SmartStop Post-Game Recap – Debut Night for Five Steelheads in Loss to North Bay
BRAMPTON, ON – The Steelheads returned to the CAA Centre this Friday night to host the North Bay Battalions for their first home game of 2026.
Several new faces were welcomed to the pond this past week. Sam Black, Nathan Amidovski, Carter Hicks, Jaxon Williams, and Mason Roy all made their debut in the Steelheads’ signature blue and white jerseys for tonight’s Playdium sponsored game.
The Trout were greeted with a buzzing crowd eager to see the new player dynamic unfold on the ice, as well as enjoy the Playdium intermission games and exit giveaways.
Five minutes into the opening frame, Lirim Amidovski broke the ice for the Battalion, setting the tone for the first period. Shortly after, Parker Vaughan extended their lead to 2-0.
At 11:33, Battalion’s Nolan Laird was assessed a major penalty for match-spear, while Peter Green was given a minor penalty for slashing. With both players off the ice for two minutes, it left lots of open ice for both teams to capitalize.
Once the Steelheads returned to five players, they held the power play advantage for three minutes. Determined to close the score gap, during this time frame the Trout flexed their offensive strength and made many notable shots on net. Unfortunately, they all narrowly missed the back of the net, leaving the Battalion maintaining their lead of 2-0 once back to 5-on-5 action.
With merely one minute remaining, the Battalions snuck in two additional goals to close out the first period.
The second frame began with a quick goalie change as Zach Bowen took a break and Luke Johnson hit the ice with fresh skates. Johnson made many notable saves, preventing the Battalion from extending their lead.
The Steelheads kept the puck in the offensive zone and took a total of nine shots on goal throughout the second period on the Battalion goalie, Jack Lisson. Kieran Witkowski, Julian DeMiglio, and William Eggleton made some great shots on net, however the North Bay Battalion’s defense held strong.
There were a number of penalties throughout the period. To kick things off, William Eggleton and Brandt Harper headed to the box, leading to a two minute long 4-on-4 matchup. Later, Adrian Manzo was assessed a minor penalty for tripping and headed to the slammer, leading to the second powerplay of the game for the Steelheads.
Despite neither team scoring during the period, both battled hard and showcased their advanced offensive and defensive abilities.
Just 30 seconds into the third period, the Battalion were down a man after Nick Wellenreiter was assessed a penalty. On the power play, assisted by Carter Hicks and Zach Nyman, Steelheads’ forward Justin Bottineau fired the puck between the pipes and put the fish on the board, bringing the score to 4-1. Notably, this play also earned Carter Hicks his first point of his Brampton Steelheads career.
The Steelheads continued to dominate offensively in the third frame. Luke Johnson also held a strong hand throughout his time on the ice. Battalion’s Aaron Enright slapshot soared right into the glove of the second half goalie. Johnson only let one goal in through his time on the ice, that being of North Bay’s Kaden Pietre, who scored his 1st goal of the game during the third period powerplay, closing out the game 5-1 for the Battalion.
The Brampton Steelheads will head on the road to face the Barrie Colts this Saturday, January 10th where they will face off against the Barrie Colts.
We are back at the CAA Centre next Saturday for our Bell Let’s Talk Game. Get your tickets now: https://www.ticketmaster.ca/brampton-steelheads-vs-windsor-spitfires-brampton-ontario-01-17-2026/event/1000631AC60F2AE
Shots on Goal:
NB: 27
BRAM: 21
3 Stars of Game:
- Lirim Amidovski (1G, 1A)
- Parker Vaughan (1G,1A)
- Justin Bottineau (1G)
