Dennis Fires Hat-Trick in Bulldogs' 6-4 Defeat in Guelph
Published on January 2, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release
GUELPH, ONTARIO - Beginning the 2026 calendar year, the Brantford Bulldogs made their one and only visit to the Sleeman Centre in Guelph to square off with the Storm. Entering the game, the Bulldogs were without Marek Vanacker who was listed as day to day with illness, joining Jake O'Brien and the five Bulldogs who remain away for the World Junior Hockey Championships.
The opening frame was a wild affair that saw eight total goals and began just 1:02 in with Storm forward Wil McFadden, filling in as a defenseman due to injury, taking a feed at the top of the left circle and taking a shot that was deflected on its way to the goal and eluded Ryerson Leenders for his 4th of the season giving the hosts a 1-0 lead. The Storm added to the advantage at 4:35 with former Bulldog Layne Gallacher, making his Storm debut, knocked in a Leo Serlin rebound for his first with the Storm & 6th of the season giving Guelph a 2-0 lead. With the Bulldogs shorthanded at 7:16, Caleb Malhotra forced the puck out of the defensive zone and created a 2-on-1 with Cooper Dennis where the Bulldogs sniper appeared on left wing side and hammered a shot off the back bar for his 19th of the season making it a 2-1 game. The Storm bubbled the lead back to a pair just seconds later, at 7:50, on the man advantage when Rylan Singh set a perfect pass to Tyler Hopkins to blast in his 13th of the season from the top of the right circle past a screened Ryerson Leenders for a 3-1 lead. Charlie Paquette was next at 8:33 as the Dallas Stars prospect broke down the middle of the ice and with a nifty shift from forehand to backhand was able to lift the puck over Leenders for his 17th of the season giving the Storm a 4-1 lead, the goal spelled the end of the night for the Bulldogs starter with David Egorov taking over between the pipes. After a scary moment when a collision at the Guelph blueline forced Luca Testa to leave the game, the Bulldogs closed the gap again. At 10:32, Caleb Malhotra carried the puck over the line on the left-wing side and fed middle for Jeremy Freeman who dusted it off and delivered it to Cooper Dennis off the right side to send a dart over Zachary Jovanovski for his 20th goal of the season making it 4-2. The Storm had another response at 12:05 with Ethan Miedema taking a Quinn Beauchense drop pass at the top of the left circle and sending a dart past Egorov for his 17th of the season and a 5-2 Storm lead. Before the period was out the Bulldogs clawed one more back at 18:08 after Zach Sandhu forced a turnover in deep to Phillip Govedaris who twisted the puck off the left half wall to the middle of the ice for Parker Holmes to tip past Jovanovski for his 3rd of the season sending the game to the intermission with a 5-3 scoreline.
The middle frame was a much quieter one with David Egorov making himself the story, stopping all 15 he faced in the period making it 22 of 23 since entering the game. Egorov's finest came on a brilliant left to right move to deny Ethan Miedema an open goal to keep the Bulldogs within a pair. Colin Ellsworth entered the game between the pipes to open the second period for the Storm and though was tested just 6 times, made a key stop on Ryan Chamberlain's net front effort, just getting enough of the puck to direct it off the post to keep the Storm ahead 5-3 through 40 minutes.
Zach Sandhu found Cooper Dennis just 37-seconds into the final frame for Dennis' hat-trick and 21st of the season on a rocket of a shot from the right-circle pulling the Bulldogs to within a goal at 5-4 but it just wouldn't be enough on the night with Layne Gallacher striking for his 2nd of the game into the empty net at 18:05 to assure the Storm a 6-4 victory.
The Brantford Bulldogs return to action at the TD Civic Centre on Wednesday night, January 7th, playing host to the Niagara IceDogs with a 7:00pm puck drop.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2026
- Frontenacs Flatten 67's, Break Nine-Gaming Winning Streak - Kingston Frontenacs
- Happy New Year Indeed as Bears Beat Bees, 5-3, Friday Night - Owen Sound Attack
- Rangers Tie Game Late, But Fall to Colts in a Shootout - Kitchener Rangers
- Knights Shut Out In First Game Of 2026 - London Knights
- Firebirds Blank Knights, 5-0 - Flint Firebirds
- Dennis Fires Hat-Trick in Bulldogs' 6-4 Defeat in Guelph - Brantford Bulldogs
- IceDogs Shine Headed into 2026 - Niagara IceDogs
- Sarnia Sting Announce Roster Updates - Sarnia Sting
- Ottawa Senators Reassign Matthew Andonovski to the Kitchener Rangers - Kitchener Rangers
- Rangers Open 2026 with Home Clash against the Colts - Kitchener Rangers
- Frontenacs up against a Nine Game Win Streak and the 67's - Kingston Frontenacs
- Bulldogs Sign Ferris State Commit Cameron Merrick - Brantford Bulldogs
- OHL Announces Academic Players of the Month for December - OHL
- Game Day, Game 38, Firebirds at Knights - 7 p.m. - Flint Firebirds
- Ryan Hutchison Officiates Final OHL Game in Windsor - Windsor Spitfires
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
