Preview: Firebirds & Sarnia Sting Battle in Flint Friday
| Sarnia Sting (40-13-4-0) at Flint Firebirds (16-36-3-2) | |
| Date | Time | Friday, Feb. 23 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Location | Flint, Mich. | Dort Federal Event Center (Directions) |
| Tickets | Ticketmaster.com | (810) 744-0580 |
| Promotions | – EMS Appreciation Night – “Save-a-Life” Kids Expo (5-7 p.m.) – HAP “Boots for Kids” Donation Drive |
| TV | – Cogeco Ch. 6 / 700 HD Live (Sarnia) – OHL Action Pak: Rogers 448 & Cogeco 448 Live (Ontario) – Broadcast Information |
| Video Stream | OHL Live |
| Radio | WQUS 103.1 FM (Flint & Mid-Michigan) | Pregame Show: 6:30p |
| Radio (Mobile) | US 103 App: Android | iPhone/iPad |
| Live Stats | Here |
| Next Home Game | Saturday, Feb. 24 (UAW / United Way Night) |
| Media Notes Packet | Here |
| Social Media | @FlintFirebirds  | Facebook  | Instagram  |
Flint, Mich. – The Flint Firebirds return to home ice at the Dort Federal Event Center Friday night. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. against West Division adversary, the Sarnia Sting.
Friday marks the seventh of eight games between Flint and Sarnia this season and the final meeting in Flint. Through six games this campaign, the series is evened at three wins each. Of note, the winning team has scored at least five goals in five of the six games this year. The Firebirds won two of the three games played on home ice thus far. All-time, the Firebirds hold a 13-9-0-0 record against Sarnia and are 7-4-0-0 on home-ice in Flint. The last meeting at the Dort Federal Event Center in Flint was Friday, February 2nd. The game needed overtime before Maurizio Colella scored the game-winning goal that earned the Firebirds the 3 – 2 victory.
Last season, Flint started the campaign winning four-straight contests against the Sting and finished with a 6-2 record through eight total games. These two clubs will play their final game against each other Sunday afternoon in Sarnia.
The two individual players that rank first and second in the OHL in penalty minutes will be on opposite benches in Friday’s contest. Fedor Gordeev (Toronto Maple Leafs) leads the league with 98 PIM’s. Sarnia’s Theo Calvas ranks a close second with 97.
Sarnia comes to Flint with just one loss in regulation in the last 10 games, posting an 8-1-1-0 record in that time. The Sting hold the second-best record overall in the 20-team OHL at 40-13-4-0. In the 60-team CHL (OHL, QMJHL and WHL) Sarnia ranks fifth in the CHL Top-10 Rankings. The Firebirds have a 16-36-3-2 record and sit fifth in the West Division.
On special teams, Flint has scored 17.6% of the time on the power-play. Their penalty-kill is successful 75.7% of the time. Sarnia has the OHL’s fifth-ranked power play at 23.6%. Their penalty-kill ranks first at 87.7%.
Promotions:
Friday’s ‘EMS Appreciation Night’ is sponsored by Hurley Medical Center and features a $5 discounted silver level ticket for all EMS personnel with valid ID at the Dort Federal Box Office.
The inaugural “Save-a-Life” Kids Expo will occur prior to the Firebirds’ game from 5-7 p.m. at the Dort Federal Event Center’s second arena. The event is FREE to the public and all children 12 and under that attend will receive a complimentary sponsored silver level ticket voucher for that night’s game. Emergency medical service (EMS) ambulance vehicles will be available for the public to observe and experience. Kids will be able to enter and explore the vehicles and display trailers. Giveaway items will be available from the following local companies that will be in attendance: Gaines Township Fire Department, MedStar Ambulance, Mobile Medical Response (MMR), STAT Emergency Medical Service, Swartz Ambulance and Twin Township Ambulance. Hands on demonstration and training for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and bleeding control, educational materials on heart attacks, human trafficking, safe sleep, stroke and other injury prevention topics will be offered. Please bring kids and grandkids, it could help save a life!
Both weekend games feature the HAP “Boots for Kids” donation drive. Fans who donate a new pair of kids boots to the Firebirds’ Merchandise Store will receive a complimentary sponsored silver level ticket to either game this weekend, sponsored by HAP.
Players to Watch
Flint Firebirds (16-36-3-2, 5th West Division):
Maurizio Colella leads all Firebirds’ players with 51 points in 56 games this season. He has the most assists on the team with 32. In the first six meetings with Sarnia this season, Colella has recorded four goals and four assists. Ty Dellandrea ranks second in points with 48 in 56 games. Dellandrea has the most goals on the squad with 22. He has scored five goals and added seven helpers against the Sting in the past six meetings. Connor Roberts ranks third on the team in scoring with 15 goals and 14 helpers for 29 points total.
Detroit, Mich. native Jalen Smereck (Arizona Coyotes) leads all defenseman with 26 points in just 35 games with Flint this season. He has nine goals and 17 helpers. Riley McCourt leads all rookies on the Firebirds roster with 20 points on the season. He has four goals and 16 assists in 20 games played.
In net, Garrett Forrest carries a 4.64 goals-against average (GAA) and a save percentage of .867% (SAV%). Forrest has appeared in 40 games and earned 11 wins. He holds the record as the all-time saves’ leader for the Firebirds. Rookie goaltender Luke Cavallin has a 3.94 GAA and a .867 SAV% in 23 appearances. He has earned five wins thus far in his young OHL career.
NHL: The Firebirds have two players with NHL ties consisting of Jalen Smereck (Arizona Coyotes) and Fedor Gordeev (Toronto Maple Leafs). Additionally, Dennis Busby, Ty Dellandrea, Hunter Holmes, Ryan Littlejohn, Riley McCourt, Connor Roberts and Jack Wismer are seven first-time eligible players to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft in June 2018.
Sarnia Sting (40-13-4-0, 2nd West Division):
Sarnia boasts four forwards who average more than a point per game. Sting forward Jordan Kyrou is a second-round (35th overall) NHL draft pick of the St. Louis Blues. He is arguably the best player in the OHL, notching an impressive 88 points in just 46 games this season. His 57 assists this season rank him second among all OHL players. Huntington Woods, Mich. native Drake Rymsha (Los Angeles Kings) sits second in points for Sarnia with 27 goals and 38 assists, totaling 65 points in 57 games. Rymsha is riding a seven-game point streak into Friday’s matchup, having scored four goals and five assists in that time. Jonathan Ang (Florida Panthers) is third in scoring for the Sting with 62 total points in 55 games played. Ang also has an active point streak at five games, scoring two goals and six assists in that span. Adam Ruzicka (Calgary Flames) ranks fourth on the Sarnia roster with 61 points in 53 games played. Ruzicka is tied for first in the OHL with eight game-winning goals this season.
From the blue line, the Sting are led by Cam Dineen (Arizona Coyotes). He leads all defensemen on the squad with 15 goals and 37 assists for 52 points in 55 games.
In net, Justin Fazio holds the OHL’s second-highest save percentage at .919. He boasts the second-most wins in the league with 28 in 39 appearances. His goals-against average is 2.87. Back-up goaltender Aidan Hughes has posted a 3.20 GAA and a .904 SAV%. He has earned seven wins in 12 appearances this season.
NHL: Sarnia has eight players with NHL ties that include Jonathan Ang (Florida Panthers), Cam Dineen (Arizona Coyotes), Jordan Kyrou (St. Louis Blues), Ryan McGregor (Toronto Maple Leafs), Michael Pezzetta (Montreal Canadiens), Adam Ruzicka (Calgary Flames), Drake Rymsha (Los Angeles Kings) and Anthony Salinitri (Philadelphia Flyers).
13 notable Sting’s alumni to play in the NHL are Reid Boucher, Eric Boulton, Daniel Carcillo, Jakob Chychrun, Alex Galchenyuk, Matt Martin, Connor Murphy, Dalton Prout, Brett Ritchie, Steven Stamkos, Ryan Spooner, Nail Yakupov and Pavel Zacha.
Broadcast Coverage:
Friday evening’s contest against the Sarnia Sting 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. Dominic Hennig will call the play-by-play action on the Flint Firebirds Hockey Radio Network. Pregame coverage will begin 30 minutes prior to puck drop at 6:30 p.m.
The game will also be televised live in Sarnia on YourTV channel 6 / 700 (HD) for Cogeco TV cable subscribers. Additionally, the game will be televised live province-wide throughout Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on channel 448 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. Along with Friday’s game, 65 of the Firebirds’ 68 games throughout the 2017-18 season are also scheduled to be televised live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak.
All Flint Firebirds home and away games throughout the 2017-18 season can be watched anywhere in the world online on www.ohllive.com or on the OHL Live app. OHL Live is a league 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 per game, $69.99 for Flint Firebirds away games only, $179.99 for all 68 home and away Firebirds games and $279.99 for all 1,360 OHL games throughout the 2017-18 season.
Blue Line Club Menu:
Presented by Great Lakes Sandwich Co & Cafe, Friday evening’s dinner menu for the Blue Line Club features Chicken pot pie, sweet and sour meatballs, pulled pork sliders, macaroni and cheese, fried rice, AuGratin potatoes, green beans, corn, garden salad, dinner rolls with butter and assorted desserts. Friday’s menu is available to all sponsors and season ticket holders for $15 per person. Dinner RSVPs are encouraged by emailing Karla Turner at [email protected].
Next Home Game:
The Firebirds will host the Oshawa Generals this Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. Saturday is United Automobile Workers (UAW) / United Way Night. All UAW members will receive a $5 discounted silver level ticket with valid ID at the Dort Federal Box Office. Detroit author, Cynthia Lambert will be selling and signing copies of her book ‘Power Play: My Life Inside the Red Wings Locker Room.’ Fresh out of college, Lambert reported on the Detroit Red Wings and the NHL for The Detroit News for (12) seasons from 1986-1998. A portion of all book sales will be donated to the United Way of Genesee County. Additionally, there will be a T-shirt toss, sponsored by HAP.
Saturday’s game is the final game for the HAP “Boots for Kids” donation drive. Fans who donate a new pair of kids boots to the Firebirds’ Merchandise Store will receive a complimentary sponsored silver level ticket to either game this weekend, sponsored by HAP.
For More Information:
Dominic Hennig
Director of Broadcasting & Communications
Flint Firebirds Hockey Club
[email protected]
(810) 519-9347
