GAME PREVIEW: Spirit vs. Kingston Frontenacs – 1/30/25
Saginaw, Mich. - The Saginaw Spirit (23-19-1-1) host the Kingston Frontenacs (25-12-5-2) on Thursday, January 30th at the Dow Event Center.
Tonight’s Game:
Puck drop is at 7:05 PM.
Prior to puck drop, Detroit Lions alum and Pro-Bowler Herman Moore will be signing autographs in the Budweiser Red Room beginning at 5:30.
Broadcast:
Radio: 100.5 WSGW, WSGW.com
TV: OHL Live, CHL App, OHL Action Pak Ch. 469
Last Game:
Saginaw last played on Sunday, January 26th where they defeated the Ottawa 67’s 7-2. Zayne Parekh had three goals and an assist while Michael Misa had a goal and an assist.
Kingston last played on Saturday, January 25th where they fell to the Ottawa 67’s 5-4. Gage Heyes and Cedrick Guindon each had a goal and an assist.
This Season:
Saginaw and Kingston have faced off once so far this season with Kingston coming out on top 7-6 in a shootout. Nic Sima gave the Spirit a 1-0 lead 8:21 into the game. Just over a minute later Joey Willis tied the game at 1-1. Saginaw then finished the period by scoring three straight goals including Sima’s second of the game. The Frontenacs opened the second period with three goals of their own which included Joey Willis’s second of the night. Each team added another in the second sending the game into the third period tied 5-5. Zayne Parekh scored his second goal of the night 3:48 into the period to take the lead. Kingston scored the equalizer with 3:59 left in the period sending the game to overtime. With no goals in overtime this game was decided in a shootout, with Matthew Soto burying the game winner giving the Frontenacs a 7-6 win.
Players to Watch:
Michael Misa is currently riding a ten-game point streak into the tail end of January. In that span, Misa has tallied nine goals and 13 assists. Zayne Parekh was named the OHL’s Player of the Week after an eight-point weekend (5G, 3A). Parekh has 16 points (9G, 7A) on his current six-game point streak. Forward Igor Chernyshov is set to make his OHL debut against the Frontenacs. Chernyshov last played in the MHL where he had 13 goals and 15 assists in 22 games with Dynamo Moscow. The Penza, Russia native was the 33rd overall pick by the San Jose Sharks at the 2024 NHL Draft.
Joey Willis will look to make a splash in his first game back to the Dow Event Center. In the last matchup against Saginaw, Willis had two goals and two assists. Jacob Battaglia had a three-point performance against the Spirit last week and is on a six game point streak. In those six games, Battaglia has totaled five goals and nine assists. Canadiens prospect Cedrick Guindon is leading the Frontenacs in points with 64 (27G, 37A) in 44 games.
Saginaw’s NHL Drafted Players:
Zayne Parekh (CGY)
Igor Chernyshov (SJ)
Kingstons’s NHL Drafted Players:
Joey Willis (NSH)
Ethan Hay (TB)
Tuomas Uronen (VGK)
Ethan Miedema (BUF)
Jacob Battaglia (CGY)
Cedrick Guindon (MTL)
Emil Pieniniemi (PIT)
Quinton Burns (STL)