GAME DAY, Game 25, Firebirds at IceDogs – 7 p.m.
GAME 25 – Firebirds at IceDogs
Meridian Centre
St. Catharines, Ontario
7 p.m.
Watch | Listen | Game Center
LAST TIME OUT: Connor Clattenburg and Jeremy Martin both scored, Nathan Day made 20 saves on 22 shots and Nathan Aspinall scored in the shootout as the Firebirds beat the Sarnia Sting in a shootout, 3-2, on Wednesday night at the Dort Financial Center.
ON THE ROAD: The Firebirds begin a stretch of six consecutive road games on Friday in St. Catharines. Flint will not play on home ice again until December 14 when it hosts the Owen Sound Attack. The Birds have played 14 games at home this season as opposed to nine on the road. Flint is 4-5-0-1 on the road and 6-8-0-0 at home.
HOMECOMING: Firebirds defensemen Urban Podrekar and Artem Frolov return to Meridian Centre on Friday for the first time since being traded to the Firebirds in August. Podrekar and Frolov each spent one season playing with the IceDogs before being traded to Flint. Podrekar had three goals and 19 assists in 62 games for Niagara during the 2023-24 season and Frolov notched one goal and 11 assists in 67 games. Flint also acquired the rights to forward Hayden Reid in the deal. The Firebirds sent Tristan Bertucci and three draft picks to Niagara in the trade and Niagara immediately flipped Bertucci to the Barrie Colts.
OUT EAST: Friday is the fourth game the Firebirds have played against an Eastern Conference opponent and the first that has come on the road. Flint is 2-1-0-0 against the East thus far this season, with wins against the Oshawa Generals and Peterborough Petes and a loss to the Barrie Colts.
THE DOGS: Niagara enters Friday in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and in second in the central division. The IceDogs beat Guelph, 5-3, on Thursday to improve their record on home ice to 9-5-0-0.
ODDS AND ENDS: Jeremy Martin opened the season with one goal in his first 21 games. He has two in his last three and three points in his last four…Firebirds goaltender Nathan Day will play as close to home as possible on Friday night. He is from Grimsby, Ontario, 18 miles away from St. Catharines…the Firebirds are 2-5-0-0 all time at Meridian Centre…Flint improved to 1-1 in shootouts with its win on Wednesday night.
UP NEXT: The Firebirds continue their road swing on Saturday night in Erie for a match up with the Otters. Puck drop at Erie Insurance Arena is set for 7 p.m.
