Walleye Weekly No. 14: January 26, 2026
ECHL Toledo Walleye

Walleye Weekly No. 14: January 26, 2026

Published on January 26, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Toledo Walleye News Release


Toledo Walleye defenseman Brendon Michaelian hugs the goaltender after a win
Toledo Walleye defenseman Brendon Michaelian hugs the goaltender after a win
(Toledo Walleye)

Overall Record: 23-8-3-3, 1st Central Division, Current Streak: 1 Win / 3 Unbeaten

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS

Friday, January 23 vs. Kalamazoo (2-1 Win)

Saturday, January 24 at Kalamazoo (2-1 OTL)

Sunday, January 25 vs. Cincinnati (3-2 Win)

THIS WEEK'S GAMES (All Times Eastern)

Friday, January 30 at Kalamazoo (7 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, FloSports)

Saturday, January 31 vs. Kalamazoo (7:15 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN, FloSports)

Sunday, February 1 at Cincinnati (3:05 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, FloSports)

Walleye Notes

Stacking Points: The Toledo Walleye picked up five of six possible points over the weekend, splitting the weekend series with the Kalamazoo Wings, as each home team took a 2-1 victory. However, Kalamazoo's win was in overtime, allowing Toledo to take a point and take three of four possible points against them. Then the Walleye came home and posted a snowy 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Cyclones on Sunday, when Tanner Dickinson scored a pair of goals and Riley McCourt landed his second home game-winner against the Cyclones this season. The Walleye remain atop the Central Division, kicking off the second half of their 2025-26 schedule with a win. Their 23-8-3-3 record is good enough for 52 points, with a four-point cushion between them and the second place Fort Wayne Komets (21-10-6-0, 48 points). Toledo ranks third overall in the Western Conference, trailing the Brabham Cup race-leading Kansas City Mavericks (60 points) and the Idaho Steelheads (53 points).

Goalie Union, Unite!: The Toledo Walleye have leaned on their strong goaltending unit as of late. Matt Jurusik has been a spectacular addition, going undefeated in regulation through his first five starts. He is 3-0-1-1 with a sleek 1.55 GAA and .949 SVP. Carter Gylander has been especially strong since returning from his most-recent stint with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins on 12/28. Since 12/28, Gylander is 6-1-0 in seven starts with a 1.72 GAA and .934 SVP. Nolan Lalonde has posted a strong rookie campaign, going 7-3-1-2 in 14 appearances with a 2.46 GAA and a .906 SVP.

Standout Special Teams: The Walleye continue to rely on their special teams to win games. While the highlight has been on the power-play unit, the penalty kill unit has been standing firm as of late. Over their last seven games, the Fish have gone a perfect 12-12 on the PK, allowing the team to stay in each and every game, as only one of their last nine games has been decided by more than one goal. The special teams have scored 43 goals this season (31 PPG, 12 SHG), while allowing just 17 goals. They're net +26 this season, which is the highest net special teams +/- in the ECHL, and eight more goals than the next closest (Kansas City, +18). On the other side of things, Toledo maintains the league's best power play rate in the league at 30.1%, nearly 8% higher than the next team in the leaderboard (Tahoe, 22.5%). Brandon Hawkins and Riley McCourt are the team's top two producers on the power play, ranking first with 17 and third with 16 respectively in the league's PP points leaderboard. Will Hillman still holds the league lead in shorthanded points this season (8), needing one more point on the penalty kill to tie Alden Hirschfeld's franchise career shorthanded points record (9), already owning the single-season mark (previously 5). Hillman stands one goal away from passing the Walleye single-season SHG record (3), which currently stands in a 9-way tie. Jed Pietila and Chad Hillebrand each have two SHGs in Toledo this season, needing one more to tie the record. Pietila is the lone defenseman in the ECHL this season with multiple SHGs. Mitch Lewandowski needs one SHG to tie Hirschfeld's franchise record of 6.

Showing Out: Walleye fans have packed the Huntington Center night-in and night-out as the team approaches 100 consecutive sellouts, bringing the team's franchise-record sellout streak to 98 games with Saturday's game against Bloomington. The Walleye welcomed over 144,000 fans into the Huntington Center this season. Toledo's average attendance ranks second in the ECHL, drawing around 8,023 fans per game (Jacksonville is the only team averaging higher, at 9,061 fans per game). The all-time ECHL record for consecutive sellouts currently stands at 140 games, reached by Colorado from 2011 to 2015.

Mirror Image: The Toledo Walleye cap their January schedule and begin their February slate in a mirror image of this past weekend. A home-and-home with the Kalamazoo Wings, this time beginning in Kalamazoo on Friday, followed by a stop at home Saturday will close January. The Fish then swim down I-75 for another Sunday matchup, this time, at the Heritage Bank Center.

Walleye Player of the Week:

Mitch Lewandowski (1G, 2A, +3, 1 GWG)

Walleye Goaltender of the Week:

Carter Gylander (2-0-0, 1.50 GAA, .939 SV%)

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*** Part 1 - ASCII

Took 5 out of 6 points this weekend

Toledo Walleye Weekly Release No. 14: January 26, 2026

Overall Record: 23-8-3-3, 1st Central Division, Current Streak: 1 Win / 3 Unbeaten

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS

Friday, January 23 vs. Kalamazoo (2-1 Win)

Saturday, January 24 at Kalamazoo (2-1 OTL)

Sunday, January 25 vs. Cincinnati (3-2 Win)

THIS WEEK'S GAMES (All Times Eastern)

Friday, January 30 at Kalamazoo (7 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, FloSports)

Saturday, January 31 vs. Kalamazoo (7:15 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN, FloSports)

Sunday, February 1 at Cincinnati (3:05 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, FloSports)

Walleye Notes

Stacking Points: The Toledo Walleye picked up five of six possible points over the weekend, splitting the weekend series with the Kalamazoo Wings, as each home team took a 2-1 victory. However, Kalamazoo's win was in overtime, allowing Toledo to take a point and take three of four possible points against them. Then the Walleye came home and posted a snowy 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Cyclones on Sunday, whenTanner Dickinson scored a pair of goals and Riley McCourt landed his second home game-winner against the Cyclones this season. The Walleye remain atop the Central Division, kicking off the second half of their 2025-26 schedule with a win. Their 23-8-3-3 record is good enough for 52 points, with a four-point cushion between them and the second place Fort Wayne Komets (21-10-6-0, 48 points). Toledo ranks third overall in the Western Conference, trailing the Brabham Cup race-leading Kansas City Mavericks (60 points) and the Idaho Steelheads (53 points).

Goalie Union, Unite!: The Toledo Walleye have leaned on their strong goaltending unit as of late.Matt Jurusik has been a spectacular addition, going undefeated in regulation through his first five starts. He is 3-0-1-1 with a sleek 1.55 GAA and .949 SVP.Carter Gylander has been especially strong since returning from his most-recent stint with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins on 12/28. Since 12/28, Gylander is 6-1-0 in seven starts with a 1.72 GAA and .934 SVP.Nolan Lalonde has posted a strong rookie campaign, going 7-3-1-2 in 14 appearances with a 2.46 GAA and a .906 SVP.

Standout Special Teams: The Walleye continue to rely on their special teams to win games. While the highlight has been on the power-play unit, the penalty kill unit has been standing firm as of late. Over their last seven games, the Fish have gone a perfect 12-12 on the PK, allowing the team to stay in each and every game, as only one of their last nine games has been decided by more than one goal. The special teams have scored 43 goals this season (31 PPG, 12 SHG), while allowing just 17 goals. They're net +26 this season, which is the highest net special teams +/- in the ECHL, and eight more goals than the next closest (Kansas City, +18). On the other side of things, Toledo maintains the league's best power play rate in the league at 30.1%, nearly 8% higher than the next team in the leaderboard (Tahoe, 22.5%). Brandon Hawkins and Riley McCourt are the team's top two producers on the power play, ranking first with 17 and third with 16 respectively in the league's PP points leaderboard. Will Hillman still holds the league lead in shorthanded points this season (8), needing one more point on the penalty kill to tie Alden Hirschfeld's franchise career shorthanded points record (9), already owning the single-season mark (previously 5). Hillman stands one goal away from passing the Walleye single-season SHG record (3), which currently stands in a 9-way tie. Jed Pietila and Chad Hillebrand each have two SHGs in Toledo this season, needing one more to tie the record. Pietila is the lone defenseman in the ECHL this season with multiple SHGs. Mitch Lewandowski needs one SHG to tie Hirschfeld's franchise record of 6.

Showing Out: Walleye fans have packed the Huntington Center night-in and night-out as the team approaches 100 consecutive sellouts, bringing the team's franchise-record sellout streak to 98 games with Saturday's game against Bloomington. The Walleye welcomed over 144,000 fans into the Huntington Center this season. Toledo's average attendance ranks second in the ECHL, drawing around 8,023 fans per game (Jacksonville is the only team averaging higher, at 9,061 fans per game). The all-time ECHL record for consecutive sellouts currently stands at 140 games, reached by Colorado from 2011 to 2015.

Mirror Image: The Toledo Walleye cap their January schedule and begin their February slate in a mirror image of this past weekend. A home-and-home with the Kalamazoo Wings, this time beginning in Kalamazoo on Friday, followed by a stop at home Saturday will close January. The Fish then swim down I-75 for another Sunday matchup, this time, at the Heritage Bank Center.

Walleye Player of the Week:

Mitch Lewandowski (1G, 2A, +3, 1 GWG)

Walleye Goaltender of the Week:

Carter Gylander (2-0-0, 1.50 GAA, .939 SV%)

Check out the Toledo Walleye Statistics

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Images from this story

Toledo Walleye defenseman Brendon Michaelian hugs the goaltender after a win
Toledo Walleye defenseman Brendon Michaelian hugs the goaltender after a win
   



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