Firebirds Weekly Roundup, January 26 - February 1
OHL Flint Firebirds

Firebirds Weekly Roundup, January 26 - February 1

Published on February 2, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


FLINT - At the outset of the week, the Firebirds ranked first in the Western Conference with a 31-12-2-2 record. They were tied with the Windsor Spitfires with 66 points in the standings, but the tiebreaker belongs to Flint. By the time the puck dropped for the Birds' first game of the week on Friday, Windsor had already handled the North Bay Battalion to take over the first spot with 68 points. The Kitchener Rangers had played twice, earning three of four available points, and had climbed into the second spot with 67 points. Finally, the Firebirds had their chance with back-to-back home games over the weekend.

On Friday, while the Spits visited the Rangers for a showdown between the Western Conference's two division leaders, the Birds were challenged by the Central Division's top club, the Barrie Colts. Rookie forward Charlie Murata found the back of the net first, scoring his first and putting Flint on top midway through the opening frame. The Colts tied the tilt less than 20 seconds later, leaving the score even at 1-1 through 20 minutes. Josh Colosimo and Kevin He struck in the second period, giving the home team a two-goal advantage entering the final frame. It took six minutes and eight seconds of third-period play for Barrie to rally, knotting things up at three apiece. Over a span of 24 seconds, Urban Podrekar and Jimmy Lombardi reopened the two-goal advantage, leaving less than ten minutes in regulation. For the second time in the game, the Colts battled back with a pair of special-teams goals late to force overtime with the game tied, 5-5. Ultimately, the Firebirds fell 6-5 in overtime and settled for one standings point. Meanwhile, the Rangers defeated the Spitfires by a commanding 7-2 score to cement the top spot in the Western Conference.

After Friday, Kitchener was done for the week but the Spits had one game remaining against the Sarnia Sting at the WFCU Centre on Sunday. First, the Bees had to get past the Firebirds in Flint Saturday evening. Lombard's team-leading 27th goal of the season served as the lone marker in period one. Sarina's sophomore winger Tyler Challenger struck for the equalizer. Rookie rearguard Luka Graziano buried his third of the campaign to put Flint ahead in the middle frame, but Challenger tied the game again with his second of the night. Then the Birds broke the tie in a big way, scoring four unanswered in under eight minutes in the third period, sparking an eventual 6-3 Flint triumph.

Mason Vaccari made 34 saves on 37 shots to pick up his OHL-leading 26th win of the season in his 150th career game. His career high is 27 wins, set a year ago with Kingston. Inhat Pazii also played in career OHL game number 150, picking up an assist and earning a plus/minus rating of +1. Kevin He finished with a season-high five points, including two of Flint's final four goals plus three helpers. Lombardi also scored twice and chipped in an assist for his third three-point contest of the season. Aspinall had a trio of assists, the first of which was his 150th career point. Saturday was the 11th time he's registered three or more points in a game this season.

Despite scoring 11 goals on home ice over the weekend, Flint skated away with only one victory. They outshot their opponents by a margin of 77-67. In the faceoff circles the Firebirds won 71 of 140 draws for a slight advantage. The power play struck for three goals on nine chances (33.3%), while the penalty kill allowed five across 12 (58.3%) shorthanded situations.

Kitchener and Flint are tied with 69 points each and the Rangers own the tiebreaker for second place in the Western Conference. Both trail the Windsor Spitfires by one point as the Spits pace the conference with 70 points.

LEADERBOARD

Aspinall's 67 (24 G, 43 A)points are five higher than the second-highest in the OHL. Lombardi leads the Birds in goals-scored, now with 28, and adds 25 helpers for a point total of 53. Alex Kostov ranks third with 23 goals and 29 assists for the year. Urban Podrekar's eight tallies and 25 assists for 33 points have him atop the defensive unit in all three respective categories.

COMING UP

On Wednesday, the Firebirds travel to Sarnia for a rematch at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena. Then on Friday, they'll head north to Sault Ste. Marie to battle the Greyhounds, where newly acquired goaltender Carter George has two shutouts and five wins in only eight appearances with the Hounds. Flint returns to home ice on Saturday to face the struggling Erie Otters, who have just one win and four total points in their last ten contests. Saturday's game is the Firebirds annual Healthcare Heroes Night, sponsored by Sovita Credit Union and Genesee Health Plan. All healthcare employees can receive a FREE ticket at the Dort Financial Center Box Office window with proof of employment. Puck drop for Saturday's home game is set for 7:00 p.m.

Check out the Flint Firebirds Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 2, 2026


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.

OurSports Central