learning from (linemates Alcock and Morbeck). They're two really good players and it is fun to play with them."

As far as picking up the systems Gill uses compared to Sarnia, Kujawinski said adjustments are part of being an OHL player.

"I played under-17 and had to learn systems there, too. You start learning a lot of systems, you get adjusted to it," Kujawinski said.

At the under-17 event in Windsor, he ended up on a line with London Knights rookies Max Domi and Bo Horvat during the bronze-medal game.

Domi, of course, is the player the Frontenacs selected after Kujawinski had been picked.

"They are two unbelievable players. It was great playing with them," Kujawinski said.

While Kujawinski had nothing bad to say about his Sarnia experience, there is a bonus to being in Kingston. Frank and Doris Kujawinski might be able to see more of their only son here.

"It's probably two hours closer. It makes it a bit better for travelling," said Kujawinski, who scored his first Kingston goal — tipping in a shot by defenceman Michael Moffat — with his parents and younger sister Kayla in attendance Friday at the K-Rock Centre.

Family friend Nick Possano, the head of minor hockey in Iroquois Falls, made the 10-hour drive from the north to be at Kujawinski's Kingston debut.

"It made it nice for all of them to be there," Kujawinski said.

FRONTENAC NOTES

The Frontenacs will have a Thursday afternoon practice at the Memorial Centre. They'll head to London on Friday morning. ... Goalie Blake Richard had his final practice with Kingston on Wednesday. Richard is being assigned to the Thorold Blackhawks of the Greater Ontario Junior B Hockey League. ... Todd Gill is planning to use Adam Lloyd, the 17-year-old forward picked up from the Brampton Battalion, on right wing on a line with Darcy Greenaway in the middle and Jack Nevins at left wing. Billy Jenkins will play in the middle for wingers Petr Beranek and David Mazurek. ... Forward Nathan Cull, out with concussion symptoms from a hit in Peterborough last Thursday, said he is cleared to do exercise-bike training. Cull wasn't sure whether he would be making the road trip.