The Sarnia Sting have made a move to bolster their defence.
The OHL club announced on Monday that it had acquired defenceman Cole Emerton in a trade with the Barrie Colts.
In return, Sarnia has sent a package of draft picks to Barrie. They are a 2027 seventh-round pick, a 2028 second, third, and fourth-round pick, and conditional 2029 second and third-round selections.
"Adding a player of Cole's caliber is a significant move for our organization," said Sting General Manager Dylan Seca. "He was a critical piece of a very strong Barrie team last season and consistently played big minutes in every situation. We believe he is going to be a major part of our backend moving forward."
Emerton appeared in 66 games for Barrie during the regular season, scoring four goals for 31 points. That was good enough to be named on the OHL First All-Rookie Team.
During Barrie's drive toward the OHL Championship Series, Emerton scored eight goals for 20 points.
Seca said that Emerton also brings a strong locker-room presence.
"He's an unbelievable teammate, a strong leader, and someone we know will be a huge asset in our locker room," said Seca. He has experience playing with Alessandro Di Iorio from their time together with the Vaughan Kings, which is another great fit for our group."
