A move that was expected to come to fruition this offseason has become official, with Los Angeles Kings defensive prospect Adam Goljer signing to play for the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Goljer was picked 117th overall in the 2025 CHL Import Draft by the Frontenacs in the second round. Yet, instead of immediately joining Kingston after he was selected by them in the 2025 CHL Import Draft, Goljer decided to stay home for the 2025-26 season and play for HK Dukla Trencin in Slovakia's top men's league.
The news that Goljer signed with the Frontenacs in the OHL this offseason was officially announced by Kingston on Thursday. This will be Goljer's first season playing in North America, as the 18-year-old defenseman will be playing for Kingston following the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Adam Goljer will continue his development in North America with Kingston
The Kings and general manager Ken Holland selected Goljer 49th overall in the second round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He played 43 games in Slovakia this past season against professional competition with HK Dukla Trencin, registering four goals, seven assists, and 11 total points. He scored the most total points of any player aged 17 or younger in Slovakia's top men's league this past season.
Goljer also played for Slovakia in the 18-U World Championships and the World Juniors in this past year.
He captained Team Slovakia in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 18U World Championships, helping his squad win silver in the 18U championships. Goljer registered two goals, three assists, and five total points in seven games played while earning the Best Defenseman honors and being selected to the all-tournament team.
His performance at such a young age playing for Slovakia in different competitions, including the 18-U World Championships and World Juniors, is largely what appealed to the Kings about drafting him 49th overall in the second round of the 2026 draft this summer.
What makes Goljer such an interesting prospect for the Kings on the blue line is his combination of size, physicality, instincts, and maturity and experience from playing against professional competition in Slovakia at just 17 years old this past season.
Goljer is a big 6-foot-2 and 205-pound defenseman with excellent reach, stick positioning, gap control, and patience to make the right decision with the puck on his stick moving up the ice. He already possesses NHL size for a right-shot defenseman.
But Goljer's mobility and two-way ability are two of the core components and most important parts of his game, arguably. He's shown tremendous confidence jumping into the rush and moving the puck up the ice in transition while also using his size, reach, and skating ability to close gaps defensively.
Making this move to Kingston gives Goljer a different developmental challenge than he had in Slovakia this past season. He already spent an entire season playing against professionals as a 17-year-old, but he'll now have the chance to adjust to the North American style of hockey and a smaller ice surface while potentially assuming a major role on Kingston's blue line this upcoming season.
You can view our entire draft profile and breakdown of the Kings' picking Goljer earlier this summer here.
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