Special Teams Are Special in Bulldogs 7-3 Win in Brampton
OHL Brantford Bulldogs

Special Teams Are Special in Bulldogs 7-3 Win in Brampton

Published on October 17, 2025 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release


BRANTFORD, ONTARIO. Opening up their OHL Rivalry Week home & home with the Brampton Steelheads, the Brantford Bulldogs made their first visit of the season to CAA Centre in Brampton on Friday night.

Facing off with old friend Josh Avery and his Steelheads squad it was the Bulldogs who controlled the majority of the opening frame. Just 2:56 into the game, Ryerson Leenders launched the puck forward to Sam McCue in neutral ice. From the left-side, McCue sent Layne Gallacher ahead on a cross-ice pass for Gallacher to attack the front of the net.

Zach Bowen denied the initial opportunity with Sam McCue crashing the net, the Bowling Green commit banked the puck off Owen Cartwright's visor and into the Brampt on goal for a 1-0 Bulldogs lead on his 3rd of the season. McCue doubled the Bulldogs lead at 14:53, with Adam Jiricek keeping the play alive at the right point, the towering defenseman bolted down the right-wing and fed the back side for McCue to notch his 2nd of the game and 4th of the season for a 2- 0 lead. After Brampton's challenge of the goal was unsuccessful, the Bulldogs went to the power-play and extended again. Caleb Malhotra from low on the right side fed the puck high on the left to Marek Vanacker who worked a quick give & goal with Adam Benak that saw Vanacker feed low on the left and attack the slot, receiving an immediate return pass from Benak which he buried for his 9th of the season at 16:00. The Bulldogs closed out the period killing 1:25 of 5-on-3 power-play time without surrendering a single shot in that time, taking a 3-0 lead to the locker room.

The second period was a polar opposite of the first starting just 1:05 into the period with Gabriel Chiarot scoring a 4-on-4 breakaway goal for his 3rd of the season. Troy Patton pulled the Steelheads to within a goal shorthanded at 10:19 from Josh Avery, picking up his 2nd of the season to make it 3-2. The Steelheads came all the way back at 15:48 with Peter Green stepping down the right-wing side and feeding Kieran Witkowski to tie the game 3-3. The Bulldogs bounced back on the power- play at 18:49 with Jake O'Brien in the left circle feeding to the right side for Adam Benak, sending a quick cross-crease pass back to Marek Vanacker to tap in his 2nd of the game & 10th of the season to send the Bulldogs to the intermission with a 4-3 lead.

The Bulldogs carried the momentum into the final frame where they extended the lead at 7:19 with Owen Protz sending the puck forward for Marek Vanacker who captured it in the left corner and sent a no-look pass to the middle of the ice for Adam Benak to rifle in his 4th of the season giving the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead. The power-play struck again for the Bulldogs at 9:28 with Vladimir Dravecky feeding Layne Gallacher in the right circle. Gallacher sent the puck back to the left point for Edison Engle who banked a shot in off a Brampton defender for his 2nd of the season and a 6-3 Bulldogs lead. The Bulldogs added one more at 16:17 with Marek Vanacker sending Caleb Malhotra ahead on the left-wing side where he dropped the puck for Jake O'Brien to collect into the slot and beat Zach Bowen for his 6th of the season and a 7-3 Bulldogs lead. With their power-play going 4 for 6, the penalty kill a perfect 7 for 7, and Ryerson Leenders stopped 28, the Bulldogs collected a 7-3 road win.

The Brantford Bulldogs return to action on Saturday afternoon, October 18th, hosting the Brampton Steelheads in the back half of the Rivalry Week home & home with a 4:00pm puck drop at TD Civic Centre.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2025


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