Konnor Smith of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images
The Owen Sound Attack have traded their captain to the Brampton Steelheads.
The team announced Wednesday morning Smith, 20, is being sent to Brampton in exchange for seven draft picks, including a pair of second-round selections.
Smith was named Attack captain in October after returning from American Hockey League training camp with the San Diego Gulls. But he hasn’t played since suffering a wrist injury against Windsor on Oct. 19, which ended up being his last game with the Attack.
While recovering from his injury, Smith continued to travel with the team and helped with mentoring the younger players.
“Moving your captain is not a very easy thing to do, but in this situation, I think it was necessary for Konnor to move forward and us to look to the future,” Attack General Manager Dale DeGray says in a release. “Konnor is a fantastic young man and did everything he could in the time he was here. He was a tremendous leader and teammate. We would like to wish him well with the remainder of the season and in his pro career.”
Owen Sound (10-22-2-3) is currently last in the Western Conference, in what many would describe as a transition season. Brampton (16-5-5) is seventh in the Eastern Conference, and the move for Smith helps solidify their defensive core and signals their intent to try to compete in the deep Eastern Conference this season.
The draft picks coming back to the Attack in the deal are Windsor’s second-round selection and London’s seventh-rounder at the 2025 OHL Priority Selection. Owen Sound is also receiving third- and sixth-round picks in 2026, a fifth-round selection in 2027, and second- and 10th-round choices in 2028.
To sum that up: two second-round picks, a third, and fifth, sixth, seventh and 10th round selections over the next four OHL priority selections.
Smith, a Windsor native, spent parts of two seasons with the Attack. He was acquired in January 2024 in the deal that also brought forward Sam McCue to Owen Sound from Peterborough, for forward Nico Addy and defenceman Martin Matejicek.
A hulking presence on the blueline listed at 6-foot-6 and 217-pounds, Smith had eight points in eight games this season for Owen Sound before going down to injury. He also recorded his first OHL hat trick on Oct. 11 at Niagara.
The trade leaves the Attack with three overage players on its roster, forwards Landen Hookey and Bruce McDonald, and defenceman Alec Leonard. The deadline for OHL teams to be down to three OA players — and to trade overage players — is Thursday, Jan. 9 at noon.