Game Notes: Frontenacs head back on the road to face the Steelheads
After a franchise record-tying 3-1 win last night over the Flint Firebirds, the Frontenacs are right back at it this afternoon as they hit the road to take on the Brampton Steelheads for a 4pm puck drop. The win brought the Fronts their ninth consecutive win on Slush Puppie Place ice, which ties the franchise record that has been accomplished two other times in their history.
Today, the Frontenacs face off against a Steelheads team that has struggled to find their footing. At the start of the season they were considered to be a contender for the Eastern Conference, but they find themselves in 7th place with 50 points to their name, while the Frontenacs are in 4th, just two points back of of the 1st place Barrie Colts.
From the Archives of Jim Gilchrist:
Legendary Frontenacs play-by-play announcer Jim Gilchrist sent these notes in for today’s matchup:
- Frontenacs hold a 2-0 lead in the season series over the Steelheads with an 8-2 win (Nov 9/24) and a 4-3 win (Jan 1/25)
- Kingston hasn’t had a 100 point season from a player since Lucas Edmonds in 2021-22, and the last one before that was Eric Himelfarb in 2003-04. As of publishing time, the entire top line of the Frontenacs (Battaglia, Uronen, Guindon) is on pace to hit the 100 point plateau.
The Season Series
After Brampton (then Mississauga) swept the season series in the 2023-24 season, the Frontenacs are in the driver’s seat to flip the switch this season. The Frontenacs are 2-0 so far in the season series over the Steelheads with both wins coming in very different ways. The Fronts dominated the Steelheads on November 9th, 2024 in an 8-2 win. Gage Heyes led the way with his first career hat-trick in a completely dominant victory. On New Year’s Day, the Frontneacs had to scratch and claw their way back after being down 2-0 and 3-2 in the contest. Jacob Battaglia finished the comeback off with the game winning goal with under four to play in the game. We’ll see this afternoon if the Frontenacs can continue their winning ways against the fish this season.
Players to Watch
Kingston – Cal Uens (#44)
The unsung hero of the Frontneacs, Cal Uens has had a career year on the blueline this season. The native of Napanee has been a rock on the backend, often being relied on to shutdown other team’s top units. Although not known for his offensive contributions, Uens had a 7 point outing last weekend including a ridiculous backhand spin-o-rama goal. Uens is like a bulldog, just relentless on the puck at all times. If you don’t notice #44 on the ice it’s probably for the best, as that just means he’s doing his job.
Brampton – Porter Martone (#94)
It’ll be the first time Porter Martone faces off against the Frontenacs this season when the puck drops this afternoon at the CAA Centre. Martone was serving a suspension and missed the November 9th, 2024 contest and was away at the World Juniors for the New Year’s Day clash. The top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft is fresh off a 5 point night last night against the Erie Otters and had some crazy performances against the Frontenacs last season. Keep an eye on #94 this afternoon to see what he has in store.
Tune-In: Fans have the opportunity to tune in to each game in real-time through Fronts Radio, featuring Kingston’s Pure Country 99. Fans can also tune in on 102.7 WOW FM to catch the game. The renowned play-by-play announcer, Jim Gilchrist, will be narrating the games, both home and away.
Listen Live (Streaming): Pure Country 99 https://chl.ca/ohl-frontenacs/fronts-radio-streaming-live-on-pure-country-99/
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