Red-Hot Firebirds Seek Third-Straight Win, Host Wolves Tonight
October 8, 2022 – Ontario Hockey League (OHL) – Flint Firebirds News Release
Flint, Mich. – The Firebirds return to the friendly confines of the Dort Financial Center tonight for their second home game of the season. They host an opponent they haven’t seen in nearly three years. Puck drop versus the Sudbury Wolves is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) in Flint.
The Firebirds started their week ranked 9th out of the 60 teams that make up the Canadian Hockey League (OHL, WHL, QMJHL). They started a short two-game road trip in Sault Ste. Marie and defeated the Greyhounds 5-3 on Wednesday. Last night, they toppled the 7th-ranked Guelph Storm 5-3 on the road. Now their focus shifts to taming the Wolves and possibly setting a new benchmark in rankings, as they’ve never been seeded higher than 7th in the CHL Top 10.
The last time the Birds and Wolves met was December 6, 2019, in Sudbury. Although the home team claimed the 8-5 triumph that night, Flint holds an all-time record of 6-3-1-0 in head-to-head play in the series. The OHL canceled the 2020-21 season, and then restricted travel in 2021-22 so that teams only competed within their own Conference. The last time these two teams met in Flint was back on October 25, 2019. On home ice against the Wolves, the Firebirds have never lost in regulation. They’ve gone 4-0-1-0 at the Dort Financial Center in the series.
Through their first two regular-season contests, Flint has scored on 21.4% of their power-play chances, ranking them 7th in the league. The Wolves have yet to convert with the extra man. With a man in the penalty box, Sudbury and Flint have killed 80% of their penalties, which has the clubs tied for 11th in the OHL. The Birds are the only OHL team with two shorthanded tallies in their first two games of the season.
Players to Watch
Flint Firebirds (2-1-0-0, T-1st West Division):
Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) sits atop the stats for the Firebirds as he did all season a year ago. His four goals and seven total points through three games have him atop the OHL stats, as well. Riley Piercey is just one point back, with three goals and three assists for a two-points-per-game average thus far. Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings) posted a four-point night (1 G, 3 A) in Guelph yesterday, earning ‘First Star’ honors as a result. He now sits third on the squad with five total points (1 G, 4 A).
Flint carries a trio of netminders, led by overage veteran Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues). Cranley comes in with a 3.00 GAA and .914 SV% with one win so far. Second-year goalie Nathan Day made his first start of the season in Guelph last night, posting 29 saves on 32 shots in the victory. Rookie goaltender Boe Piroski was acquired via trade prior to preseason play and carried a 3.07 GAA and a .923 SV% through one pre-season game.
NHL: The Firebirds have six players with NHL ties consisting of Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues), Gavin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks), Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs), Dmitri Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets), and Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers).
Despite Flint playing in just seven OHL seasons thus far, Alex Nedeljkovic (Detroit), Kole Sherwood (Columbus), and Ty Dellandrea (Dallas) are three former Firebirds to play in the NHL. Brennan Othmann (NY Rangers), Riley Piercey (Detroit), and Gavin Hayes (Chicago) all played in NHL Preseason contests this year, joining Firebirds’ alumni Ethan Keppen (Vancouver), Vili Saarijarvi (Detroit), and Jalen Smereck (Arizona). In total, the team has produced 24 signed or drafted players into the NHL.
Sudbury Wolves (1-2-0-0, 5th Midwest Division):
Sophomore forward Kocha Delic tops the Wolves in scoring through three games, having scored three times and chipped in four helpers. David Goyette (Seattle Kraken) has the most goals on the team (4) and ranks second overall with six points in three games. Behind Delic and Goyette are six players tied with three points each, led by defenseman Matthew Mania’s two goals and one assist. Marc Boudreau, Evan Konyen, Ethan Larmand, and Alex Pharand each have one goal and two assists, and Landon McCallum’s three points are all assists through three contests.
Overager Joe Ranger has backstopped Sudbury in all three games so far. He’s earned one win and holds a 3.75 goals-against average (GAA) with a save percentage (SV%) of .908. Rookie netminder Nate Krawchuk hasn’t seen regular-season action yet, but through two pre-season appearances he held a 3.75 GAA with a .900 SV% and picked up one victory.
NHL: The Wolves carry three players with NHL ties, including forward David Goyette (Seattle Kraken) and defenders Jacob Holmes (Dallas Stars) and Nolan Collins (Pittsburgh Penguins). Additionally, forward Quentin Musty is a projected first-round selection in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft.
Notable Sudbury alumni to play in the NHL include Mike Fisher, Nick Foligno, Dave Hunter, Derek MacKenzie, Ethan Moreau, Glen Murray, Sean O’Donnell, Mike Peca, Warren Rychel, Alexei Semenov, Marc Stall, Steve Staios, Pat Verbeek, and Mike Wilson.
Broadcast Coverage:
Tonight’s contest against the Sudbury Wolves can be heard live on the radio throughout Flint & Mid-Michigan on US 103.1 FM, online at www.us103.com or by downloading the US 103 app here. Jack Sznewajs will call the play-by-play action on the Firebirds Hockey Network (FHN), starting with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. (ET).
The game will be televised live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on channel 466. OHL fans with cable television in Ontario can add the OHL Action Pak to their television plan to catch the Firebirds in action, home or away all season long.
All Flint Firebirds’ home and away games throughout the 2022-23 regular season can be watched anywhere in the world online on https://watch.chl.ca/ohl. CHL TV is the league’s new and improved video streaming platform that delivers high-quality live and on-demand coverage of all regular season and playoff games annually. The cost is $7.99 for 24-hour access, $29.99 for monthly access, $119.99 for all-access to the 2022-23 Firebirds and OHL season, or $179.99 for all-access to the entire 2022-23 CHL season.
Next Up: The Firebirds will depart on a three-game road trip next weekend, with stops in Erie (Fri), Niagara (Sat), and Kitchener (Sun). They return to Flint for their next home game on Wednesday, October 19 to host the Sarnia Sting. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) in Flint and tickets are available now from Etix.
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