Preseason Report: August 30th, 2025

Saginaw Spirit vs. Brantford Bulldogs (in Kitchener)

Final: 3 (BFD) – 2 (SAG)

After a scoreless opening frame, Liam Storch struck shorthanded early in the second period to give Saginaw the lead
Just 20 seconds later, still on the same man advantage, Cooper Dennis responded for Brantford to pull the game even.
The third period saw Dennis strike again in the final minutes, giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the night.
For the second straight game, the Spirit pulled their goaltender late and managed to tie things up, forcing another shootout
Brantford ultimately prevailed 3-2 in the shootout to improve to 2-0 on the preseason
Goaltender Maksim Corovic was stellar for the Bulldogs, turning aside 40 of 42 shots
Patrick Babin, Joshua Avery, and Aiden O’Donnell recorded assists for Brantford, while Jacob Cloutier, Nikita Klepov, and James Guo chipped in helpers for Saginaw

Flint Firebirds vs. Niagara IceDogs

Final: 3 (NIAG) vs. 2 (FLNT)

Flint jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame as the line of Jimmy Lombardi, Nathan Aspinall, and Alex Kostov combined for two points apiece
Niagara responded in the second period with three unanswered goals from Braidy Wassilyn, Kevin He, and Ryan Roobroeck to take their first lead of the night
Wassilyn, Blake Burns, Ryseron Edgar and Andrew Wycisk all picked up helpers as well
With the Firebirds pressing late and their goaltender pulled, Wassilyn came up with a crucial shot block in the final second to preserve a 3-2 victory for the IceDogs
Goaltenders William Lubimov and Matthew Humphries split duties for Niagara, combining to stop 34 of 36 shots

Oshawa Generals vs. Kitchener Rangers

Final: 4 (KIT) – 1 (OSH)

Luca Romano wasted no time getting Kitchener on the board, scoring just twelve seconds into the game
Haeden Ellis added his second of the preseason to double the lead heading into the middle frame
The Rangers extended their advantage in the second period with goals from Andrew MacNiel and Tanner Lam, while Matthew Hlacar recorded two assists
Jack Pridham, Evan Headrick, Cameron Arquette, Avry Anstis, and Alex Forrest also chipped in helpers
Oshawa broke through shortly after Kitchener’s fourth goal, as Brady Blaseg capitalized with help from Tyler Hinde and Brennan Huyck
Mason Hriczov and Jason Schaubel combined to stop 21 of 22 shots in Kitchener’s crease, backstopping the Rangers to a 4-1 win
Despite five power-play chances for both sides, neither team was able to convert with the man advantage

Erie Otters vs. Peterborough Petes

Final: 5 (PBO) – 2 (ER)

After a scoreless opening frame, Caden Taylor broke the ice with his first of the night to give Peterborough the lead
Erie responded midway through the second period when Wesley Royston converted on the power play to even things up
The Petes would answer quickly as Braydon McCallum would regain the lead just minutes later
Peterborough carried that momentum into the third, pulling away with three more goals from Leon Kolarik, Colin Fitzgerald, and Taylor’s second of the night
McLean Argrette added a late marker for Erie, but it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback
The Petes were dominant in the faceoff circle, winning 45 draws to the Otters’ 17
Despite the loss, Erie goaltender Owen Papp stood tall, turning aside 42 of 47 shots faced

London Knights vs. Sarnia Sting

Final: 5 (LDN) – 4 (SAR) – SO

This was the second game of their home-and-home preseason series
Beckham Edwards opened the scoring late in the first period with his first of the game, giving the Sting a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission
London responded quickly in the second, as Eloan Le Gallic tied things up before PJ Fagan II gave the Knights their first lead of the night
With less than 10 seconds remaining in the frame, Ruslan Karimov struck on the power play to knot the game at two
The Sting pulled ahead midway through the third with back-to-back goals from Alessandro Di Iorio and Edwards, who netted his second of the game
Logan Hawery, with his third of the preseason, and Jaxon Cover, with his second, scored in quick succession to force the shootout
London would go on to secure the victory in the shootout, improving to 2-0 to start the preseason
Lukas Fischer picked up two assists for Sarnia, while Karimov, Di Iorio, Dylan Luecke, Kaden Aucoin, and Kase Kamzik also chipped in helpers
For London, Mikhail Zakharov, Logan Hawery, and Caleb Mitchell each recorded two assists, while Cover added one

Brampton Steelheads vs. Guelph Storm

Final: 3 (GUE) – 1 (BRAM)

Second overall pick Jaakko Wycisk opened the scoring for Guelph in the first period, with his first of the game
Ty Daniels would manage to even things up at one in the last few minutes of the second frame
Guelph regained control in the third, as Leo Serlin and Wycisk, with his second of the night, provided the offence needed to secure the win
Serlin, Hayden Martin, Ethan Miedema, Charlie Paquette, Quinn Beauchesne, and goaltender Colin Ellsworth all collected assists, while Ellsworth also stood tall in net, stopping 34 of 35 shots faced
With the result, both clubs finish the home-and-home with identical 1-1 records