ECHL: Fort Wayne Komets Add Dru Krebs and Paxton Leroux

The Fort Wayne Komets have announced that they’ve signed forward Paxton Leroux and Dru Krebs for the 2025-26 season. Fort Wayne now has 20 players signed for the 2025-26 season.

🚨 PLAYER SIGNINGS 🚨

Defenseman Dru Krebs and forward Paxton Leroux will be joining us in the Fort this season!https://t.co/KaZNN8ugzz
— Fort Wayne Komets (@FWKomets) August 19, 2025

Paxton Leroux

Leroux, 32, had one assist in 11 games last year with the Tulsa Oilers after an eight-year break from hockey. The Peterborough, Ontario, native will be entering his fifth season in the league as he’s spent time with the Quad City Mallards, Wichita Thunder, Indy Fuel, and Tulsa Oilers. He’s put up one goal and five assists for six points along with 277 PIMs in 86 games. Leroux will bring size and physicality to the Komets roster and should be a player who will find himself on the fourth line.

Prior to going pro, he spent parts of two seasons in the OHL with the London Knights. He would put up a goal and an assist for two points along with 100 PIMs in 36 games. He also played in one game with the Kitchener Rangers. Leroux’s best numbers in the OHL came during the 2013 OHL playoffs, where he put up a goal and four assists in five games as the Knights won the OHL Championship.

Dru Krebs

Krebs, 22, is coming off his first professional season, where he put up two goals and 10 assists for 12 points in 58 games with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. He also saw two games at the OHL with the Ontario Reign. Krebs is currently the seventh defenseman signed with the Komets for next season. He is also currently the youngest player on the Komets roster.

“Dru is a solid skater and very skilled defenseman that just adds to an already dynamic blueline,” said Head Coach Jesse Kallechy. “And Paxton is as tough as they come, who will certainly give us a physical presence on the ice.”
Head Coach Jesse Kallechy on the signing of Dru Krebs (via Fort Wayne Komets Press Release)

The Okotoks, Alberta, native was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He spent his junior career in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers. During his five seasons with the Tigers, he put up 21 goals and 92 assists for 113 points in 279 games. He would put up a goal and four assists for five points in nine OHL playoff games.