Ultimate Drivers Weekend Preview: Ready to Roll
Starting in Sudbury
The Brampton Steelheads (22-19-8-0) have an early start to their week when they travel north to Sudbury tomorrow night. It will be the third of six matchups with the Sudbury Wolves (24-20-5-0) with the Steelheads falling in overtime in both matchups. Wednesday’s game is a pivotal game for both sides with the Steelheads sitting within striking distance of the Wolves. The winner will move up to the third seed in the Central Division and sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
A key to victory for the Steelheads against Sudbury will be to lock down on special teams. Of the eleven goals scored by the Wolves so far in the series, just two have come at five-on-five. Their power play accounted for six of their goals, while the penalty kill added two more. Additionally, the Sudbury man advantage will have even more firepower in this contest with the return to the lineup of Quentin Musty, and the deadline acquisition of Henry Mews. It will be a tough task, but the Trout have been hot as of late on the penalty kill, not having let in a power play goal in their last four games.
It is set to be the first time in this season’s series that the Steelheads will have their top players back in the lineup. The first two matchups occurred during the World Junior Championships which meant the Steelheads were missing Porter Martone, Carson Rehkopf, Jack Ivankovic, Adam Zidlicky, and Jakub Fibigr. Those stars showed out this past weekend. Porter Martone tallied a whopping nine points (3G, 6A) in just two games. On Friday, Carson Rehkopf tied the franchise record for most points in a game with six (3G, 3A). On Saturday, Jack Ivankovic recorded his second shutout of the season. Jakub Fibigr added three assists across the back-to-back. With a reinforced lineup, the Trout will look to begin their climb up the standings by passing the Wolves tomorrow night.
You can watch all Steelheads away games by purchasing CHL TV, accessible on the CHL mobile app, in addition to Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, and online at watch.chl.ca.
Battling the Battalion
The Steelheads have no time to rest, as on Thursday they make the next stop of the road trip in North Bay. It will be the fourth of six showdowns with the North Bay Battalion (18-27-4-0) with the Steelheads having won two of three. Through those three games against the Troops, two have needed extra time, so it will surely be an eventful matchup.
After an all-in playoff push last season, the Battalion have entered a full rebuild this season. The club started off by shipping Dalyn Wakely to Barrie before sending Anthony Romani and Owen Van Steensel to reunite with their former linemate. Through the pair of moves, the Troops have formed a new corps featuring Ethan Procyszyn, Ryder Carey, Shamar Moses, and Parker Vaughan. The latter of the group had a strong start to his North Bay career when they played the Trout in his second matchup with the club. The St. Thomas native tallied his first point with North Bay in the first period before ending the game with an overtime dagger. With a strong young core, the Troops can upset any team on a given night.
In the last Steelheads victory in North Bay, it was Spencer Sova who stole the show. The overage defenceman tied the franchise record for most points in a game as a defenceman with an assist on all five Brampton goals. Though the points have not come, Sova has played strong as of late, with the Trout being a plus-six with him on the ice this past weekend. Another matchup with a team he performed well against will provide a great opportunity for the blue-liner to return to the scoresheet and build confidence before the playoffs.
You can watch all Steelheads away games by purchasing CHL TV, accessible on the CHL mobile app, in addition to Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, and online at watch.chl.ca.
Over to Oshawa
On Saturday the Steelheads close out their three-game road trip in Oshawa. It will be the second time the Trout travel to face the Oshawa Generals (31-15-3-2) this season before the series comes to Brampton next week. The defending Eastern Conference champs took the first game of the season series, but the Trout will look to even up the score this weekend.
After losing in the OHL finals to London last year, the Generals have continued to load up for another run this season. The moves began at the start of the season when Oshawa acquired former Owen Sound Attack captain, and Winnipeg Jets first-rounder, Colby Barlow. At the deadline, the club bolstered their lineup with a trade for Nashville Predators prospect and World Junior representative Andrew Gibson, as well as the signings of Philadelphia Flyers prospect Noah Powell, and 2025 Draft Eligible Simon Wang. After the flurry of moves, the Generals have soared up to the second-best win percentage in the Eastern Conference.
In the first matchup of the season series, the duo of Luke Misa and Finn Harding controlled the play for the Trout. Each of Misa and Harding tallied points on both Brampton goals. It has been a strong stretch for Misa as of late, tallying twelve points (9G, 3A) in his past nine games. Despite the great point totals, his impact has been more than just on the scoresheet. The Calgary Flames prospect has been driving play, forcing turnovers, and elevating teammates. Likewise, Finn Harding has had a similar impact with six points (1G, 5A) this past weekend. If the dynamic duo can keep up this strong play the Steelheads will have a good chance to secure two points.
You can watch all Steelheads away games by purchasing CHL TV, accessible on the CHL mobile app, in addition to Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, and online at watch.chl.ca.
Return Home
On Monday the Steelheads return home to the CAA Centre when they host the Niagara IceDogs (27-17-3-3). It will be the fifth of six matchups against the IceDogs this season. Niagara has given Brampton a hard time this season taking three of the previous four contests. With two games left to play in the season series, the Steelheads will look to even things up with two victories. To celebrate Family Day, the Trout will be partnering with SmartStop Self Storage to bring family fun to the rink. The first 1000 fans in attendance will receive an Owen Tippett bobblehead. There will also be balloon artists and face painting available around the concourse. Family four packs featuring four tickets, popcorns, and drinks, as well as two slush puppies, will be available for the game. Do not miss out on the fun and grab your tickets here!
The IceDogs have boasted an elite offense this season with the seventh most goals for in the league. With the likes of Ryan Roobroeck, Andrei Loshko, Kevin He, Ethan Czata, and Braidy Wassilyn it is easy to see why. However, the club has struggled as of late securing just two wins in their last ten games. If they continue to slip and the Trout continue to play like they did last weekend, the Steelheads will be able to overtake them in the standings.
One advantage the Trout will look to exploit is their depth at forward. A name they will look to in particular is Gabriel Chiarot. The sophomore forward is in the midst of a breakout campaign, already having more than doubled last season’s totals with a game in hand. The Hamilton native tallied two goals in Brampton’s most recent matchup with Niagara. If Chiarot can continue to use his physicality to wear down the Niagara defence, he will have no trouble getting on the scoresheet.
