GAME PREVIEW: Saginaw Spirit vs Flint Firebirds – 10/23/26
Saginaw, Mich. – The Saginaw Spirit (6-3-2-0) face the Flint Firebirds (6-2-1-0) on Friday, October 23rd, at the Dow Event Center. The in-state rivals open up a home-and-home weekend to celebrate the OHL’s Rivalry Week.
Tonight’s Game:
Puck drop is at 7:05pm.
This meeting marks game two of this season’s Coors Light I-75 Divide Cup series, held annually between Saginaw and Flint. The Firebirds currently hold a 1-0 lead in the series and hold the cup after winning it for the fourth time in 2025-2026.
The Spirit also celebrate their fifth annual Pride Night, together with Dow and Great Lakes Bay Pride.
Broadcast:
Radio: 100.5 FM WSGW, WSGW.com
TV: FloHockey
Last Game:
Saginaw lost 2-1 to the Owen Sound Attack on Sunday, October 19th, at the Dow Event Center. The Spirit’s lone goal scored by Dima Zhilkin was not enough to extend their five-game winning run. Brady Knowling made 21 saves on 23 shots.
Flint defeated the Owen Sound Attack 3-2 on Saturday, October 17th, at the Dort Financial Center. Darian Anderson contributed to all three of the Firebirds’ goals, scoring twice and picking up an assist. Mason Courville made 19 saves on 21 shots.
This Season:
Saginaw and Flint last met on September 19th in the Spirit’s home opener. The Firebirds took the 5-4 win in front of a sellout crowd to kick off the Coors Light I-75 Divide Cup series. Drew Bate scored his first OHL goal, and Dima Zhilkin finished the game with three points (1G-2A). Flint’s Xavier Tessier registered his first career hat trick, and Brady Smith scored the game-winner on the powerplay in a game with five lead changes.
Players to Watch:
Dima Zhilkin leads the OHL in scoring with 12G-10A—22P in 11 games. Zhilkin has scored in all but one of Saginaw’s games this season and grabbed the Spirit’s only goal in their 2-1 loss to Owen Sound on Sunday. The Spirit captain’s goal scoring streak currently sits at seven games, two shy of Josh Shalla’s franchise-record nine game goal streak in 2012.
Forward Jacob Cloutier enters Friday’s game on a nine-game point streak (3G-6A—9P). The streak is the longest of his four-year OHL career and tied with Braidy Wassilyn for the second-longest Spirit point streak this season. Cloutier registered an assist on Sunday evening against the Attack. He missed the earlier meeting between Flint and Saginaw while attending Winnipeg Jets training camp in late September.
Saginaw’s point leader among defensemen, Levi Harper, has 2G-8A—10P in five games. The Spirit alternate captain scored four points (2G-2A) in Saginaw’s last win against Sarnia on October 17th, but was held off the score sheet for the first time this season on Sunday against Owen Sound. Averaging two points per game, Harper sits eigth among OHL defensemen in scoring.
Saginaw’s NHL-Drafted Players: Brady Knowling (SJS), Jacob Cloutier (WPG), Brody Pepoy (TOR), Stepan Shurygin (TBL)
Flint’s scoring lead is shared between Jimmy Lombardi and Darian Anderson. Lombardi has 14 points (4G-10A) in eight games this season. He scored a goal and an assist in the Firebirds’ 3-2 win over Owen Sound on Saturday. The 19-year-old center was drafted by the LA Kings in the NHL Draft in 2025 and has points in all but one of his games this season.
Darian Anderson scored three points (2G-1A) in Flint’s win over Owen Sound, including the game-winner. Anderson has 7G-7A—14P in nine games this season to put him on par with Lombardi. The New York Rangers prospect has also been held off the scoresheet just once this season.
Forward Cooper Williams sits third in team scoring with nine points (3G-6A) in nine games since signing with the Firebirds as a free agent this offseason. He picked up two assists against the Spirit on September 19th. The Pinckney, Michigan native had an assist against Owen Sound last Saturday and has six points (3G-3A) in his last four games.
Flint’s NHL-Drafted Players: Nick Bogas (STL), Jimmy Lombardi (LAK), Darian Anderson (NYR), Rylan Fellinger (TOR), Trenten Bennett (NJD)
