Ultimate Drivers Weekend Preview: In the Home Stretch
War with the Wolves
The Brampton Steelheads (30-21-10-0) have an early start to the week, as they host the Sudbury Wolves (29-26-5-0) on Tuesday night presented by Westland Insurance. Both clubs enter the week in a similar position with Brampton eying the Frontenacs for the fourth seed, while Sudbury chases the Steelheads for the fifth seed. With just two weeks left in the season, every game counts a little more. This will be the final faceoff between Central Division rivals, with Sudbury taking three of the first five. Brampton will look to even the score in a pivotal game six. The first 1000 fans in attendance will receive a special edition Carson Rehkopf mini stick courtesy of Flo. Make sure to stick around after the game because Carson will be sticking around to sign autographs! Plus, the rock cover band Ever The Bridesmaid will be performing live before the game and during intermission, delivering high-energy covers to keep the crowd pumped up.
There is no shortage of firepower on either team, and it has been on display so far in the season series. The winning club has scored five or more goals in all but one of the prior matchups. However, an area that Brampton has performed better in this season is keeping the puck out of their own net. The Steelheads currently sit with a plus 37 goal differential this season, while the Wolves trail with a negative 19 rating. If the Trout’s formidable defence core and stellar goalie rotation can limit the Wolves’ chances, they will have an easier path to victory.
The Wolves will serve as a good test for the Steelheads, as their physicality and size will help prepare for a playoff atmosphere. Sudbury boasts a whopping 15 skaters at or above six feet tall. This will give an opportunity for Brampton to display their own grit with the likes of Stevie Leskovar, Konnor Smith, Reed Gee, and Gabe Chiarot all loving to lay the body. It will be important to not cross the line, as the Wolves agitators like Nathan Villeneuve will look to draw Brampton into penalties which would set up their strong power play. If the Trout can stay disciplined and use their strength, they will be able to ramp up to playoff hockey.
So far, every matchup has been a heated affair, and with playoff tensions looming it will be a matchup you will not want to miss. So grab your tickets here!
Pushing the Petes
The Steelheads have no time to rest, as they travel to Peterborough on Wednesday to faceoff with the Petes (18-36-3-5). It will be the third of four battles with Peterborough this season with the previous two being a back-to-back at the end of January. The Steelheads and Petes split the doubleheader with each club securing their victory on the road. Brampton will look to continue the pattern with a win in Peterborough.
Playing in Peterborough will have some extra meaning for a group of Steelheads. For Porter Martone, it will be a return to his hometown. While for Stevie Leskovar, Jack Van Volsen, and Konnor Smith it will serve as a revenge game against a former team. The Trio all started their OHL careers in the maroon and white before Van Volsen and Leskovar were shipped out in order to bolster their 2023 OHL Championship run. Then, Peterborough kicked off their rebuild last season by sending Konnor Smith to Owen Sound, before he too was acquired by the Steelheads. With all the extra emotion in this game, look for those four to make an impact.
One of the main bright spots on the rebuilding Petes this year has been hometown netminder Easton Rye. The Peterborough native has taken the reins as the starting goalie in his first full season with the club sporting an impressive .907 save percentage, which is tied for the fifth-highest mark in the league. The most impressive part of his success is the team success of goalies with similar stats. The only netminders above him in save percentage are on powerhouses like the London Knights, Kitchener Rangers, Barrie Colts, and Brantford Bulldogs while the Petes sit last in league standings. With their stellar goalie in net, they can never be counted out.
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.
Clash with the Colts
On Friday, The Steelheads return to the CAA Centre to host the Central Division-leading Barrie Colts (38-19-2-2) for their St. Patrick’s Day game. It will be the sixth, and final, matchup between clubs this season. So far, Barrie has the narrow edge in the season series with three wins including an overtime victory in their last meeting. The Steelheads will look to settle the score on Friday. To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the Trout will be hitting the ice in special edition jerseys—and now you have a chance to own one! These one-of-a-kind jerseys are up for auction, along with a specialty goalie replica mask. Don’t miss your chance to take home a piece of game-day history—place your bid here!
Additionally, join us before the game at 4 PM for a Hockey Card Trading Show presented by Upper Deck! The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a free pack of Upper Deck trading cards, and anyone who attends the show will also get a free ticket to our game on March 21st. On that night, the first 2,000 fans will receive an exclusive Steelheads NHL Draft Prospect trading card, courtesy of Upper Deck!
Hockey card and memorabilia vendors will be set up throughout the concourse, so be sure to bring your Brampton Steelheads hockey cards to trade and show off! Don’t miss this exciting event for collectors and fans alike!
The Colts and Steelheads played most of their matchups at the start of the season, with four of the five clashes coming in November or earlier. As a result of this, we have barely been able to see the clubs collide at full strength, as both Brampton and Barrie made moves to bolster their roster at the trade deadline. Friday’s matchup will be able to give us a more accurate representation of how the teams stack up going into the playoffs.
Despite being Central Division rivals, the teams have constructed their rosters in a similar fashion. Both clubs boast forward cores deep enough to comfortably roll all four lines. Additionally, they sport reliable blue lines that can also contribute on the offensive end. Finally, their success starts from the crease where they both have a formidable two-goalie rotation that can shut you down on any given night. The area the Steelheads will need to show their advantage in is top-end talent. The Trout possess three skaters with more points than the leading Colt in Porter Martone, Luke Misa, and Carson Rehkopf. Brampton will need this trio to be firing on all cylinders in order to topple a fellow Eastern Conference contender.
Friday’s game is also a Winning Night! If the Steelheads win, all fans in attendance will receive a free ticket to a pre-determined game! It will be the last time to see these loaded teams collide in the regular season, so grab your tickets here!
Date with the Dogs
Finally, the Steelheads close out their weekend on Sunday with a trip southeast to play the Niagara IceDogs (28-26-3-4). It too will be the final of six collisions with their division rivals. Much like with the Colts and Wolves, the Steelheads will be looking to even the series. Going into the week, Brampton sits seven points ahead in the standings, which is a gap they will look to add to.
It has been tough sledding as of late for the IceDogs who have been in the midst of a long slump. After starting the season off on fire, Niagara has since fallen back to earth, entering the weekend having won just one of their last sixteen games (1-11-2-2). The IceDogs did show resilience in that stretch, with their lone win coming against the league-leading London Knights. With how things have gone lately, Niagara will look to right the ship before the playoffs kick-off.
It was the Brayden Gillespie show in the Steelheads’ last meeting with the IceDogs. The former Guelph Storm netminder recorded his first shutout of the season in the 22-save blanking of Niagara. Since joining Brampton, Gillespie has boasted a stellar .912 save percentage, seven wins, and two shutouts in just eleven games. The stability he brings to the crease gives the Steelheads an opportunity to win against anyone. If Gillespie can shut the door again, the Steelheads will have a good shot of taking down the IceDogs.
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.
