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OHL Brantford Bulldogs

Thomas Sets New Bulldogs Single Game Scoring Record in 6-2 Win

January 23, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release


BRANTFORD, ONTARIO. The Brantford Bulldogs hosted "BFD Night" on Wednesday night at the Brantford Civic Centre with the game, against the Niagara IceDogs in support of the Brant Community Healthcare System Foundation. The night began with the Bulldogs Foundation presenting a cheque for $100,000 to the BCHSF, with the Hyman family matching the donation for a total of $200,000 with the proceeds of the jersey auction and the 50/50 also being donated to the BCHSF.

The Bulldogs, clad in black & silver for the night, came out with speed and physicality with Owen Protz landing a heavy early hit on Blake Arrowsmith. The Bulldogs capitalized on the momentum at 3:00, with Patrick Thomas feeding the puck to Cole Brown at the short side post and the winger quickly whipping it cross-crease to Nick Lardis for the sniper to record his 38th of the season, giving the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead. Things turned nasty after a late Blair Scott hit on Josh Avery forced the Bulldogs rookie center from the game, Lucas Moore came to his teammates defense, dropping the gloves with Scott and punctuating it with a takedown. Ryerson Leenders was fantastic in the following penalty kill, denying a series of IceDogs opportunities in tight as part of his 9 first period stops in helping the Bulldogs take a 1-0 lead into the middle frame.

Brantford put the pedal to the metal in the middle frame, starting on the power-play at 7:05. Patrick Thomas moved the puck from the right elbow to the middle of the blueline for Adam Jiricek who faked a shot and delivered a perfect wheelhouse feed for Jake O'Brien to hammer past Owen Flores for his 23rd of the season and a 2-0 Brantford lead. The Bulldogs built on their lead at 9:03 with Patrick Thomas and Nick Lardis connecting low in the offensive zone before Lardis set the puck to the top for Owen Protz at the left point. Protz launched a shot through a multi-player screen in front of Flores and past the Niagara netminder for his 5th of the season and a 3-0 lead with the goals coming just 1:58 apart. With the Bulldogs shorthanded and a Niagara penalty on the way, Nikolas Rossetto collected the puck in neutral ice on the right boards and shifted it for Patrick Thomas who went wing to wing for Lucas Moore galloping on the left. Moore cut to the front of the Niagara goal and tucked the puck between Flores' pads for his 3rd of the year and first shorthanded goal in his OHL career. The offensive outburst wasn't done, after Lucas Moore was run from behind, the Bulldogs went to a 5-minute major power-play and struck once again. Adam Jiricek again shifted the puck from the middle of the line to the left circle for Jake O'Brien who again hammered a one-timer, this one leaked through Flores to the crease where Patrick Thomas tapped in his 20th of the season, capping off a 4-point period for the captain, giving the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead at 17:59.

Opening the final frame on the power-play, Nick Lardis went across the ice from the left to Patrick Thomas on the right for the captain to fire a shot out of the right circle that fell to Cole Brown at the net front. Brown whacked in his 18th of the season and in the process helped Bulldogs captain Patrick Thomas to his 6th point of the night, setting a new Bulldogs franchise record for points in a single game. The IceDogs managed to crack Leenders shutout bid late with goals from Jack Brauti at 12:01 and Ethan Czata at 17:46 but that is as close as Niagara would get with Ryerson Leenders making 36 saves and the six-point night for Patrick Thomas leading the Bulldogs to their 7th straight victory, a 6-2 win over the Niagara IceDogs.

The Brantford Bulldogs return to action on Friday night, January 25th, travelling to Guelph's Sleeman Centre for their only visit of the season to meet the Storm with a 7:07pm start time.

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