The team seems to be doing things a little different in the Loyalist City these days. The Kings are pushing to try and win another Barbarian Trophy and seem hellbent on repeating as cup champions if you speak to any team management. The thing is how the team is playing, the Kings are averaging more than 3 minutes per game higher in penalty minutes than the past few seasons.They are still scoring and playing solid defence but the teams aggression level just makes things feel strange. Usually we see the Kings steadily making moves trying to get things as streamlined as possible, but even in regards to trading things have not been the same this season.
To say Saint John GM John Kenny was quiet on the trade front this season would almost be an understatement. Word is a couple of other league GMs whose door he constantly knocks on had to have the Saint John police do wellness checks on Kenny. This season Kenny did make a splash and shook up his team chemistry and seemingly also shook up the philosophy of how the team has done things in the past. During the offseason, just prior to the meeting Kenny met up with old trading partner Shannon Goodfellow from South Esk and swung for the fences picking up stud left winger Brady Tkachuk. This move shocked Kings fans and Scotsman fans alike. It did mean the Kings spent quite a pile of draft capital and a young forward in Anton Lundell but Kenny told the media “We had a long run to our first cup and felt some more skilled toughness was going to be necessary to repeat!”
Outside of the deal to acquire Tkachuk, the Kings have picked up 2 backup goaltenders and a third pairing defender in Jackson Lacombe. From the media and the fans we have to ask has Kenny grown tired or does he really think this group of players is the answer to repeat as league champions. I am sure we will soon enough see!
Irwin P Freely
Telegraph Journal
4/14/2025 - 342 words
