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OHL Flint Firebirds

Firebirds Kick off New Season Friday in the Soo

September 29, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. - The Flint Firebirds begin the 2023-24 OHL Season with a clash at the GFL Memorial Gardens, across the Soo Locks from the top of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. These teams last met nearly eight months ago, and both rosters look very different than they did at that time. Puck drop for the renewal of the divisional rivalry is set for 7:07 p.m. on Friday evening.

Flint's all-time record versus Sault Ste. Marie in regular-season play stands at 20-18-1-2, with 15 games being settled by a single goal. They've gone 10-9-0-1 at the GFL Memorial Gardens since 2015. A season ago, the Birds were a perfect 6-0 against the Hounds, including a 3-0 road record.

PRESEASON RECAP:

Both teams played four preseason contests this year, with the Firebirds going 2-2-0-0 and the Hounds finishing 3-1-0-0. Flint opened its preseason on September 9 at the WFCU Centre in Windsor with a 5-3 loss to the Spits. The Firebirds jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period but Windsor responded with four consecutive goals to take the lead for good. Nathan Day had the net for Flint and made 23 saves on 28 shots faced while Windsor's Carter Froggett stopped 36 of the 39 shots in the Spitfires' net.

The two teams met again the next day in Flint at Flint Iceland Arenas, a game that the Firebirds took by a final of 5-4. Coulson Pitre had two goals and an assist and Nolan Dann put up a goal and two assists, netting the game's winning tally in the third period. Jacob Brown made 26 saves on 30 shots in Flint's net and Windsor split goaltending duties between Ian Michelone, who stopped 15 of 18, and Joey Costanzo, who made nine saves on 11 shots.

Last Thursday was the third and final tilt between the Birds and Spits, again at the WFCU Centre. Flint jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first period and kept their foot on the gas, outscoring Windsor 7-3. Returning forward Simon Slavicek lit the lamp three times, including the game's first and last markers. Rookie netminder Jacob Brown earned his second win in as many preseason starts, this time with a 30-save performance. Daks Klinkhammer posted a two-point effort with a goal and an assist, and rookie defender Jack D'Arcy finished with two assists and a +4 rating. Newcomers Jeremy Martin and Max Anderson also found the back of the net for the first time in their initial OHL preseasons.

One week ago today the exhibition season ended for Flint in a penalty-filled affair with the Sarnia Sting on the road. Slavicek remained hot, netting his fourth goal in two nights. This time, however, it was Andrew LeBlanc recording a hat trick to propel the Bees over the visiting Birds 5-2. Anderson potted his second in as many nights to round out the scoring for the Firebirds. Recently-signed goaltender Patrick Sutherland backstopped the Birds for the very first time, making 31 saves in his first OHL outing.

SCOUTING THE HOUNDS:

After missing the playoffs last year for just the second time in the past decade, the Soo lost a handful of key players. This included forwards Mark Duarte (Calgary - AHL) and Kalvyn Watson, who joined the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL alongside former Firebirds' forward Tag Bertuzzi. Goaltender Samuel Ivanov (Ontario Tech) and rearguard Ryan Thompson (Brock University) are now playing collegiate hockey. Noteworthy additions to the roster are forwards Brady Martin (1st Round, 2023) and Travis Hayes (2nd Round, 2023), as well as defenseman Arttu Karki, the club's first-round selection in the 2023 U-18 Draft.

Overager Jack Beck was recently acquired from the Ottawa 67's to join Jordan D'Intino and Brenden Sirizzotti as the club's elders. In total, eight Hounds players recently attended NHL training camps. Caeden Carlisle, Connor Clattenburg, and Charlie Schenkel were all free-agent invites with the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Gibson was a second-round selection by the Detroit Red Wings in the Spring and attended their camp. Bryce McConnell-Barker (New York Rangers, drafted), Arttu Karki (Las Vegas Golden Knights, drafted), Kirill Kudryavtsev (Vancouver Canucks, signed), and Owen Allard (Colorado Avalanche, signed) also were in attendance at NHL training camps earlier this month.

SCOUTING THE FIREBIRDS:

Flint also said goodbye to several key pieces of last year's roster including the three overagers, consisting of Goaltender Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues), Defenseman Tyler Deline (Acadia University), and forward Riley Piercey (Bridgeport, AHL). Additionally, forwards Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings) and Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs), along with defenders Artem Guryev (San Jose Sharks) and Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets) have moved on with their respective NHL organizations.

Returning players with NHL affiliations include forwards Gavin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks), Coulson Pitre (Anaheim Ducks), and Ethan Hay (Tampa Bay Lightning). Defenseman Tristan Bertucci (Dallas Stars) and goaltender Nathan Day (Edmonton Oilers) were selected in the most recent NHL Draft. Rearguard Blake Smith was a free-agent invite to the Boston Bruins Prospects Camp earlier this month.

Hayes was last year's top scorer for the Birds among players returning for the new season. He finished tied for ninth in the league with 41 goals and added 40 assists for 81 points in 66 games. Hayes remains with the Blackhawks participating in NHL training camp and preseason for the time being. Coulson Pitre was next with 60 points (24 G, 35 A) in 59 contests. Zacharie Giroux came in third with 21 tallies plus 32 helpers in 67 total games. Earlier this week Giroux was named the fifth Captain in the Firebirds' franchise history. Bertucci was the highest-scoring defender to return to the club this year, finishing with 50 total points (11 G, 39 A) across 63 games played. He tied for 11th among all OHL defensemen in both assists and points.

Flint carries a trio of goaltenders, led by Edmonton's prospect Nathan Day. A season ago Day appeared in 32 games and logged 17 victories. His goals-against average (GAA) was 3.91 and his save-percentage ended at .874. The other two netminders Jacob Brown and Patrick Sutherland saw their first OHL action in preseason contests earlier this month.

BROADCAST COVERAGE:

Due to a scheduling contract, Friday night's game will not be heard on US 103.1 FM. A live audio feed with Firebirds play-by-play voice Brian Gardner will be broadcast online via Mixlr.

Flint Firebirds is on Mixlr

Coverage on US 103.1 FM will resume for Saturday night's game against Kitchener.

All of the Flint Firebirds' home and away games throughout the 2023-24 season can be watched anywhere in the world online at https://watch.chl.ca/ohl. CHL TV is the league's video streaming platform that delivers high-quality live and on-demand coverage of all regular season and playoff games annually. Fans can get access to OHL Live on CHL TV with a special, limited time discounted offer of $79 for the full season pass, or Firebirds Season Members can get it for $59 by visiting the Dort Financial Center or The Bird's Nest during business hours.

COMING UP:

The Firebirds return home Saturday for the club's official Opening Night. The Kitchener Rangers invade the Dort Financial Center, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a FREE Opening Night rally towel, courtesy of Dort Financial Credit Union. Limited tickets remain, and are available online at ETIX.comHERE or at the Dort Financial Center Box Office.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from September 29, 2023


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.

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