Merilainen Shuts the Door as Belleville Blanks Springfield 1-0
AHL Belleville Senators

Merilainen Shuts the Door as Belleville Blanks Springfield 1-0

Published on January 24, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Belleville Senators News Release


Belleville Senators defenceman Cameron Crotty vs. the Springfield Thunderbirds
Belleville Senators defenceman Cameron Crotty vs. the Springfield Thunderbirds
(Belleville Senators, Credit: Springfield Thunderbirds)

BELLEVILLE, ON - The Belleville Senators wrapped up their back-to-back weekend set in Springfield with a 1-0 shutout win over the Thunderbirds.

Just over ten minutes into the first frame, Belleville once again opened the scoring. A dump-in by Scott Harrington was picked up along the boards by Garret Pilon, who sent a pass out front to Jan Jenik for his sixth goal of the year and a 1-0 lead. Despite being outshot 16-7, the Senators showed resilience early in this second game of a back-to-back with energy to spare.

A scoreless second period saw the Senators continue to pressure the Thunderbirds. Along with generating offensive chances, Belleville took away passing lanes, holding Springfield to nine shots and carrying a 1-0 lead into the third.

The final period featured big plays at both ends and came right down to the final seconds. Over the last twenty minutes, the Senators killed two penalties while Leevi Merilainen came up clutch, stopping all 15 shots in the frame and 40 overall to secure the win, a shutout, and a 1-0 final score. This marked the third time this season that Belleville has recorded a shutout, with the other two coming from Jackson Parsons and Mads Sogaard.

Belleville will see Springfield again on March 21st to wrap up the two-game season series at CAA Arena, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m.

The Senators will have just under a week to rest before heading back on the road to open another weekend back-to-back in Cleveland against the Monsters (AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets) at Rocket Arena, getting underway Friday night at 7:00 p.m.

Fast Facts:

#11 Jorian Donovan had three shots on net

#14 Scott Harrington recorded one assist

#22 Garret Pilon had one assist and two shots on goal

#24 Jan Jenik scored his sixth of the season

#35 Leevi Merilainen saved 40 of 40 for his first shutout of the season

#43 Arthur Kaliyev put three shots on net

The Senators now have 14 points in their last 8 games

This is the third shutout of the season for Belleville

Single-game tickets for the first half of the 2025-26 season are now on sale via Ticketmaster or at the Belleville Sens Box Office located inside the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre. Details on season seat memberships, flex packs, premium seating, the Business Edge program, and more can be found by visiting the Belleville Sens Website.

Check out the Belleville Senators Statistics

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Images from this story

Belleville Senators right wing Hayden Hodgson vs. the Springfield Thunderbirds
Belleville Senators right wing Hayden Hodgson vs. the Springfield Thunderbirds
(Springfield Thunderbirds)		 Belleville Senators centre Garrett Pilon vs. the Springfield Thunderbirds
Belleville Senators centre Garrett Pilon vs. the Springfield Thunderbirds
(Springfield Thunderbirds)		 Belleville Senators defenceman Cameron Crotty vs. the Springfield Thunderbirds
Belleville Senators defenceman Cameron Crotty vs. the Springfield Thunderbirds
(Springfield Thunderbirds)



American Hockey League Stories from January 24, 2026


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