Preview: Firebirds and #4 Rangers Set for Friday Night Battle
Published on February 12, 2016 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
The Flint Firebirds hit the road for a Friday evening tilt against the Kitchener Rangers with puck drop slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. Friday will mark the second consecutive game against the Rangers (36-9-5-0, 2nd Midwest Division) and third time the Firebirds (15-29-4-2, 5th West Division) will see Kitchener in less than three weeks.
Earlier this season, the Firebirds fell to the Rangers 5-3 before a capacity crowd of more than 7,200 fans at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on Sunday, Jan. 24. (Watch Highlights)
Kitchener then earned the 2-0 victory in Flint in the most recent contest on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the Dort Federal Event Center. (Watch Highlights)
The Rangers are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and are ranked fourth out of 60 teams in the CHL in the BMO CHL Top-10 Rankings which are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts every week.
The Firebirds will return back to home ice for game action Saturday, Feb. 13th for "Flint Tropics Night" at the Dort Federal Event Center. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. against the Owen Sound Attack and the Firebirds will be wearing special themed jerseys, pants and socks throughout the game that are sure to impress everyone in attendance.
Single game tickets are $12/Bronze, $15/Silver, $19/Gold and $25/VIP and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com or by visiting or calling the Dort Federal Event Center Box Office Monday thru Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at (810) 744-0580. Saturday and Sunday game day box office hours begin at 10 a.m.
Radio & TV Coverage
Fans unable to attend Friday's game can listen live in Flint and Mid-Michigan on 1330 AM WTRX Sports Radio and around the world online on the iHeartRadio app. Dominic Hennig will call the play-by-play action on the Flint Firebirds Hockey Radio Network. Pregame coverage will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Friday's game against the Rangers will also be televised live in Kitchener on channel 20 for Rogers TV cable subscribers. In addition, the game will be televised live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on cable channel 438. OHL fans with cable television in Ontario can add the OHL Action Pak to their television plan to catch the Firebirds in action, home or away all season long. Along with Friday's game, 64 of the Firebirds' 68 games throughout the 2015-16 season are also scheduled to be televised live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak.
All Flint Firebirds home and away games throughout the 2015-16 season can be watched anywhere in the world online on OHL Live and on the OHL Live App. OHL Live is a league video streaming platform that delivers high quality live and on-demand coverage of all regular season and playoff games annually. The cost is $6.99 per game, $69.99 for Flint Firebirds away games only, $179.99 for all 68 home and away Firebirds games and $279.99 for all 1,360 OHL games throughout the 2015-16 season.
Players to Watch:
Flint:
Flint's Vili Saarijärvi (Detroit '15) has recorded 7 points in the last six games as a defenseman in his first season in the OHL and is ranked 16th among all d-man in the league with 29 points in 41 games played.
Ryan Moore is second on the team in points and has scored two goals in the last three games including the game-winning lamplighter in Saginaw on Wednesday. Moore also found the back of the net for the 15th time this season last Friday against Sudbury.
Will Bitten leads the Firebirds with 21 goals and 27 assists totaling 48 points in 49 games played this season. Bitten has earned multi-point nights 12 times this campaign.
In net, Flint's rookie netminder Kyle Keyser recorded an impressive 38 saves on 40 shots against #4 Kitchener last Saturday. The game marked Keyser's first return after backstopping the Firebirds to a 6-5 victory over #1 Erie on Nov. 22, who was undefeated posting a perfect 10-0 record on the road before the contest. Keyser has a 3.06 GAA and a .917 SAV%.
Brent Moran (Dallas '14) holds a 3.67 goals against average (GAA) and a .885 save percentage (SAV%). In 38 games played this season, Moran has a 10-20-4-0 record in his 4th campaign in the OHL. Rounding out the Firebirds' crease is rookie netminder Matthew Menna. Menna has a 4.57 GAA and a .866 SV%.
There are three players on the Flint Firebirds roster that are drafted in the National Hockey League. Firebirds' captain Alex Peters and goaltender Brent Moran were both selected by the Dallas Stars in the 2014 NHL Draft. Most recently, Vili Saarijärvi was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings this past June in the 2015 NHL Draft.
In addition, Will Bitten, Nicholas Caamano, Jacob Collins, Dane Johnstone, Matyáš Kantner, Luke Kirwan and Håkon Nilsen are eligible to be selected in the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo in June.
Kitchener:
The Kitchener Rangers are lead up front by Adam Mascherin who has 61 points in 47 games, scoring 27 times and adding 34 assists this season.
Ryan MacInnis, son of Hall of Fame defenseman Al MacInnis, also has 61 points but in four less games than Mascherin, recording 26 goals and 35 assists. Kitchener's Gustaf Franzen has points in three of his last four games, scoring once and chipping in four assists for five points. Kitchener's Miles Liberati is fifth among all defenseman in the OHL with 37 points in 48 games played.
Along with MacInnis and Mascherin, Kitchener has five other players that have earned at least 30 points this season. Jeremy Bracco has 50 points, followed by Franzen with 40, Mason Kohn with 40, Miles Liberati with 37 and Connor Bunnaman with 30.
Mason Kohn and Brandon Robinson had a hand in both of Kitchener's goals last Saturday in Flint. Each recorded a goal and an assist.
In net for the Rangers, Luke Opilka is third in the OHL with a GAA of 2.40 and is fifth in the OHL with a save percentage of .917 in 32 games this season. Dawson Carty is Kitchener's second netminder with a 2.10 GAA and a .924 SAV%. Carty recorded his first career OHL shutout in Flint last Saturday.
In addition to Kitchener's Adam Mascherin and Connor Bunnaman being ranked in the top 100 players among North American skaters in the NHL's Central Scouting's Midterm Rankings for the 2016 NHL Draft, the Rangers have six players drafted in the NHL consisting of Jeremy Bracco (Toronto), Dmitrii Sergeev (St. Louis), Miles Liberati (Vancouver), Ryan MacInnis (Arizona), Nick Magyar (Colorado) and Luke Opilka (St. Louis).
Special Teams
The Flint Firebirds power play is converting at a 12.1% success-rate scoring 25 goals on 206 opportunities. On the penalty kill, the Firebirds are currently 16th in the OHL, operating at 77.1%. Flint has scored two shorthanded goals and has successfully killed 158 of 205 penalties this season. The Firebirds are recording the 10th least penalty minutes in the OHL with an average of 12.2 per game.
Kitchener's power play is the 3rd best in the OHL, scoring 24.2% of the time and is 11th on the penalty kill at 81.5%. The Rangers have registered the fourth least penalty minutes in the OHL averaging 10.7 minutes in the box per game.
Next Home Game:
Mark your calendars! You don't want to miss the next time the Flint Firebirds return back to home ice for game action. Saturday, Feb. 13 is "Flint Tropics Night" at the Dort Federal Event Center as the Firebirds host the Owen Sound Attack at 7:30 p.m. (EST).
The Firebirds will be wearing special themed jerseys, pants and socks throughout the game that are sure to impress everyone in attendance. There will be a live jersey auction following the game giving fans an opportunity to take home the game-worn Flint Tropics jersey of their choice. (Read More)
The Attack have three players already drafted in the NHL consisting of Liam Dundra (St. Louis), Jaden Lindo (Pittsburgh) and Thomas Schemitsch (Florida).
Single game tickets are $12/Bronze, $15/Silver, $19/Gold and $25/VIP and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com or by visiting or calling the Dort Federal Event Center Box Office Monday thru Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at (810) 744-0580. Saturday and Sunday game day box office hours begin at 10 a.m.
Detroit Red Wings and Flint Generals Alumni Game
The second annual Detroit Red Wings and Flint General Alumni Game is back at the Dort Federal Event Center on February 19th at 7:30 PM. All proceeds from the game will be benefiting the Kris Perani Foundation. Tickets for the game are currently on sale now at the Dort Federal Event Center Box Office. (More Info)
The Comedy Get Down Benefit Show
On Sunday, February 21, The Comedy Get Down World Tour featuring George Lopez, Charlie Murphy, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley & Cedric the Entertainer will be performing at the Dort Federal Event Center. Tickets for the show go on sale today at 10:00 AM on Ticketmaster.com or at the Dort Federal Event Center Box Office! (Buy Tickets)
Flint Tropics Night
The Flint Firebirds will be wearing a special Flint Tropics jersey as they take on the Owen Sound Attack on February 13th at 7:30 PM. Be sure to stick around after the game for your chance to purchase a specialty Tropics jersey during our post-game live jersey auction. Tickets for Tropics Night may be purchased on Ticketmaster.com or at the Dort Federal Event Center Box Office. (Buy Tickets)
Three Firebirds Listed in NHL Draft Rankings
Three Flint Firebirds players are listed on the NHL Central Scouting's Midterm list which ranks North American skaters eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft this June in Buffalo, NY.Flint's Will Bitten is ranked #42 among North American skaters. Nicholas Caamano is listed #148 and Luke Kirwan is the third current Firebirds player at #166. (Read More)
Firebirds Raise Over $50,000 For Non-Profit Organizations
Since the Firebirds first major event in Flint, Michigan on February 20th (Detroit Red Wings & Flint Generals Alumni Event), Flint's newest hockey team, in just their first year in the region has raised over $50,000 for various non-profit organizations in Genesee County. (Read More)
Flint Firebirds Dressing Room & Facilities
Home of the Flint Firebirds, the Dort Federal Event Center received a multi-million dollar renovation in the summer of 2015 that provides the club a first class dressing room, facilities and other amenities to help the players and staff maximize their careers and goals to advance to the National Hockey League. Click here to see a photo album of the Flint Firebirds dressing room and facilities.
Group Ticket Packages
Whether you're entertaining corporate clients, celebrating a special occasion, having a fun night out with the family and friends or rewarding employees...we have a fun, easy and affordable plan for you. It's more than a ticket, it's an experience! Contact the Dort Federal Event Center Box Office at (810) 744-0580 for more information today
Flint Firebirds Hockey Radio Coach's Show
Join the Voice of the Firebirds Dominic Hennig and Head Coach John Gruden from 6-7 p.m. every Tuesday night on 1330 WTRX Sports Radio and around the world online on the iHeartRadio App here. Hennig and Gruden recap the previous week of events, preview the upcoming games on the ice and take your phone calls, emails and tweets! Tune in each Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. on 1330 AM WTRX Sports Radio.
Firebirds Gear
Stop by the Flint Firebirds Merchandise Store at the Dort Federal Event Center, Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. to stock up on the best Firebirds' gear around. Jerseys, shirts, hats, hoodies, game pucks, mouse pads and other accessories and collectables are available at the Flint Firebirds Merchandise Store.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 12, 2016
- Attack Take Overtime, Extra Point, against Hounds - Soo Greyhounds
- Penalties Costly in Loss to Kingston - Windsor Spitfires
- Firebirds Knock off CHL's #4 Ranked Kitchener Rangers - Flint Firebirds
- Comeback Bid Falls Short as Rangers Drop 3-2 Decision to Firebirds - Kitchener Rangers
- Second Period Woes Sink Spirit in 7-3 Loss to Sudbury - Saginaw Spirit
- Sting Roll in Guelph - Sarnia Sting
- 67's Shut out Generals - Ottawa 67's
- Sting Score Five in Second Period to Down Storm - Guelph Storm
- Attack Start Roadtrip off with Win - Owen Sound Attack
- IceDogs Drop a Close One to the Knights - Niagara IceDogs
- Otters Suffer 5-3 Loss to Mississauga - Erie Otters
- Baird Gets 10 Games After Minor Penalty - North Bay Battalion
- Preview: Firebirds and #4 Rangers Set for Friday Night Battle - Flint Firebirds
- RONA Welland Family BBQ & 'Just Stop It' Sign Unveiling Saturday - Niagara IceDogs
- Preview: Spirit and Wolves Tussle Friday Night - Saginaw Spirit
- Attack Start Roadtrip in the Soo - Owen Sound Attack
- Maryam Monsef Performs Ceremonial Puck Drop with Syrian Refugee Family - Peterborough Petes
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