Exceptional Status Phenom Shane Wright Is Staying On Point
KINGSTON, ONT – As the latest OHL prospect to receive the exceptional status designation to join the league a year early, center Shane Wright joined the Kingston Frontenacs with a ton of hype. As an underager, he led the minor midget Don Mills Flyers to a nearly unbeaten 2018-19 season and an OHL Cup title. Naturally, the Frontenacs snapped him up with the first overall pick in the 2019 OHL Draft and made him the focal point of a rebuild that saw the team starting from scratch.
From the outset, it looked as though Kingston wouldn’t have much firepower this year and another finish in the basement was predicted. But Wright surpassed expectations and even threatened John Tavares’ exceptional status rookie scoring record in the OHL, before the remainder of the OHL campaign was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Not only did Wright lead all OHL rookies in scoring with 39 goals and 66 points in 58 games (Tavares had 77 as a rookie with Oshawa; Connor McDavid had 66 with Erie), but he also led the Frontenacs in scoring, with a seven-point margin. When the season was cancelled, Kingston was in a playoff spot.
