A former OHL champion, Van Vliet adds size and experience to the IceDogs roster.

The Niagara IceDogs acquired overage defender Noah Van Vliet from the Sudbury Wolves in a trade earlier this week.

In addition to Van Vliet, the IceDogs gained a 2026 15th round pick in exchange for a 2026 15th round pick, a conditional 2026 4th round pick (SAG), a conditional 2027 3rd round pick (NB) and a conditional 2028 5th round pick.

The core piece of the deal is, of course, Van Vliet. At 6-foot-3, he is a left-handed defenceman who excels at playing a physical and defensive game.

Originally, drafted by the Brantford Bulldogs with the 66th pick in the 2020 draft, Van Vliet helped Brantford to win an OHL Championship during the 2021-22 season. 

Last season, he played 36 games for Brantford before being moved to Sudbury at the trade deadline. He played 32 regular season games and nine playoff games for the Wolves before the team fell during the second round of the playoffs. 

"We thank Noah for his time in Sudbury," said Sudbury Wolves GM Rob Papineau. "He is a tremendous person, and we wish him well in his overage year."

Van Vliet brings his size, skill and a large amount of OHL experience to an IceDogs roster that has finished last in the Eastern Conference for the past three seasons. 

While they were unsuccessful in the points department last season, they have several young players who have shown promise. Notably, 2007-born forward Ryan Roobroeck, who was the second-overall pick in the 2023 draft had an excellent rookies season scoring 51 points in 63 games. Additionally, Winnipeg Jets prospect Kevin He also had a great season scoring 53 points in 64 games.

 These young players will benefit from having Van Vliet's championship-winning experience at their disposal as they continue to grow as players. 

Van Vliet will also have the opportunity to use his defensive acumen to help the team. Niagara allowed the second most goals against last season averaging 4.75 goals against per game. 

With this trade, Niagara has made a move to beef up their D-corps while adding a veteran player who can play quality minutes for the team on a nightly basis.