Firebirds Weekly Roundup, January 19-25
Published on January 26, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
FLINT - The Firebirds began last week with a 30-11-2-2 mark for the season, atop the OHL's Western Conference with a one-point advantage over the Windsor Spitfires. The schedule included one road game and one home game, both against the Spits. Windsor played on Wednesday, picking up the needed point to tie Flint in an overtime defeat to the Kitchener Rangers. The Birds hold the tie-breaker with more regulation and overtime wins.
The teams first met at the WFCU Centre on Friday. Ihnat Pazii scored early to kick things off, logging his 11th of the season. The Spitfires tied it up at one before the first intermission. With the lone tally of the middle frame, Windsor took and held a 2-1 advantage through 40 minutes. Still trailing with under ten minutes remaining in the contest, Alex Kostov took over. First, he scored his 22nd of the year at even strength, knotting the score at 2-2. With 90 seconds remaining, he potted number 23 while shorthanded. Kostov also had an assist on Pazii's goal, bringing his point total to three for the night, his 13th multi-point game of the campaign. Darian Anderson hit the empty net with just over a minute to play, adding an insurance marker and pushing the Firebirds' lead to two. Mason Vaccari earned first star accolades for his 26-save performance, picking up his OHL-leading 25th victory.
On Saturday, the battle for first continued at the Dort Financial Center during Flint's 24-hour rebranding as the Flint Coneydogs. Once again, two of the OHL's top goaltenders put on a show backstopping their respective clubs. The contest remained scoreless through 30 minutes of play before the Spits grabbed a 1-0 lead before the second intermission. Then, Darels Uljanskis knotted the score three minutes into the third frame, striking for his sixth of the season. The tie lasted less than 90 seconds before Windsor reclaimed the lead and never looked back. A shorthanded marker with two minutes remaining and a late empty-netter secured the 4-1 win for the visitors. Vaccari finished with 22 saves on 25 shots, while Joey Costanzo stopped 29 of 30 for his 23rd victory.
Across the pair of games versus Windsor last week, the Birds had a narrow edge in shots by a margin of 56-54. Windsor had a single faceoff advantage, winning 61 of 121 total draws. Flint came up empty on five combined power-play opportunities versus the OHL's number one penalty kill. They managed to shut down the Spitfires' second-ranked power play on five of six (83.3%) shorthanded situations.
LEADERBOARD
Aspinall failed to register a point in his 200th game, but remains atop the OHL stats with 62 points from 24 goals and 38 helpers, which are fourth-most in the league. Kostov ranks second on the club with 23 tallies and 29 assists for 52 total points. Jimmy Lombardi leads Flint in goals with 25, plus adds 24 assists for the third-best point total of 49. His 25 markers are tied for sixth-most in the OHL. Urban Podrekar's seven goals and 30 total points lead the rearguard unit. Vaccari continues to top all netminders with 25 wins.
ALUMNI WATCH
Former Firebirds captain Brennan Othmann scored his first NHL goal in his 34th contest with the New York Rangers. He previously had two assists across three partial seasons at the highest level. The primary assist on his goal was credited to Will Cuylle, who played with the Windsor Spitfires for three seasons ending in 2022. His tally was the third of six as the Rangers claimed a 6-3 victory over the Flyers in Philadelphia. Othmann has 12 goals and eight assists in 27 games with the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL this season.
Firebirds alumni goaltender Luke Cavallin was recently called up to the Providence Bruins of the AHL, getting the nod to start in back-to-back contests. He finished with two victories with a combined 56 saves on 61 shots. Cavallin picked up his sixth AHL victory across 14 appearances the past three seasons. Spend the majority of the season backstopping the Maine Mariners of the ECHL, where he's earned 11 wins in 20 appearances and posted a 2.30 goals-against average with a save percentage of .918.
COMING UP
Once again the Firebirds have just two games on the docket for the week, but this time both are on home ice. Friday night, the Colts invade the Dort Financial Center for a rematch of the 5-3 defeat in Barrie on January 15. The Sarnia Sting, versus whom the Birds hold a mark of 1-2-1-1 this season, come to town Saturday. Puck drop for both contests is set for 7:00 p.m.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 26, 2026
- OHL Announces Top Performers of the Week for January 19-25, 2026 - OHL
- Guelph Giants Host Annual Guelph Storm Friendship Tournament - Guelph Storm
- Firebirds Weekly Roundup, January 19-25 - Flint Firebirds
- ManchuWOK Player of the Week - Rylan Singh - Guelph Storm
- OHL Announces Rescheduled Game Between Oshawa and Kingston - OHL
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