Game Preview: Saginaw Spirit at Barrie Colts
OHL Saginaw Spirit

Game Preview: Saginaw Spirit at Barrie Colts

Published on November 13, 2025 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Barrie, Ont. - The Saginaw Spirit (6-8-3-2) begin a three-game weekend road trip in Barrie, facing off against the Colts (9-7-0-4) at Sadlon Arena on Thursday night.

Today's Game:

Puck drop is at 7:00 pm.

Broadcast:

Radio: 100.5 FM WSGW, WSGW.com

TV: FloHockey

Last Game:

The Spirit fell 7-1 against the North Bay Battalion on Saturday, November 8th. Nikita Klepov scored the lone goal for Saginaw, extending his point streak to six games and marking his 30th point of the season. Kaleb Papineau got his fourth start in net and posted 27 saves on 34 shots.

The Colts also suffered a loss last weekend, falling 4-3 in the shootout to the Soo Greyhounds. Barrie came out hot, taking a 3-1 lead early, but the Greyhounds would go on to score three unanswered goals and take the extra point in the shootout. Brad Gardiner had his eighth multi-point game of the season with a goal and two assists. Ben Hrebik worked hard to keep his team in the game and earn the extra point, making 37 saves on 40 shots.

This Season:

This game marks the first meeting of the season between Saginaw and Barrie. They will meet one more time in the regular season when the Colts visit the Dow Event Center in late January. Last year, the season series was split at 1-1, with the Colts taking a 5-4 overtime win at Sadlon Arena and the Spirit with a 7-4 win later in the season.

Players to Watch:

Nikita Klepov extended his scoring streak in the Spirit's last game against North Bay, and his 30 points are good for third overall in the league and first for rookie skaters. Klepov has recorded 10 points over his six-game scoring streak (5G-5A). Levi Harper is another rookie to keep an eye on for the Spirit. Although his seven-game scoring streak came to an end in the team's loss on Saturday, Harper leads rookie defenseman scoring in the league with 18 points, good for third overall among rookie skaters.

The Spirit anticipate the debut of forward Gensen Geldart, the team's fourth-round pick in 2025. Geldart signed his OHL SPA on Wednesday after 15 points (6G-9A) in 18 games with the GOHL Chatham Maroons. Also joining Saginaw for their Central Division road trip is 2025 Import Draft selection Juraj Rausa. The Slovakian forward had 22 points (5G-17A) in 16 games with HKM Zvolen's U20 team to this point in the season.

Spirit head coach Chris Lazary will coach his 400th game behind the Saginaw bench on Thursday night. He is both the longest-tenured and winningest head coach in team history, currently sitting at 229 wins.

The Colts will be without New York Islanders first round pick Kashawn Aitcheson, who had a hat trick in the first period of the team's game against Sudbury on Friday. The defenseman has 24 points on the season, good for second among all blueliners in the league. He serves the first of a two-game suspension on Thursday. Colts forward Cole Beaudoin is currently on a 10-game scoring streak, with 20 of his 29 total points coming in the past 10 games. Beaudoin had a goal in the team's last game against the Greyhounds and two assists in the win against the Wolves.

Saginaw's NHL Drafted Players: Jacob Cloutier (WPG), Miroslav Satan (WSH)

Barrie's NHL Drafted Players: Brad Gardiner (DAL), Cole Beaudoin (UTA), Emil Hemming (DAL), Kashawn Aitcheson (NYI), Gabriel Eliasson (OTT), Evan Passmore (NYR)

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from November 13, 2025


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