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OHL Flint Firebirds

Firebirds Seek Third-Straight Win, Host Steelheads for Sunday Matinee

October 30, 2022 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Flint, Mich. - The Firebirds are right back in action for a Halloween-themed afternoon game this afternoon. The Mississauga Steelheads are in town for the first time in three years. Puck drop is set for 4:00 p.m. (ET) at the Dort Financial Center.

Flint enters tonight's contest with a record of 7-5-0-0, ranking them third in the West Division and fourth in the 10-team Western Conference. The Steelheads sit atop the Central Division and rank second in the Eastern Conference with a 7-3-1-0 record. The Firebirds won their two most recent games, starting with a 7-2 victory in Saginaw on Wednesday. Last night, the Birds defeated the visiting Oshawa Generals 8-7 in a shootout after rallying from behind four times. Riley Piercey (2 G, 2 A), Gavin Hayes (2 G, 1 A), and Braeden Kressler (2 G) combined for six of Flint's eight goals, while Luca D'Amato and Brennan Othmann finished with three assists each. Nathan Day backstopped the Birds for his second victory, posting 18 saves for the night.

Tonight marks the first of two meetings with the Fish and is the only contest scheduled in Flint between these clubs. This season, Flint is winless in three tilts versus opponents in the Central Division. The last time these teams met was February 21, 2020, when Flint claimed a 6-3 victory in Mississauga. Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) scored one of the goals for the Birds in his rookie season in the OHL. All-time, Flint holds a record of 5-4-0-1 against the Steelheads, and has gone 3-2-0-0 on home ice in the series.

On special teams, the Firebirds have converted on 22.2% of their power-play chances, ranking them ninth in the league. The Steelheads have found success 28.0% of the time, which is currently third-best in the OHL. Flint has killed off 76.8% of their penalties, the 11th-best rate in the league. Mississauga has the 14th-ranked penalty kill at a 73.8% efficiency.

Promotions

Today is the Firebirds' annual Trick-or-Treat at the Rink game. The contest is also another Family Sunday FUNday, Halloween style. Fans can get up to four FREE children's tickets (12 & under) with two paid adult tickets PLUS two pumpkins for only $36. The offer is only available at the Dort Financial Center Box Office and only while supplies last. Every fan in attendance is encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and trick-or-treat around the rink. There will be a children's Halloween costume parade on the ice during the first intermission. There will also be a Family Costume Contest during the game, including great prizes for the top four winners. Fans can also bring a carved pumpkin to enter a contest with four additional great prizes. Tickets for Sunday's home game are available now from Etix HERE.

Players to Watch

Flint Firebirds (7-5-0-0, 3rd West Division):

Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) continues his red-hot play with 22 points (9 G, 13 A) through 12 games. He's accumulated points in 11 of the 12 games to date and carries a six-game points streak (3 G, 8 A) into this afternoon's contest. Currently, Othmann ranks second in the league in goals and points and sits third in assists. Riley Piercey has the second-most points with seven goals and nine helpers on the season, ranking him eighth in the OHL. Gavin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks) and Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings) are tied for third on the squad with 15 points each, good for 11th in the league. Hayes has eight goals and seven assists, and Lombardi has five tallies plus 10 assists.

Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs) rejoined the team only four games ago but has already pitched in nine points, stemming from six goals and three assists. His points-per-game average of 2.25 is the second-highest in the OHL currently. Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets) tops the defensive unit with ten points, which are all assists thus far. He ranks third among all OHL blue-liners in helpers to date.

Flint carries a trio of netminders, led by overage veteran Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues). Cranley has played in nine games and comes in with a 3.40 goals-against average (GAA) and a .908 save percentage (SV%) with five wins so far. He's tied for the fifth-most wins and no goalie has won more than six. Second-year goalie Nathan Day has now appeared in five games this season, posting a 4.76 GAA and .830 SV% with two victories. Boe Piroski made 10 saves on 11 shots in a 20-minute appearance thus far.

NHL: The Firebirds have six players with NHL ties consisting of Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues), Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings), Gavin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks), Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs), Dmitri Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets), and Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers). Additionally, Coulson Pitre, Tristan Bertucci, Ethan Hay, and goaltender Nathan Day were listed on NHL Central Scouting's 2023 Preliminary Draft Rankings.

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.

Mississauga Steelheads (7-3-1-0, 1st Central Division):

Owen Beck (Montreal Canadians) sits atop the stats for the Fish with an even seven goals and seven assists for 14 points through nine games played. Luca DelBelBelluz (Columbus Blue Jackets) also has seven tallies and totals 12 points in ten contests. Three players are tied for third, each with 11 points. Forward Zakary Lavoie has lit the lamp eight times and chipped in three helpers, and defensemen Chas Sharpe and Ethan Del Mastro (Chicago Blackhawks) both have two goals and nine assists in total.

Between the pipes, Alessio Beglieri has played in nine games, posting a 2.95 goals-against average (GAA) and a .878 save percentage (SV%). His six victories are tied for second-most among all goalies in the league, and he has one shutout in the campaign. Rookie Ryerson Leenders has one win and a 3.98 GAA with a SV% of .850 in three appearances.

NHL: The Steelheads have four players with NHL ties, including defenseman Ethan Del Mastro (Chicago Blackhawks) and forwards Kai Schwindt (Florida Panthers), Luca DelBelBelluz (Columbus Blue Jackets), and Owen Beck (Montreal Canadians).

Mississauga alumni to play in the NHL include Trevor Carrick, Dylan DeMelo, Spencer Martin, Michael McLeod, Stuart Percy, Alexander Nylander and Owen Tippett.

Broadcast Coverage:

This afternoon's contest against the Mississauga Steelheads 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 3:45 p.m. (ET).

Today's game will also air live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on channel 470 for both Rogers TV and Cogeco TV cable subscribers. 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 2021-22 Firebirds and OHL season, or $179.99 for all-access to the entire 2021-22 CHL season.

Next Up: The Firebirds are back in action Friday night, when they host the Kingston Frontenacs at the Dort Financial Center. The game is Flint's annual Pucks for Paws Night, benefiting the Humane Society of Genesee County. Fans can bring one dog (6 months or older) to the game per each adult. No cats or other animals will be allowed, and please don't bring any aggressive dogs. All dogs must be on a leash no longer that six feet, and the leashes can't be retractable. Fans must bring up-to-date dog license paperwork with rabies vaccine information. A minimum donation of $10 or a $10 dog ticket is required. Follow flintfirebirds.com and the team's social media accounts for more details about acceptable donation items and additional specifics about the game. Tickets for Friday's contest are available from ETIX.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from October 30, 2022


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