Alec Leonard of the London Knights. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images
The Owen Sound Attack have added another overage defenceman after an injury to the captain.
The Attack announced Wednesday morning the acquisition of defenceman Alec Leonard from the London Knights in exchange for a conditional 14th-round pick in the 2027 OHL Priority Selection.
Leonard was released by the Knights last week, after the team moved to acquire goaltender Austin Elliott.
Attack General Manager Dale DeGray says defenceman Konnor Smith suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Windsor Spitifres at the Bayshore. The injury is expected to keep Owen Sound’s captain out of the lineup for six to eight weeks.
“With our group I think it was pretty evident that we had to bring in another experienced player,” DeGray says. “And Alec is certainly an experienced player. He’s played about 200 games in the league. He plays the way that I know our coaches are going to want him to play. He’s an aggressive young man that moves pucks and likes to get involved. I think in that regard he’s a perfect fit for us.”
“It’s unfortunate we have to go down this road,” the Attack GM continues. “But, it’s the nature of the game.”
Leonard, 20, will join the Attack for their three-game road trip this week to Windsor, Flint and Saginaw, which starts at the WFCU Centre against the Western Conference-leading Spitfires Thursday.
The new right-shot Attack blueliner — listed at 5-foot-11, 183-pounds — was originally a second-round pick of the Niagara Ice Dogs in 2020. He spent the last two seasons in London, recording 27 points in 122 games.