Walleye Weekly No. 9: December 15, 2025
Published on December 15, 2025 under ECHL (ECHL)
Toledo Walleye News Release
Toledo Walleye forward Jordan Ernst (right)
(Toledo Walleye)
Overall Record: 13-5-2-2, 2nd Central Division, Current Streak: 4 Wins
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
Friday, December 12 at Iowa (4-2 W)
Friday, December 13 at Iowa (4-1 W)
THIS WEEK'S GAMES (All Times Eastern)
Friday, December 19 vs. Iowa (7:15 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN, FloSports)
Saturday, December 20 vs. Iowa (7:15 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN, FloSports)
Walleye Notes
The Walleye Love the Heartland: The Toledo Walleye came back from Iowa with two wins under their belt, bringing them up to 30 points on the season. The Fish took Friday's game at Iowa by a score of 4-2, led by two goals from Brandon Hawkins. Toledo followed that up with a 4-1 win the next night, as Chad Hillebrand scored the team's 9th short-handed goal of the season, which ended up being the difference-maker. They only trail Fort Wayne by two points for the division lead, although the two teams are not set to face each other again until December 27 on the road.
Festive Fish: Since the calendar turned to December, the Walleye have posted a 4-0-1-0 record and collected at least a point in every game. Brandon Hawkins has added to his league lead in points (31) by recording four goals and five assists (nine total points). Four of Tanner Kelly's seven goals in the season have come in December, as he's currently riding a four-game point streak (4 G, 2 A, 6 Pts). Mitch Lewandowski has a goal and five assists. Riley McCourt has five assists as he climbs the points leaderboard among defensemen (4th place, 18 points total). Chad Hillebrand (2 G, 2 A) and Denis Smirnov (1 G, 3 A) each have four points in the team's five games in December.
Special Teams Dominance: Toledo's power play continues to operate effectively, maintaining the best PP% in the league at 30.3% (20-for-66, Tahoe is next closest at 26.3%). Brandon Hawkins ties with teammate Riley McCourt in power-play assists, as each Walleye has 10. Hawkins leads the league in overall power-play points (13) and McCourt ties for second (11). Toledo averages the least amount of penalty minutes per game (8.41). They don't find themselves in penalty kill situations often relative to the rest of the league, but their PK unit at the Huntington Center has killed off 32 of 35 penalties, good for the 2nd best mark in the lead. Chad Hillebrand scored a short-handed goal in Saturday's game, extending Toledo's league lead in that category. On the flip side, the Walleye remain one of five teams in the ECHL to not allow a short-handed goal.
No Fly Zones: Both Nolan Lalonde and Liam Soulière had fantastic nights in each of their opportunities against Iowa this weekend. Lalonde saved 25 of the 27 shots (.926 SV%) he faced on Friday night, only allowing two goals in the team's win. Soulière bounced back from a short night against Wheeling in November by saving 22 of the 23 shots he saw (.957 SV%), allowing only one goal while the Walleye scored four goals in front of him. Out of the three matchups against Iowa this season, neither goalie has given up more than two goals against.
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 91 games with last Sunday's game against Indy. Toledo's average attendance ranks second in the ECHL, drawing around 8,043 fans per game (Jacksonville is the only team averaging higher, at 8,943 fans per game). The all-time ECHL record for consecutive sellouts currently stands at 140 games, reached by Colorado from 2011 to 2015.
Almost Déjà Vu: The Walleye will come back to the Huntington Center for two more games against the Iowa Heartlanders, beginning the team's last homestand of 2025. With the two wins last week, the Walleye are 2-1-0-0 against the Heartlanders, outscoring them 10-4 in the three games. Puck drop for both Friday and Saturday's games are set for 7:15 p.m.
Walleye Player of the Week:
Tanner Kelly (3 G, 1 A, 4 Pts, +2)
Walleye Goaltender of the Week:
Liam Soulière (W, 22 SV, .957 SV%)
Images from this story
 Toledo Walleye forward Jordan Ernst (right) |
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