A Major Moment for Kingston: OHL Priority Selection Delivers Lasting Impact
By Rob Lendrum
When the Ontario Hockey League brought the Priority Selection to Slush Puppie Place, it wasn't just a milestone for the league. It was a major moment for Kingston and the Kingston Frontenacs.
A First in 26 Years
For the first time in 26 years, the draft took place in-person rather than virtually — and with that shift came opportunities to develop new partnerships and experiences for fans. While the headline event ran over Friday and Saturday, the impact stretched far beyond a single weekend.
Kingston as a Sports Tourism Hub
In the days leading up to the draft, Kingston played host to a full slate of OHL business activities, with league meetings taking place in local hotels throughout the week. This extended stay transformed the Priority Selection into a true sports business tourism play, driving sustained economic activity across multiple days and venues.
Players, families, team representatives, and league officials travelled in from across Ontario, filling hotels, supporting restaurants, and exploring Kingston's waterfront, downtown, and cultural attractions. The city leaned into the moment, with street banners, sidewalk decals, and hotel activations helping create a sense of excitement and welcome throughout the community.
For many visiting families, the experience became inseparable from Kingston itself — the city forming the backdrop to a defining milestone they will always associate with this moment in their lives. This is what sports tourism looks like at its best.
The Personal Side of the Draft
At its core, the OHL Priority Selection is deeply personal. For young athletes and their families, it represents the culmination of years of hard work and the beginning of a new chapter. Kingston provided the stage for that moment, and by all accounts, it delivered.
"Families consistently spoke about the welcoming atmosphere, the quality of the events, and how great of a host the City of Kingston was," said OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford. "The city provided the perfect backdrop for one of the most important moments in the lives of our young athletes and their families."
The Economic Impact
That sense of welcome translated directly into both immediate economic return and longer-term opportunity. The event delivered an estimated economic impact of over $1.7 million, driven by overnight stays, dining, transportation, and visitor spending throughout the community. Importantly, the weeklong schedule of business meetings and league functions helped extend that impact, ensuring consistent occupancy and activity rather than a short-term spike.
"The 2026 OHL Draft delivered real, measurable impact for downtown Kingston," says Downtown Kingston BIA Executive Director Marijo Cuerrier. "On the two draft days alone, our pedestrian counters recorded more than 3,000 additional visitors compared to the same days last year — foot traffic climbed 14.8 per cent on Friday and 12.4 per cent on Saturday. Those visitors accounted for the vast majority of our entire week's growth. They're not just hockey fans; they're diners filling our restaurants, shoppers in our stores, and families discovering downtown for the first time. When Kingston lands marquee events like this, the benefit flows directly to the businesses that make our downtown so unique, and the data makes the case better than we ever could."
Visibility Beyond the Arena
Beyond the numbers, the visibility generated through league channels, social media, and media coverage extended Kingston's reach far beyond the arena. The city was showcased not just as an event host, but as a destination capable of supporting high-level sport and business gatherings at the same time.
The Power of Partnership
The success of the event was no accident. It was the result of coordinated effort, strong partnerships, and a clear commitment to delivering an exceptional experience, led locally by Tourism Kingston. In reflecting on that collaboration, OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford specifically credited the Tourism Kingston team for their role in bringing the event to life.
"From the earliest stages of planning through the execution of Draft Week, your team was an outstanding partner," Crawford said. "Your commitment, professionalism, and enthusiasm played a huge role in delivering a first-class experience for our players, families, member teams, sponsors, and guests."
Layered Value for the City
That kind of feedback reinforces Kingston's growing reputation as a host city that can deliver at a high level — not only for marquee sporting events, but for the business ecosystem that surrounds them. Major events like the OHL Priority Selection bring layered value, blending fan engagement, milestone family experiences, and industry activity into a single tourism opportunity:
They fill rooms across an entire week.
They drive traffic to local businesses.
They generate positive media and brand exposure.
They position Kingston as a place where sport and business intersect seamlessly.
Looking Ahead
Perhaps most importantly, events like this create lasting impressions and open the door to future opportunities. As part of a multi-year commitment between the OHL and the City of Kingston, the Priority Selection will return next year, reinforcing the value of hosting events that generate repeat visitation and sustained economic impact. Just as importantly, successfully delivering an event of this scale helps strengthen Kingston's position within the broader CHL landscape, supporting future bids for major events such as the Memorial Cup.
For Kingston, that lasting impact is the true return. Every successful event strengthens the city's reputation, builds momentum, and helps secure future opportunities across sport, business, and tourism.
The Bottom Line
The OHL Priority Selection was more than a draft. It was a showcase of Kingston as a destination — one that delivers not just for a weekend, but for an entire week of meaningful activity and long-term value.