Hayes Hat-Trick Powers Bulldogs to Home Opener Win
October 8, 2022 – Ontario Hockey League (OHL) – Hamilton Bulldogs News Release
HAMILTON, ONTARIO. The Hamilton Bulldogs skated on home ice on Saturday night for the
first time since winning Game 7 of the 2022 OHL Championship as they hosted the Oshawa
Generals in the home opener. Prior to puck drop, the Bulldogs awarded the players and
coaching staff their 2022 OHL Championship rings and raised 4 banners to the rafters for a
momentous night.
As the game got underway the Bulldogs were clearly feeding off the momentum of the night, as
the OHL ‘s most dynamic line in the 2022 playoffs struck early. As Ryan Humphrey worked the
puck over the blueline on the left side in an exchange with Logan Morrison, Humphrey collected
the puck and dealt it out front where Avery Hayes got it to his backhand and flipped it past
Patrick Leaver to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead at 3:44 on his 2nd of the season. The dynamic duo
wasn ‘t done in the frame yet, with the Bulldogs on the power-play at 10:51, Artem Grushnikov
slid the puck right for Logan Morrison who whipped it circle to circle finding Avery Hayes again
for a bullet past Leaver for his 2nd of the game and 3rd of the season giving Hamilton a 2-0 lead.
Marco Costantini picked up on home ice where left off in the opening frame, miraculously
paddling a puck off his goal-line to keep the Bulldogs ahead. Oshawa would nudge closer
before the end of the first period. On a power-play of their own Lleyton Moore moved the puck
out front of the Bulldogs net to Ryan Gagnier for his 2nd of the season at 18:25 sending the
game to the locker room with the Bulldogs lead cut in half at 2-1.
A sleepy second period woke up around the half-way point with Oshawa striking at 11:49 as a
heavy bounce off the left wing boards in the Bulldogs end fell to Beckett Senecke, who fed back
door for Stuart Rolofs to tie the game 2-2. Just 22 seconds later, Marek Vanacker sprung
Patrick Thomas on a breakaway with a brilliant zone exit pass from the rookie. Thomas strode
straight down the slot but left the 5,000-plus in attendance in awe as he spun the puck behind
himself to a streaking Cole Brown who rifled a shot over Leaver, recording his 3rd of the young
season at 12:11 and putting the Bulldogs back on top 3-2. Costantini again stood strong,
stopping 10 of the 11 he faced in the middle frame sending the Bulldogs to the break with the
lead after 40.
The Generals fought back again to open the final frame, with Beckett Senecke on the doorstep,
he was able to bounce a puck past Costantini at 6:37 while falling to the ice from a Lucas Moore
check, tying the game 3-3. Once more Hamilton ‘s dynamic duo was called on and delivered. At
9:43 Logan Morrison won a draw on the Bulldogs attacking left-wing side that Avery Hayes
tracked through the slot, turned, and fired a shot past Leaver to complete his hat-trick and giving
the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead. Just under 2-minutes later the young Bulldogs picked up where the
veterans left off as Noah Van Vliet moved blocked a zone exit at the left point, getting the puck
to Patrick Thomas down the boards who hit Marek Vanacker with a pass in the left-circle. As
Vanacker turned, Thomas worked around back of the Oshawa goal and emerged just off the
right post, where Vanacker put a tape-to-tape pass for Thomas to score his 2nd goal of the
season and put the Bulldogs to a 5-3 lead they would not relinquish. On a night where they
honoured the 2022 OHL Champions, the Bulldogs put in a Championship effort, winning their
home opener by a 5-3 final.
The Hamilton Bulldogs return to the road on Friday, October 14th making the trip to Leon ‘s Centre in Kingston for a 7:00pm puck drop before returning home on Sunday, October 16th to
host the London Knights for a 2:00pm puck drop at FirstOntario Centre.
For more information on Hamilton Bulldogs 2022-23 Season Ticket packages call 905-529-
8500 or visit hamiltonbulldogs.com.
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