By Terry Doyle

This year’s edition of the Kingston Frontenacs is going through a learning curve, but the club is already seeing signs of progress.

It’s not often that a team can go into London and come away victorious. But last Friday night, a 49-save performance by goaltender Igor Bobkov gave the Frontenacs a 4-1 victory.

But it’s mainly about the kids in Kingston these days. The Frontenacs are building with a nucleus of young players, who they hope will turn the club into a playoff contender in the coming years.

“We (have) some talent, some good players. We feel we have some bodies in place to make a really competitive run in the future here,” said Frontenacs GM Doug Gilmour to the Kingston Whig-Standard.

"We are excited about it. I hope everybody in town here is, too."

One of the cornerstones of the rebuilding Frontenacs is 16-year-old Ryan Kujawinski. The product of Iroquois Falls, Ontario is getting accustomed to playing in Kingston.

“We're definitely rebuilding so that opens up a lot more ice (time) for me. Kingston's providing a lot more of an opportunity for me,” said Kujawinski, who graduated from the Sudbury minor hockey system last season.

If the first few games are any indication, it should not take long for Kujawinski to become a fan favourite in the Limestone City. He had seven points in his first five games with the Frontenacs. He is among 12 young players on the roster who were born in 1994 or 1995.

"We need to play our kids. The more we play them now, the more experience they are going to get. That was our whole game plan," Gilmour explained.

"If they are only playing four or five minutes, then next year they are still kind of rookies. We want them playing 12 minutes or more, that way there is an opportunity for these guys to develop real quick."

With each passing game, the Frontenacs are looking to improve. They hope consistent improvement will lead to more wins in the future.

“You have to stay positive on the bench, you always have to be positive,” said Kujawinski. “It's not going to be the best right now but everyone knows that - we understand that. We're just rebuilding as a team and the guys are bonding good together so it's a good sign.”