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OHL Flint Firebirds

Game Preview: Firebirds welcome Sudbury on inaugural 'Puck for Paws' Night Friday

October 25, 2019 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Flint, Mich. - The Firebirds are on home-ice this Friday to face the Sudbury Wolves on the club's inaugural 'Pucks for Paws' night. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. (ET) at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center (capacity 4,400) in Flint.

Flint is off to their best start in franchise history with a 7-3-0-0 record through their first 10 games and currently hold the third-best winning percentage (.700) in the 20-team Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The Firebirds (4-0-0-0) are the only team remaining in the OHL that is undefeated on home ice. For just the third-time in franchise history and for the second-consecutive week, the Firebirds are listed as an honorable mention in this week's CHL Top 10 Rankings. The weekly rankings of the CHL's Top-10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League (NHL) scouts regarding the 60 teams in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).

The Wolves enter the contest with an overall record of 8-5-0-0 and a record of 4-4-0-0 in road games. The Wolves rank first in the Central Division, while Flint ranks third in the West Division. The 'Birds have played three fewer games than the top team.

Friday marks the first of two meetings between the two clubs this season, and the only contest in Flint. All-time, the Firebirds hold a record of 5-2-1-0 against Sudbury. Flint went 1-1-0-0 in the series last season, picking up two points on home ice.

The last time these teams met was February 8 in Sudbury. That night, the Wolves took a 9 - 2 decision. Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks) scored to lead the 'Birds' offense, and Cody Morgan and Riley McCourt picked up points in the contest. Blake Murray (Carolina Hurricanes) scored a hat trick and added an assist, and Nolan Hutcheson had a five-point game to lead the Wolves.

Last Saturday, Flint hosted the North Bay Battalion. Flint skated to a 6 - 3 triumph. Ty Dellandrea (Dallas Stars) had a three-point night to extend his point streak to seven games. Dellandrea is now one-point behind Ryan Moore for the most points all-time by a Firebirds' player, with 159 points. Jack Wismer logged two goals and Emmet Pierce, Jake Durham, and Evgeniy Oksentyuk each recorded two points on Saturday. Luke Cavallin made 42 saves to clinch his second victory in three starts between the pipes.

Sudbury last played on Sunday, defeating the Storm in Guelph 4 - 2. Nolan Hutcheson scored twice for the Wolves, Quinton Byfield had a goal and assist, and David Levin picked up a pair of helpers to lead the Pack. Netminder Christian Purboo earned his fifth victory of the season in goal, turning aside 33 of Guelph's 35 shots.

On special teams this season, the Firebirds are killing penalties at a rate of 65.8%. Sudbury's penalty-killers rank tenth in the league at 74.5% efficiency. With the man-advantage, the Wolves rank 12th in the league, converting at a rate of 23.6% and the Firebirds are 19th, scoring at a 14.0% clip.

Promotions:

Friday is the inaugural 'Pucks for Paws' game, where fans can bring their dogs to a Flint Firebirds hockey game! There will be a dog leash giveaway to first 300 dogs in attendance, sponsored by PFCU. For the kids, Paw Patrol Character's Chase & Marshall will be in attendance from 6:30-8:00pm. There will be an official Firebirds' 'Players & Paws Calendar' for sale for $15, with partial proceeds benefiting the Humane Society of Genesee County. Full details of this promotion are available HERE.

Friday also marks the first of the 'Firebirds 4 Pack Fridays,' sponsored by Little Caesars Pizza! Fans can get 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs and 4 soft drinks starting at just $60.

Single game tickets for all Firebirds games are $12 for Bronze, $16 for Silver, $20 for Gold and $26 for VIP seating (Seating Chart). All seats are reserved / assigned seating. Fans can purchase tickets by calling (810) 744-0580, in-person at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center Box Office or online at ticketmaster.com here.

Players to Watch:

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

Evgeniy Oksentyuk continues to lead the 'Birds on the scoresheet with 14 points, include a team-high 10 assists through 10 games. Ty Dellandrea is on a seven-game point-streak (5G, 7A), and ranks second on the club with 12 points in eight games-played. Jake Durham leads the club in goals-scored with seven, and is tied for third in total points with 11. Defenseman Riley McCourt also has 11 points, stemming from three goals and eight helpers and is riding a seven-game point-streak. Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks) is riding a four-game point-streak and has 8 points (3G, 5A) in 10 games.

Ranking second among the blue-liners for Flint is Vladislav Kolyachonok (Florida Panthers), with eight points (4G, 4A) in 10 games. First-year forward Brennan Othmann leads the freshman class with eight points (4G, 4A) through 10 games-played.

Between the pipes, Anthony Popovich has appeared in seven of Flint's nine games this season. Along with five victories, he's ranked 11th in goals-against average (GAA) of 3.21 as well as ninth in save-percentage (SAV%) at .899. His five wins are tied for third-most among netminders. Luke Cavallin has appeared in three contests, earning two victories. He carries a .874 SAV% with a 5.00 GAA.

NHL: The Firebirds have four players with NHL ties consisting of Dennis Busby (Arizona Coyotes), Ty Dellandrea (Dallas Stars), Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks), and Vladislav Kolyachonok (Florida Panthers). In addition, Evan Vierling was listed on the 2019 NHL Central Scouting October 'Players to Watch' list for the upcoming 2020 NHL Draft.

Despite Flint being in the midst of just their fifth OHL season, three former Firebirds have already played in NHL games: Nick Caamano (Dallas Stars), Alex Nedeljkovic (Carolina Hurricanes) and Kole Sherwood (Columbus Blue Jackets). Ty Dellandrea (Dallas Stars), Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks), Vili Saarijarvi (Detroit Red Wings) and Jalen Smereck (Arizona Coyotes) have played in NHL pre-season contests. In total, the team has produced an impressive 17 drafted or signed NHL players in that short time.

Sudbury Wolves (8-5-0-0, 1st Central Division):

Forward Quinton Byfield leads the OHL in points with 27 through 13 contests. His 11 goals are tied for fourth-most in the league. He also ranks fourth with 16 assists. David Levin ranks second on the squad with 18 points (3G, 15A) through 10 games-played. Blake Murray and defenseman Jack Thompson are tied for third with 13 points each in 13 games. Thompson has six goals and seven assists and Murray has five goals with eight helpers.

First-year forward Chase Stillman tops the Wolves' freshman class with nine points (5G, 4A) in 13 games.

Christian Purboo has appeared in nine games for Sudbury this season, earning five wins along with a 3.77 goals-against average (GAA) and a save-percentage (SAV%) of .872. Mitchell Weeks has made eight appearances and has a GAA of 3.42 along with a .894 SAV%. Weeks has three victories between the pipes.

NHL: Sudbury features two players with NHL ties, consisting of Blake Murray (Carolina Hurricanes) and Kalle Loponen (Toronto Maple Leafs). Additionally, Quinton Byfield, Jack Thompson and Isaak Phillips were listed on the 2019 NHL Central Scouting October 'Players to Watch' list for the upcoming 2020 NHL Draft.

In the past 25 years, the Sudbury Wolves have produced 20 professional players that have played at least 200 NHL games. In the 60-team CHL, no team has produced more long-term NHLers in that time frame. Notable Sudbury alumni to play in the NHL include Mike Fisher, Nick Foligno, Dave Hunter, Derek MacKenzie, Ethan Moreau, Glen Murray, Sean O'Donnell, Mike Peca, Warren Rychel, Alexei Semenov, Marc Stall, Steve Staios, Pat Verbeek, and Mike Wilson.

Broadcast Coverage:

Friday evening's contest is the fourth and final game on the 68-game schedule that will not have live radio coverage. However, fans can watch the game online at www.ohllive.com and on the OHL Live App. The game will also be televised live throughout the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on channel 467 for Cogeco TV, Eastlink TV and Rogers TV cable subscribers. Dominic Hennig will call the play-by-play action on the Firebirds Hockey Network (FHN). Pregame coverage will begin 30 minutes prior to puck drop at 6:30 p.m. New this season, fans can watch the FHN TV Pregame Show live on Facebook and Twitter, also beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Next Home Game:

The Flint Firebirds return home to the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center Saturday for the Firebirds' "Trick-or-Treat at the Rink!" night! Spend Saturday evening trick-or-treating in a fun, safe and dry environment with the Flint Firebirds. The Firebirds host the Soo Greyhounds at 7 p.m. and fans can get up to 2 free kids tickets (12 & under) with the purchase of an adult ticket including other special Halloween festivities slated for the contest! All fans are encouraged to dress up in costumes and for the on-ice costume parade. Additionally, trick-or-treating throughout the arena and other fun promotions will take place during the duration of the game.

Single game tickets for all Firebirds games are $12 for Bronze, $16 for Silver, $20 for Gold and $26 for VIP seating (Seating Chart). All seats are reserved / assigned seating. Fans can purchase tickets by calling (810) 744-0580, in-person at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center Box Office or online at ticketmaster.com here.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from October 25, 2019


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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