GAME PREVIEW: Saginaw Spirit vs Niagara IceDogs – 9/25/26
Saginaw, Mich. – The Saginaw Spirit (0-1-1-0) host the Niagara IceDogs (1-1-0-0) on September 25th, 2026, at the Dow Event Center.
Tonight’s Game:
Puck drop is at 7:05pm.
The Spirit and IceDogs clash in this week’s OHL Friday Night Faceoff, free to watch on FloHockey’s YouTube channel.
Broadcast:
Radio: 100.5 FM WSGW, WSGW.com
Last Game:
The Spirit fell short in their last game against the Flint Firebirds, losing 5-4 last Saturday. Drew Bate scored his first OHL goal in the contest with Brody Pepoy, Dima Zhilkin and Braidy Wassilyn adding to the tally.
The Niagara IceDogs defeated the Brampton Steelheads 4-1 last Saturday for their first win of the season. Reyth Smith had a career-best game, recording two goals and an assist for three points. The IceDogs other goals were scored by Callum Cheynowski and Layne Gallacher. Goaltender Vladislav Yermolenko made 27 saves in the contest.
This Season:
This is the first of two meetings between the clubs in 2026-2027. Both meetings went to a shootout last season, with each team claiming a 5-4 shootout win in the opponent’s arena. Saginaw has beaten Niagara 5-2-0-1 in matchups over the past five years.
Players to Watch:
Dima Zhilkin was named the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week last week, scoring 3G-2A—5P over two games played. He is also one of the first four players to be named to Team CHL for the 2026 CHL USA Prospects Challenge, taking place December 1-2. Zhilkin enters Friday night’s game tied for the league lead in points. He also sits at 123 points on his career, three points shy of older brother Danny’s 126 career points recorded between the Guelph Storm and Kitchener Rangers from 2019-2023.
Braidy Wassilyn is second in team scoring with two goals and two assists. He was recently acquired from the London Knights in exchange for Carson Harmer and a 2027 fourth-round pick. Wassilyn finished last season with 46 points in 62 games, spending most of the year with the Knights after being traded from the Niagara IceDogs, who drafted him fourth overall in 2024.
The Spirit get both of their NHL-drafted goaltenders back this weekend in Brady Knowling and Stepan Shurygin from NHL training camps, as well as forward Jacob Cloutier. Shurygin led the OHL in games played (59), minutes (3417), and saves (1704) last season, while recording 24 wins. Knowling’s OHL debut is highly anticipated after a Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal and appearances with Team USA at the U18 World Championships and World Junior Championships last season.
Saginaw’s NHL Drafted Players: Jacob Cloutier (WPG), Brady Knowling (SJS), Brody Pepoy (TOR), Stepan Shurygin (TBL)
Forward Noah Read currently leads the IceDogs in points with a goal and three assists so far this season. The St. Catherines, Ont. native joined the IceDogs via trade last season from the London Knights and finished the year with 11G-11A—22P in 60 games. He won an OHL Championship and Memorial Cup with the Knights in 2025.
Reyth Smith leads the IceDogs in goals, scoring twice in their home opener against the Brampton Steelheads. He finished last season with nine points (4G-5A) in 63 games played. The IceDogs brought Smith over in a trade with the North Bay Battalion in the summer of 2025.
Layne Gallacher finished last season with 30 points, splitting his 53-game year between the Brantford Bulldogs and the Guelph Storm. He has two points with the IceDogs so far this season- an assist against the Bulldogs and a goal against the Brampton Steelheads. The IceDogs acquired Gallacher in one of the blockbuster deals of the summer, alongside Wil McFadden and three draft picks from Guelph for forward Ryan Roobroeck.
Niagara’s NHL Drafted Players: Noah Read (ANA)
