Preview: Firebirds Welcome Guelph For Scout Night in Flint
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After a 3-2 overtime victory last night in Sarnia, the Firebirds (6-8-0-1) host the Guelph Storm for the first time at the Dort Federal Event Center Saturday night. The Guelph Storm enter the contest in last place in the Western Conference with a 1-13-1-0 record totaling three points in 15 games played this season. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in an evening tabbed as scout night!
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in attendance will be recognized during both intermissions on the video board and will have a private meet and greet with the Firebirds after the game. The first 1,000 scouts will receive a special Flint Firebirds Scout Night patch. In addition, groups of 10 or more can get tickets for $10 each. Contact Flint Firebirds Director of Ticket Sales Shane Stout via email at [email protected] or by phone at (810) 742-2004 for more information on Scout Night today.
Tickets are $12 for bronze, $15 for silver and $19 for corporate/gold seating and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by visiting the Dort Federal Event Center Box Office Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by phone at (810) 744-0580.
Radio & TV Coverage
Fans unable to attend the game on Saturday night can listen live in Flint and Mid-Michigan on 1330 AM WTRX Sports Radio and worldwide online on the iHeartRadio App. Dominic Hennig will call the play-by-play action all season long on the Flint Firebirds Hockey Radio Network. Pregame coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday’s game against the Storm will be televised live on Rogers Ch. 20 in Guelph and across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on Rogers channel 461. OHL fans with Rogers Cable 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 Saturday afternoon’s game, 64 of the Firebirds’ 68 games throughout the 2015-16 season are also scheduled to be televised live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pack.
All Flint Firebirds home and away games throughout the 2015-16 season can be watched anywhere in the world online on OHL Live and 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 2015-16 season.
Players to Watch:
Flint:
The Firebirds are lead up front in scoring by Will Bitten, who is eligible to be selected in the 2016 NHL Draft in June, with eight goals and nine assists for seventeen points in fifteen games played this season. Vili Saarijärvi (Detroit ’15) has two goals and 14 assists in 15 games played and leads all OHL defenseman with 16 points.
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (Carolina ’14) has a 3-3 record with a .901 save percentage and a 3.37 goals against average. Rookie goaltender Kyle Keyser has a 1-2 record and a .916 save percentage including a 2.77 goals against average.
There are five players on the Flint Firebirds roster that are drafted in the National Hockey League. Alex Nedeljkovic and Josh Wesley were both selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2014 NHL Draft. In the same draft, the New Jersey Devils nabbed Connor Chatham while Alex Peters was chosen by the Dallas Stars. Most recently, Vili Saarijärvi was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings this past June in the 2015 NHL Draft.
In addition, Will Bitten, Nicholas Caamano, Jacob Collins, Matyáš Kantner, Dane Johnstone, and Håkon Nilsen are eligible to be selected in the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo in June.
Guelph:
NHL Central Scouting has identified Guelph Storm defenseman Noah Carroll as a standout player to watch in their pre-season rankings for the 2016 NHL Draft.
Guelph is lead in points by Givani Smith with nine points in fifteen games. Smith has netted four goals and five assists along with 39 penalty minutes so far this season. James McEwan has six goals and two assists for eight points in as many games played.
In net, Guelph has Justin Nichols with a .916 save percentage and a 3.27 GAA after 13 games played and Bradley Van Schubert who after six games has a .844 save percentage and a 5.96 GAA.
The Guelph Storm saw five players attend NHL training camps this fall: Tyler Bertuzzi (Detroit), Jason Dickinson (Dallas), Robby Fabbri, St. Louis), C.J Garcia (Anaheim) and Justin Nichols (Toronto).
Special Teams
After scoring a goal on the man-advantage last night in Sarnia, the Firebirds’ power-play improved to 14%, tallying eight goals on 57 opportunities which ranks 17th out of 20 teams in the OHL. On the penalty kill, the Firebirds are currently 13th in the OHL, operating at 79.3%. Flint has scored two shorthanded goals and has successfully killed 46 of 58 penalties this season. Flint is averaging the 12th fewest penalty minutes per game with a 12 PIM/GM average.
Seeger Becomes Newest Firebird
The Flint Firebirds have signed forward Stephan Seeger. A Mississauga, Ont. native, Seeger played last season with the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials, the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL, along with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals.
Saarijärvi Tabbed as OHL Defenseman of the Month
Flint Firebirds 18 year-old blueliner Vili Saarijärvi was named the OHL Defenseman of the Month on Wednesday. The Detroit Red Wings prospect put together an outstanding first full month in the OHL, scoring two goals along with 9 assists for 11 points in 11 contests to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-9.
The Finnish rearguard registered points in seven of his 11 October appearances, scoring his first OHL goal as part of a two-goal effort against the Ottawa 67’s on October 16th. Saarijärvi had three multi-point performances, including three assists against the Peterborough Petes on October 11th. Saarijärvi is currently tied for the lead in scoring among OHL defensemen with two goals, 14 assists and 16 points in 14 games.
Two Firebirds Selected to Play in CHL Canada Russia Series
The Ontario Hockey League in association with the Canadian Hockey League, the Owen Sound Attack and the Windsor Spitfires hockey clubs announced the Team OHL rosters for the 2015 CHL Canada Russia Series.
Flint’s Will Bitten and Alex Peters (Dallas ’14) were among the 36 players that will represent the OHL in the 2015 CHL Canada Russia Series. The two will suit up for Team OHL on Monday, November 16 at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario and the game will be televised nationally across Canada on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
Next Home Game
Join us for Dort Federal Credit Union Family Night on Sunday. The Firebirds host the defending CHL Memorial Cup Champions Oshawa Generals at 5 p.m. and the first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive free thunderstix! There will be face painters, balloon twisters and a bounce house for the kids. Fans will also have the opportunity to skate with the Firebirds after the game.
Tickets are $12 for bronze, $15 for silver and $19 for corporate/gold seating and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by visiting the Dort Federal Event Center Box Office Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by phone at (810) 744-0580.
Help Name Our Mascot
The Flint Firebirds have launched a “Name the Mascot” contest to give Firebirds fans the opportunity to name the organization’s official mascot. The winning fan will receive a complimentary replica jersey and the opportunity to have it autographed by the Flint Firebirds team. The contest runs through Friday, November 13 at 11:59 PM.
Season Tickets
Great season seat locations are still available! For more information, call the Dort Federal Event Center Box Office at (810) 744-0580 or email Grizz Houghten at [email protected] or Shane Stout at [email protected].
Group Ticket Packages
Whether you’re entertaining corporate clients, celebrating a special occasion, having a fun night out with the family and friends or rewarding employees…we have a fun, easy and affordable plan for you. It’s more than a ticket, it’s an experience! Contact Shane Stout to book your group outing today: (810) 742-2004 or via email at [email protected].
Flint Firebirds Hockey Radio Coach’s Show
Join the Voice of the Firebirds Dominic Hennig and Head Coach John Gruden from 6-7 p.m. every Tuesday night on 1330 WTRX Sports Radio and around the world online on the iHeartRadio App here. Hennig and Gruden recap the previous week of events, preview the upcoming games on the ice and take your phone calls, emails and tweets! Tune in each Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. on 1330 AM WTRX Sports Radio.
Firebirds Gear
Stop by the Flint Firebirds Merchandise Store at the Dort Federal Event Center, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. to stock up on the best Firebirds’ gear around. Jerseys, shirts, hats, hoodies, game pucks, mouse pads and other accessories and collectables are available at the Flint Firebirds Merchandise Store.
Social Media
Stay connected with the Flint Firebirds 24-7-365. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Vine, YouTube, etc. Find all of the Firebirds social media handles online at www.flintfirebirds.com/socialmedia.
For media inquiries, contact:
Dominic Hennig
Director of Broadcasting & Communications
Flint Firebirds Hockey Club
[email protected]
(810) 519-9347
