OHL Friday Night Faceoff: Niagara at Saginaw
The 2026-27 OHL season is finally here, and with it comes the return of Friday Night Faceoff for its second season! In partnership with FloHockey, YourTV, Rogers tv and Eastlink Community TV, all 20 OHL clubs will be featured at least twice on the initial schedule, with games available live and free across FloHockey’s Youtube channel.
The OHL Friday Night Faceoff spotlight shifts to the Dow Event Center this week as the Saginaw Spirit host the Niagara IceDogs in one of nine Friday night games across the league. Fans can watch the action live and free on FloHockey’s YouTube channel, with puck drop set for 7:05 p.m.
Saginaw enters the matchup still searching for its first win of the season after opening the campaign with an 0-1-1 record. Despite the results, the Spirit had plenty of offence on display over opening weekend, scoring eight goals across their first two games.
Linemates Dima Zhilkin and newly acquired Braidy Wassilyn were at the centre of that production, combining for nine points over the two contests. 2026 first-round selection Drew Bate also reached an early milestone on Saturday, scoring his first career OHL goal in just his second game.
Friday presents another opportunity for new head coach Brendan Taylor to earn his first win behind the Saginaw bench after taking over the Spirit ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Niagara, meanwhile, comes to Saginaw with a 1-1 record after splitting its opening weekend. The IceDogs responded to a season-opening loss with a victory over the Brampton Steelheads in their home opener on Saturday, getting goals from four different scorers in the win.
Special teams have produced contrasting results through Niagara’s first two games. The IceDogs are still searching for their first power-play goal of the season, while their penalty kill has been perfect to begin the campaign.
Like Saginaw, Niagara is also adjusting to a new era behind the bench. General Manager Dale DeGray and Head Coach Jake Grimes are in their first season leading an IceDogs team that underwent significant roster turnover during the offseason.
With both clubs settling into new chapters and plenty of early-season storylines already emerging, Friday night provides another opportunity to build momentum as the opening weeks of the 2026-27 campaign continue.
Players to Watch
Saginaw Spirit:
- Dima Zhilkin (RW) – Entering the season as one of the top prospects eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft, Zhilkin wasted little time making an impact. The Spirit forward recorded three goals and two assists through his first two games to earn OHL Player of the Week honours. He has provided plenty of entertainment along the way as well, even attempting a Michigan over opening weekend.
- Braidy Wassilyn (LW) – Recently acquired by the Spirit, Wassilyn has made quick time getting acquainted with his new club, recording two goals and two assists through his first two games. The 18-year-old recently went undrafted in the 2026 NHL Draft but has started his season with something to prove, quickly finding chemistry alongside Zhilkin as the new linemates combined for three goals and an assist on Friday night.
Niagara IceDogs:
- Noah Read (LW) – A third-round selection of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2025 NHL Draft, Read has opened his season with four points through Niagara’s first two games. The 19-year-old recorded a goal and three assists over opening weekend and enters Friday night as one of the early offensive leaders for the IceDogs.
- Vlad Yermolenko (G) – Yermolenko has provided Niagara with a strong start in the crease, starting both games over opening weekend and stopping 55 of the 59 shots he faced. The 18-year-old enters Friday with a 2.04 goals-against average and .932 save percentage after earning third-star honours in each of his first two appearances.
As part of the media partnership between the OHL and FloSports, a free Friday Night Faceoff matchup will be featured every week throughout the 2026-27 season across FloHockey’s social platforms.
Subscribers can continue to watch every OHL game all season long on FloHockey.tv and the FloSports app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and most smart TVs.
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