Ultimate Drivers Weekend Preview: Strength In Numbers

Back Together

For the first time in a month, the Brampton Steelheads (16-15-5-0) enter the weekend with Porter Martone, Carson Rehkopf, Jack Ivankovic, Adam Zidlicky, and Jakub Fibigr back in the lineup, having returned from the World Junior Championships in Ottawa. Additionally, the club has welcomed two players from the Guelph Storm in Vilmer Alriksson and Brayden Gillespie. With a replenished roster, the Trout will look to climb up the Eastern Conference standings. 

 

Early Start

Brampton has an early start to the week, as on Wednesday they travel north east to face the Ottawa 67s (14-15-3-5). It will be the fourth, and final, matchup between clubs this season, with the Trout having won two of three this season. The most recent clash took place at the CAA Centre in late December, where the Steelheads dominated to a score of 7-3. 

 

Ottawa will be missing a key cog in their offensive machine for this matchup. The 67s Captain, and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Luca Pinelli is expected to be held out of action, as it is reported that Ottawa will be sending the Sniper to a contender before this Friday’s matchup. Pinelli has been a huge part of Ottawa’s attack this year, as he leads their deadly power play with 11 goals on the man advantage. Pinelli’s shoes are massive ones to fill, but the Barber Poles will look to rookie Nathan Amidovski to break out in an expanded role. This past year’s 11th overall pick was known for his stellar shot with the Barrie Colts U16AAA, and he will look to translate that to OHL in the near future. 

 

This Wednesday’s game will also have extra meaning for a trio of Steelheads. Carson Rehkopf, Porter Martone, and Jack Ivankovic just returned from playing for 67s head coach Dave Cameron at the World Juniors. The Trout trio will look to display their skills against their former bench boss. 

 

You can catch all the road action by tuning in to watch.chl.ca or listening on Sauga960.

 

Battle with the Best

The Steelheads are back in action on Friday when they make the commute to Kitchener to square off with the Rangers (28-7-2-1). It will be the first face-off of the season between the Rangers and Steelheads. Last season, the clubs split the two-game season series, with the Trout taking the first matchup before the Rangers won the second in an overtime thriller. With two of the most talented rosters in the OHL colliding, it will be a can’t-miss matchup.

 

Despite losing a ton of star power in Matthew Sop, Hunter Brzustewicz, Filip Mesar, Eduard Sale, and Current Steelhead Carson Rehkopf, the Rangers remain a premier contender in the OHL. A key reason for their continued success has been the sensational play of Jackson Parsons. The overage netminder has posted a ridiculous 2.03 Goals Against Average, and .928% Save Percentage through 30 games. Parson’s current Save Percentage sits near 20% higher than last season’s leader. A combination of this stellar goaltending and tremendous depth has propelled Kitchener to an even better record than last season. 

 

Friday’s matchup will be another memorable one for Carson Rehkopf. The Steelheads star was drafted 17th overall by the Rangers in the 2021 OHL draft, before spending his first three seasons with the club. For the first time in his OHL career, Rehkopf will suit up in the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium as a visitor opposed to a Ranger. The Trout will look for the ‘Razer’ to lead the way against his former club, as they aim to establish themselves as a top contender this season.

 

Rapid Response

The Steelheads have a quick turnaround, as they return home Saturday to host the North Bay Battalion (14-19-3-0). It will be the third time the Trout play the Troops this season, with Brampton coming out on top in both of the previous campaigns. 

 

After a deep playoff push last season, the Battalion will now be without a major part of last season’s corps. After trading away Dalyn Wakely at the start of the season, North Bay completed the fire sale on Sunday when they shipped off Owen Van Steensel and Anthony Romani to join Wakely in Barrie. In the trade, North Bay received 2024 5th overall pick Parker Vaughan. The St. Thomas native led the Elgin Middlesex Canucks U16 AAA both on the score sheet and as team captain. Vaughan now joins an impressive young core already featuring Shamar Moses, Ryder Carey, and Ryder Cali. 

 

For Brampton, it will be an opportunity to showcase their firepower. With the departure of the Battalion’s top line, the Steelheads will look for their stars to overpower North Bay. The Trout’s top scorers Porter Martone, Carson Rehkopf, and Luke Misa combined for fourteen points (7G, 7A) in just to meeting with the Battalion this season. If the Steelheads’ stars can continue this dominance then the Trout will have no difficulty defeating the Troops. 

 

It will be an action-packed day that you will not want to miss, so grab your tickets here!