Ontario Hockey League
Guelph Storm acquire forward Roobroeck from Niagara
The Guelph Storm continued to build the roster they’re to ice at next year’s Memorial Cup tournament that they’re to host when they sent two players and three draft picks to the Niagara IceDogs Friday for veteran left winger Ryan Roobroeck.
Rooebroeck, who’ll turn 19 late in September, played three seasons with the IceDogs after he was Niagara’s first-round pick, second overall, of the 2023 OHL draft. He’s scored 99 goals, set up 97 others and been whistled for 58 penalty minutes in 176 regular-season games for the IceDogs. He also had three goals and three assists in six playoff games.
To get Roobroeck, the Storm sent forwards Wil McFadden and Layne Gallacher, a third-round draft pick in 2029, a fourth-rounder in 2030 and a fifth-rounder in 2027.
McFadden was the Storm’s second-round pick, 31st overall, of the 2023 draft. He has 20 goals, 60 assists and 35 penalty minutes in 191 regular-season and playoff games with the Storm.
The Storm acquired Gallacher midway through last season. He had five goals, 14 assists and six penalty minutes in 36 regular-season and playoff games with the team. He had five goals, seven assists and two penalty minutes in 21 games with the Brantford Bulldogs last season prior to the trade. Gallacher had been a fourth-round pick, 73rd overall, by the Bulldogs in the 2024 draft and had two assists and two penalty minutes in nine games with Brantford in the 2024-2025 season.
It was Guelph’s second trade with Niagara this month. On June 2 they received centre Ethan Czata and a 15th-round draft pick in 2027 from the IceDogs for centre Carter Lewandowski, defenceman Zack Naish, a second-round draft pick in 2028, third-rounder this year, fourth-rounder in 2029 and a fifth-rounder this year.
Niagara used this year’s draft picks to select goaltender Aidan Cullen in the third round and defenceman Cooper Ross in the fifth round. Of the 18 selections the IceDogs made in the draft earlier this month, half of the picks originally belonged to other teams.
Wednesday, the Storm sent their first-round pick in this year’s CHL import draft, a second-round pick in the 2027 regular draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2028 regular draft to the Erie Otters for Erie’s first-round pick in this year’s import draft.
The Storm will now pick fourth in the import draft set for June 30. The pick they sent to Erie was the 19th overall pick.
This month the Storm have traded away seven players (McFadden, Gallacher, left wingers Mark Pape and Simon Belohorsky, goaltender Cruz Reznik, Lewandowski and Naish) and 19 draft picks to get five players (Roobroeck, centres Owen Griffin and Adrien Bartovic, defenceman Vladimir Dravecky and Czata) and four draft picks.
The Storm is to begin its regular season Sept. 18 at 7:07 p.m. with a game at the Sleeman Centre against Erie. Their games against Niagara are set for Dec. 4 at 7:07 p.m. at the Sleeman Centre and New Year’s Eve at 6 p.m. at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines.
- Guelph Sports Journal