The Road Ahead: The Troops Come Marching In
Published on April 8, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release
The Brantford Bulldogs are coming off a first-round, four-game sweep of the OHL's 8th-seeded Sudbury Wolves, their first playoff sweep since 2022.
They enter round two of the OHL playoffs for the second straight year, where the Dogs look to get redemption after last year's six-game loss to the Oshawa Generals.
Their opponents this time around, the 5th-seeded North Bay Battalion, Brantford's first-round matchup from a year ago. The Battalion are coming off an electrifying game six-clincher, and both teams look to carry their built momentum into the second round of the playoffs.
Storylines to watch:
The two teams split their regular season series 2-2, with the home team winning all four matchups. The scores from the season series were as follows:
December 6 - North Bay 2 at Brantford 7
January 22 - Brantford 4 at North Bay 5 (OT)
March 12 - Brantford 2 at North Bay 3 (OT)
March 20 - North Bay 5 at Brantford 6
Brantford was able to outscore the Battalion 19-15 in this tightly-contested regular season series, despite the last three outcomes only being decided by a single goal each.
Caleb Malhotra led the Bulldogs with nine points during the season series, with Adam Benak and Jake O'Brien following close behind with eight each. Kaden Pitre led the way for the Battalion, scoring six points.
Malhotra also leads Brantford in playoff scoring, again putting up nine points in round one vs Sudbury. Camryn Warren leads North Bay with his five points.
The stage is set for a thrilling second round series, and if the Bulldogs learned anything from the first round, it's that the wins won't come easy, and the Battalion will be hungry to keep the ball rolling after a thrilling series victory of their own.
The series schedule is as follows:
Game 1 - Wednesday, April 8th at Brantford 7:00pm
Game 2 - Friday, April 10th at Brantford 7:00pm
Game 3 - Sunday, April 12th at North Bay 2:00pm
Game 4 - Tuesday, April 14th at North Bay 7:00pm
Game 5 - Thursday, April 16th at Brantford 7:00pm (if needed)
Game 6 - Saturday, April 18th at North Bay 7:00pm (if needed)
Game 7 - Monday, April 20th at Brantford 7:00pm (if needed)
The series kicks off this Wednesday as the Bulldogs look to continue their trek to the OHL Championship.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 8, 2026
- Bulldogs Bombard Battalion 8-1 in Game 1 Victory - Brantford Bulldogs
- The Road Ahead: The Troops Come Marching In - Brantford Bulldogs
- Hopkins and Spada Getting Pro Experience - Guelph Storm
- Alumni Update - Jake Karabela - Guelph Storm
- Greg Walters Named OHL Coach of the Year Finalist - Windsor Spitfires
- Paul Flache Named a Finalist for the Matt Leyden Trophy - Flint Firebirds
- Head Coach Jussi Ahokas Named Finalist for OHL Coach of the Year - Kitchener Rangers
- OHL Announces Finalists for Coach of the Year - OHL
- Previewing the Firebirds' Second Round Playoff Series with the Windsor Spitfires - Flint Firebirds
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