Firebirds Weekly Roundup, February 9-15
Published on February 15, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
FLINT - The Firebirds started the week with a mark of 35-12-3-2. They remained in the three-team scrum atop the Western Conference standings, tied for second with the Rangers and just one point behind the Spitfires. The three opponents scheduled for the week all occupy the bottom half of the conference rankings. Flint's combined record against Saginaw, Guelph, and Erie stood at a perfect 12-0-0-0.
On Wednesday, the Firebirds hosted the Spirit for the final time this season. Flint led 2-1 after twenty minutes, thanks to goals from Urban Podrekar and Darian Anderson. The second period was a tale of special teams, as all three goals scored were on the man-advantage. Saginaw potted the first two before Kevin He evened the score at 3-3 with his 28th marker. Aspinall reclaimed the lead for the Birds with his 28th of the campaign in the third, again on the power play. The visitors netted the final two tallies of the night and skated away with a 5-4 victory, their first over the Firebirds in their seventh attempt. Following the game, Jimmy Lombardi, He, Aspinall, and Darian Anderson were each on a six-game point streak.
On Friday, all four players extended their points streaks to seven games in a 5-1 road win in Guelph. Mason Vaccari stopped 23 of 24 shots faced to earn win number 29 in the campaign, currently tied for the most in the OHL. Kevin He scored twice, while Chris Thibodeau, Jacob Battaglia, and Urban Podrekar each logged a goal and an assist to lead the offensive charge. Aspinall chipped in a pair of helpers to round out the two-point club. Anderson and Lombardi were credited with one helper apiece. The Birds left Guelph with a 4-0-0-0 record versus the Storm, and an impressive road record of 17-6-1-2.
The Firebirds crossed the Peace Bridge into Buffalo, N.Y. before venturing south to Erie, Penn. They brought a 3-0-0-0 season record versus the Otters into a Saturday evening battle at the Erie Insurance Arena. He picked up where he left off, needing just over five minutes to find the back of the net. Erie would strike twice over the balance of the opening frame to lead 2-1 at the first break. Battaglia and He would put Flint back on top 3-2 with goals 12 seconds apart to start the middle frame. The Otters answered again, potting a pair of their own for a 4-3 edge through 40 minutes. Ihnat Pazii tied the game at four with his 12th of the season early in the third, but another set of back-to-back goals ended things in favor of Erie by a final score of 6-4. Mason Courville finished with 38 saves in the effort.
Across the three games this week, the Birds earned two of six available points in the standings despite outscoring the opposition 13-11. They had the upper hand with shots on goal by a margin of 101-90. At the faceoff dot, Flint slightly outdrew their opponents by a combined total of 96-94. The power play struck paydirt four times through eight attempts (50.0%) while the penalty kill succeeded on six of nine (66.6%) chances.
LEADERBOARD
Aspinall remains atop the league's leaderboard with 76 points, and he sits second in assists with 48. Kevin He has now moved into the second spot with 62 points, including a team-leading 32 goals, which have him tied for fourth-most in the OHL. He's averaging 1.68 points-per-game as a Firebird. Lombardi ranks third with 29 tallies and 31 helpers for an even 60 points. Podrekar continues to contribute from the back end, now leading the defense with 41 points (10 G, 31 A).
COMING UP
First up, on Family Day in Canada, the Birds will play a rare Monday matinee game in Oshawa. Puck drop at the Tribute Communities Centre is set for 2:05 p.m. They return to home ice Saturday to host the Sudbury Wolves for a 7:00 p.m. tilt. Finally, on Sunday, Flint heads back to Windsor for a matchup with major playoff implications. The Spits and Birds are currently tied for second in the Western Conference with 77 points apiece. The Kitchener Rangers lead with 79 standings points.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2026
- Game Day - February 16 - ER at GUE - Guelph Storm
- Firebirds Weekly Roundup, February 9-15 - Flint Firebirds
- ManchuWOK Player of the Week - Wil McFadden - Guelph Storm
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