GAME DAY: Game 1, Firebirds at Spirit – 7:05 p.m.
GAME 1 – Firebirds at Spirit
Dow Event Center
Saginaw, Michigan
7:05 p.m.
Watch (FloHockey) | Listen (Mixlr) | Game Center
IT’S SHOWTIME: The Firebirds open the 2026-27 season on Saturday night in Saginaw with a matchup against the Spirit. Flint went 44-17-4-3 last season and made the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. The Firebirds fell to the Windsor Spitfires in four games in the second round of the OHL Playoffs
RIVALRY NIGHT: Saturday’s contest is both the season opener and the first matchup of the 2026-27 Coors Light I-75 Divide Cup. The Firebirds took the season series in 2025-26 for the first time since the 2021-22 season, snapping a four-year drought. Flint went 7-1-0-0 against the Spirit last year, and won all four matchups in Saginaw.
WELL TRAVELED: The Firebirds finished the 2025-26 season with the second-best road record in the league at 22-9-1-2. Over the last five seasons, Flint has won the third most road games in the OHL, with a record of 95-61-8-6 in that span. Only London (111 wins) and Brantford/Hamilton (97 wins) have had more road success in that time.
RECORD SETTERS: Flint is coming off of its best regular season in franchise history. The Birds won a record 44 games in the regular season and totaled a franchise-best 95 points. Flint also set a new record for fewest goals allowed in team history, allowing 199 goals (2.93 per game). Many individual franchise records were broken last season, including most assists in a season (Nathan Aspinall, 61), best plus-minus rating (Luka Graziano, +33) and best single-season goals-against average (Mason Vaccari, 2.70).
GONE CAMPING: Jimmy Lombardi will miss the team’s season opener due to attending NHL training camp with the Los Angeles Kings. Lombardi is Flint’s leading returning scorer from last season, where he posted 36 goals and 36 assists.
ODDS AND ENDS: Flint is one of three teams that have yet to play their season opener. The Sarnia Sting open their season on Saturday night, and the Ottawa 67’s begin their campaign tomorrow…The Firebirds are 6-4-0-0 all-time in their season openers. They are 3-0-0-0 when starting their year against the Spirit….Dima Zhilkin had two goals in the third period on Friday night in Saginaw’s overtime loss in the Soo.
UP NEXT: The Firebirds will be back on the ice on Friday, Sept. 25 in Windsor. Flint’s matchup against the Spitfires is set for 7:05 p.m. at the WFCU Centre.
