Preview: Firebirds Host Windsor Spitfires in Flint Saturday

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The Firebirds (14-24-3-2, 5th West Division) will face off against the Spitfires for the second time in three days when Windsor (27-12-5-0, 1st West Division) travels to Flint Saturday night. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. (EST) at the Dort Federal Event Center and tickets are still on sale! (Buy Now)

The Spitfires hold a 3-1 series lead through four games against the Firebirds this season. Windsor earned a 5-3 victory on Thursday night at the WFCU Centre. (Highlights).

After Saturday’s tilt against the Spitfires, the Firebirds will travel to Kitchener for the first time this season. The puck drops at 2 p.m. against the Rangers (30-8-4-0, 3rd Midwest Division) at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium and the game will be televised live state-wide throughout Michigan on Comcast channel 900 for Comcast Cable subscribers.

Radio & TV Coverage
Fans unable to attend Saturday’s game can listen live in Flint and Mid-Michigan on 1330 AM WTRX Sports Radio and around the world online on the iHeartRadio app. Dominic Hennig will call the play-by-play action on the Flint Firebirds Hockey Radio Network. Pregame coverage will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday’s game against the Spitfires will be televised live in Windsor on Cogeco TV channel 11 and across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on cable channel 465. 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 Thursday 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:

Former Spitfires forward Luke Kirwan has scored two goals in the past two games for the Firebirds. Kirwan is one of three current Firebirds player on the NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm list at #166. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound forward scored scored against his former club on Thursday night.

Will Bitten leads the Firebirds with 20 goals and 24 assists, totaling 44 points in 43 games played this season. Bitten has earned multi-point nights 11 times this season. Ryan Moore is second on the Firebirds with 27 points in 43 games.

Firebirds’ goaltender Brent Moran (Dallas ’14) holds a 3.58 goals against average (GAA) and a .888 save percentage (SAV%). In 26 games played this season, Moran has a 9-17-3-0 record in his 4th campaign in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Matthew Menna, who was acquired in a trade with the Sudbury Wolves on last Friday has a 4.66 GAA and a .862 SV%. against average.

There are three players on the Flint Firebirds roster that are drafted in the National Hockey League. Firebirds’ captain Alex Peters and goaltender Brent Moran were both selected by the Dallas Stars in the 2014 NHL Draft. 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.

 

Windsor:

Forward Christian Fisher leads the Spitfires with 22 goals and 34 assists totaling 56 points in his 42 games played this season. Logan Brown scored on the Firebirds Thursday night in Windsor to bring his season totals to seven goals and 33 assists in 36 games. Aaron Luchuk has 38 points in 43 games and Christiano DiGiacinto has 37 points in as many games.

Former Firebirds forward Connor Chatham will play as part of the visiting team in Flint for the first time on Saturday. In 6 games with the Spitfires since the trade, Chatham has two goals and one assist.

Michael DiPietro holds a 13-3-1 record in 17 games played between the pipes for the Spitfires this season. DiPietro has a 2.26 GAA and a .922 SV%. Garret Hughson has a 7-4-1 record in 12 games with the Spitfires and has a 3.09 GAA and a .895 SV%.

Along with Windsor’s Mikhail Sergachev, Logan Brown and Logan Stanley being ranked in the top 25 players of the NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings for the 2016 NHL Draft, the Spitfires have seven other players already drafted in the NHL consisting of Connor Chatham (New Jersey), Cristiano DiGiacinto (Tampa Bay), Christian Fischer (Arizona), Brendan Lemieux (Buffalo), Hayden McCool (Chicago) Bradley Latour (Toronto) and Patrick Sanvido (Dallas).

 

Special Teams
The Flint Firebirds power play is converting at a 12.4% success-rate scoring 22 goals on 177 opportunities. On the penalty kill, the Firebirds are currently 15th in the OHL, operating at 77.7%. Flint has scored two shorthanded goals and has successfully killed 139 of 179 penalties this season. The Firebirds are recording the 13th most penalty minutes in the OHL with an average of 12.7 per game.

Windsor’s power play is 4th best in the OHL, scoring 23.2% of the time and is 11th on the penalty kill at 80.4%. The Spitfires have registered the 9th least penalty minutes in the OHL averaging 12minutes in the box per game.

Next Home Game:

Three Firebirds Listed in NHL Draft Rankings
Three Flint Firebirds players are listed on the NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm list which ranks North American skaters eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft this June in Buffalo, NY.Flint’s Will Bitten is ranked #42 among North American skaters. Nicholas Caamano is listed #148 and Luke Kirwan is the third current Firebirds player at #166. (Read More)

Firebirds Raise Over $50,000 For Non-Profit Organizations
Since the Firebirds first major event in Flint, Michigan on February 20^th (Detroit Red Wings & Flint Generals Alumni Event), Flint’s newest hockey team, in just their first year in the region has raised over $50,000 for various non-profit organizations in Genesee County. (Read More)

Bitten Selected to CHL/NHL Top Prospects game
Flint’s Will Bitten is among the 40 players that were selected to compete in the 2016 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Vancouver, BC on Thursday Jan. 28.

The 40 CHL players skating in the game were chosen by all 30 NHL clubs and divided into teams by NHL Central Scouting. This season’s event marks the 21st annual showcase of the CHL’s top-40 NHL Draft eligible players featuring talent from the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League competing before hundreds of NHL scouts in attendance. (Read More)

Flint Firebirds Dressing Room & Facilities
Home of the Flint Firebirds, the Dort Federal Event Center received a multi-million dollar renovation in the summer of 2015 that provides the club a first class dressing room, facilities and other amenities to help the players and staff maximize their careers and goals to advance to the National Hockey League. Click here to see a photo album of the Flint Firebirds dressing room and facilities.

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