Firebirds Hit the Road for First Time this Year, Look to Tie Season Series with Saginaw
| Flint Firebirds vs. Saginaw Spirit | |
| Date | Time | Wednesday, October 27th | 7:05 p.m. (Pre-Game Show at 6:50) |
| Location | Dow Event Center | Saginaw, Mich. |
| Tickets | Online | (810) 744-0580 |
| TV | Firebirds’ Broadcast Coverage | Rogers/Cogeco: 467 |
| Video Stream | CHL TV |
| Radio | WQUS 103.1 FM (Flint & Mid-Michigan) |
| Radio (Mobile) | US 103 App: Android | iPhone/iPad |
| Live Stats | Here |
| Next Home Game | Wednesday, November 3rd, 7:00 PM | Buy One, Get One Wednesday |
| Social Media | @FlintFirebirds  | Facebook  | Instagram  |
Flint, Mich. – After a hard-fought defeat to the Saginaw Spirit in Flint last Wednesday, the Firebirds look to bounce back and even the I-75 Divide Cup rivalry series, presented by Coors Light. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. (ET) Wednesday at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw.
In two preseason meetings this year, Flint and Saginaw each won as the visiting club. The ‘Birds claimed the first victory in Erie, Pa. by a score of 5-2 on September 17. Then Saginaw utilized an empty-net goal in the final minute to win the second and final exhibition tilt 7-5 at Flint Iceland Arena on October 3. Most recently, in each team’s third game of the regular season, the Firebirds saw a two-goal lead slip away as the Spirit battled back to secure a 5-3 road victory in front of more than 4,300 fans in Flint.
Last Wednesday Coulson Pitre scored back-to-back goals in the first period, and Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets) netted his first tally in his first OHL game. Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) also logged a two-point game (2 A). Grand Blanc, Mich. native Dalton Duhart had three points (3 A) for Saginaw, and both Josh Bloom (Buffalo Sabres) and Luke McNamara each logged a goal and an assist. In net, Luke Cavallin made 26 saves on 31 shots in the contest and Saginaw netminder Tristan Lennox (New York Islanders) stopped 33 of 36 shots for his second win of the campaign.
All-time, Flint carries a record of 14-24-0-2 against Saginaw, with a road record of 7-13-0-0. In the shortened 2019-20 season, Saginaw won four of seven meetings. Wednesday marks the second of 12 total meetings between the clubs, and the first of six to be played in Saginaw. The ‘Birds carry a regular-season record of 2-1-0-0 into Wednesday’s tilt, and Saginaw is now 3-1-1-0. Flint is the only OHL team that’s played fewer than five games so far this season.
On special teams, the Firebirds have scored one power-play goal on eight chances, which ranks them 17th in the 20-team OHL. Saginaw has scored four times on 21 power-play opportunities for a success rate of 19.1%, which ranks them 13th. Flint is killing penalties at a 73.3% clip, ranking 16th in the league. The Spirit’s penalty-kill ranks third at a 90.5% success rate.
Players to Watch
Flint Firebirds (2-1-0-0, 4th West Division):
Forward Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) has two goals and two assists for four points through three games played this season. First-year forward Coulson Pitre has a trio of goals to rank second on the stat sheet for Flint. Center Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs) and defenseman Tyler Deline are tied for the third spot with a goal and an assist each. Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets) and Zacharie Giroux also have a goal each. Giroux’s lamp-lighter was a game-winner and was featured on ESPN’s Sportscenter Top 10.
In net, veteran Flint netminder Luke Cavallin has played all three regular-season games thus far and earned two victories, stopping 98 of 105 shots in total. He is one of only five goaltenders with a shutout this season. Cavallin carries a 2.34 goals-against average (GAA), which is third-best among goaltenders that have played at least three contests. His .933 save percentage (SV%) is second-best among the same group. First-year goaltenders Nathaniel Day and Ian Michelone split time in two exhibition contests, earning valuable experience at the OHL level. Day finished with .765 SV% and Michelone’s was .800.
NHL: The Firebirds have three players with NHL ties consisting of Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs), Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets), and Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers). Tag Bertuzzi was invited to the recent Montreal Canadians rookie camp, and forward Sahil Panwar was an invitee at the Los Angeles Kings’ camp. Additionally, Gavin Hayes was recently named to the 2021 NHL Central Scouting October Players to Watch List.
Despite Flint playing in just five OHL seasons thus far, Alex Nedeljkovic (Carolina Hurricanes / Detroit Red Wings), Kole Sherwood (Columbus Blue Jackets), and Ty Dellandrea (Dallas Stars) are three former Firebirds to play in the NHL. Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) and Firebirds’ alumni Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks), Vili Saarijarvi (Detroit Red Wings) and Jalen Smereck (Arizona Coyotes) have all played in NHL pre-season contests. In total, the team has produced 21 signed or drafted players into the NHL.
Saginaw Spirit (3-1-1-0, 2nd West Division):
First-year forwards Matyas Sopovaliv (2 G, 3 A) and Josh Bloom (1 G, 4 A) are tied atop the leaderboard for the Spirit, each with five points. Brighton, Mich. native Davis Codd, and Calumet, Mich. native Dean Loukus each have three goals through five games played, and both forwards also have one assist for a total of four points. Grand Blanc, Mich. native Dalton Duhart also has four points (4 A).
Leading from the blue line is Pavel Mintyukov with four points (1 G, 3 A). Rookie defenseman Mitchell Smith, who hails from Saginaw, Mich., ranks second with three points (1 G, 2 A) through five games.
Between the pipes, returning goaltender Tristan Lennox (New York Islanders) has appeared in four games and earned two victories. He carries a 2.52 goals-against average (GAA) and a save-percentage (SV%) of .905. Shelby Township, Mich. native Andrew Oke has played in two contests, picking up his first OHL victory in Erie, Penn. Sunday afternoon after relieving Lennox in the first period. Oke carries a 3.65 GAA with a SV% of .833.
NHL: The Spirit have two players with NHL ties, consisting of Josh Bloom (Buffalo Sabres) and Tristan Lennox (New York Islanders). Additionally, forward Matyas Sapolaliv and rearguard Pavel Mintyukov were recently named to the 2021 NHL Central Scouting October Players to Watch List.
12 notable Spirit alumni to play in the NHL are Cody Bass, Paul Bissonnette, T.J. Brodie, Matt Corrente, Filip Hronek, Jan Mursak, Jamie Oleksiak, Dalton Prout, Tom Pyatt, Brandon Saad, Chris Thorburn and Vincent Trocheck.
Broadcast Coverage:
Wednesday evening’s contest against the Saginaw Spirit can be heard live on the radio throughout Flint & Mid-Michigan on US 103.1 FM, online at www.us103.com, or by downloading the US 103 app here. Jack Sznewajs will call the play-by-play action on the Firebirds Hockey Network (FHN). Pregame coverage will begin prior to puck drop at 6:50 p.m. (ET) Wednesday evening.
The game will also be televised live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on channel 467 (4467 HD) for both Rogers TV and Cogeco TV cable subscribers. OHL fans with cable television in Ontario can add the OHL Action Pak to their television plan to catch the Firebirds in action, home or away all season long. Also, all Flint Firebirds’ home and away games throughout the 2021-22 regular season can be watched anywhere in the world online on https://watch.chl.ca/ohl. CHL TV is the league’s new and improved video streaming platform that delivers high-quality live and on-demand coverage of all regular season and playoff games annually. The cost is $6.99 for 24-hour access, $24.99 for monthly access, $109.99 for all-access to the 2021-22 Firebirds and OHL season, or $159.99 for all-access to the entire 2021-22 CHL season.
Next Home Game: The Firebirds return to home ice Wednesday, November 3 when they host the Windsor Spitfires for the first time this season. Puck drop for Buy One, Get One Wednesday is scheduled for 7 p.m. (ET). Fans can purchase one ticket and get one of equal value free. Tickets are on sale NOW here: ETIX.
For more information, contact:
Jack Sznewajs
Director of Broadcasting & Communications
Flint Firebirds Hockey Club
[email protected]
(810) 519-9347 ext. 223
