Written by: Scott Savard
Headline photo: Scott Savard
Okotoks, AB (October 1, 2026) – The Okotoks Oilers have announced that 2006-born defenceman Fraser Leonard (Cochrane, AB) has been added to the Green and Gold’s 2026-2027 BCHL leadership group as an alternate captain.
Leonard joins Jamie Hikida (Richmond, BC), Conner Radke (Langdon, AB), and Nolan DuPont (Calgary, AB), who were all previously announced earlier in the season as captains. Leonard believes that he is joining an already well-established group of leaders and the transition will be an easy one.
“It’s definitely a big responsibility. I think we have a really good leadership group with us, so if we can just carry all the guys with us, we’ll go really far this year and have a really good season,” Leonard said.
The newly named alternate captain currently sits tied in third place with three points on the team with his goal and two assists, while leading all defencemen on the Green and Gold on the scoresheet. Leonard, who has had some individual success this season, also helped lift the Oilers to their first win of the season as the Oilers handled the Saints 5-1 on Saturday at their Home Opener.
“We scored one; we just stuck together, we definitely used it as momentum throughout the game, and I think we just kept pouring it on and stuff and sticking to it as one. So I definitely think it helped,” he added.
While it’s Leonard’s first season as an Oiler, he isn’t new to his teammates, as he had friendships with the group before joining and wanted to play with his buddies for his last year of junior hockey; for example, his good friend DuPont.
“Yeah, for sure. Like, I know some guys, so it’s definitely been easy to come to one as a big group. So it’s definitely been easier having him (DuPont) on the team too,” Leonard added.
Leonard is also a local talent who has embraced playing closer to home.
“It’s really nice. My last year of junior, having my parents close to home and family and stuff. So it’s nice seeing them being able to come to all the games. So I’m really excited to have this as my final place,” he explained.
Bringing it back to the Home Opener, Leonard would score an unusual goal where he played the puck off the glass while he was dumping it in from the red line; however, the puck would take a hometown bounce and beat the Saints netminder for his first goal as an Oiler. The goal would not only grab attention in the BCHL but would go viral across the hockey world as TSN’s Bar Down and other hockey influencers were posting and commenting on the marker.
“Yeah, I don’t know. I just got the puck, and I just tried to put it in deep, and I got hit. I was looking at the ice at the same time as the horn went off, and I didn’t really know if I scored or not. But yeah, I was scrolling one night, and I saw it on Bar Down. It’s pretty cool; I was not expecting that,” Leonard said.
Leonard and the rest of the Oilers will be on the road once again, as they visit the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Victoria Grizzlies on Vancouver Island this weekend.
About the Okotoks Oilers
The Okotoks Oilers are a not-for-profit, community-run junior hockey franchise competing in the BCHL and operating out of Viking Rentals Centre. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
