OHL Friday Night Faceoff: Brampton vs. Ottawa

The 2026-27 OHL season is finally here, and with it comes the return of Friday Night Faceoff for its second season! In partnership with FloHockey, YourTV, Rogers tv and Eastlink Community TV, all 20 OHL clubs will be featured at least twice on the initial schedule, with games available live and free across FloHockey’s Youtube channel. 

 

The OHL Friday Night Faceoff spotlight shifts to the Cornwall Civic Complex this week for the highly anticipated Seaway Shootout, as the Brampton Steelheads take on the Ottawa 67’s in the first of two games at Ed Lumley Arena over the weekend. Fans can catch the action live and free on FloHockey’s YouTube channel, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m.

Ottawa enters Friday riding a four-game point streak, having collected five of a possible six points during a three-game road trip. The 67’s have been one of the league’s more consistent teams to open the season, holding a 5-1-2-0 record while earning points in seven of their first eight games.

Continuing a trend from last season, goaltending has once again been a major factor in Ottawa’s early success, with Jaeden Nelson earning back-to-back OHL Goaltender of the Week honours. Nelson turned aside all 36 shots he faced in a 3-0 shutout victory over Erie on Saturday before making 41 saves in a shootout win over Brantford on Sunday. Ottawa also earned a point in a 2-1 overtime loss to Niagara on Thursday, despite outshooting the IceDogs 45-21.

Offensively, Filip Ekberg leads the Barber Poles with nine points, while Spencer Bowes has paced the club with six goals and Brock Chitaroni leads the way with seven assists. As contributions are coming throughout the lineup and with Nelson providing a steady presence between the pipes, Ottawa will look to continue its strong start against an Eastern Conference opponent still searching for its first victory.

Brampton enters Friday looking to turn things around after a difficult start to the 2026-27 campaign. The Steelheads remain in search of their first win with a 0-6-1-1 record, but will have an opportunity to get back on track as they serve as the home team for both games of the Seaway Shootout in Cornwall.

Nathan Amidovski has led the way offensively for Brampton, recording nine points through eight games, while Keaton Ardagh has emerged as the club’s leading goal scorer with five. 

Adding to the occasion, Brampton will take the ice wearing throwback Cornwall Royals jerseys for both games, featuring the design worn by the historic franchise from 1969 to 1992 during its time in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and OHL. With the league returning to Cornwall for a special weekend of hockey, the Steelheads will look to make the most of the opportunity and secure their first victory of the season.

 

Players to Watch:

Brampton Steelheads:

• Nathan Amidovski (LW) – Amidovski has led the way offensively for Brampton, recording a team-high nine points through eight games. As the Steelheads continue their search for their first victory, they’ll look to their leading scorer to help generate offence against an Ottawa team that has allowed just five goals over its last three games.
• Keaton Ardagh (RW) – Leading the Steelheads with five goals through eight games, Ardagh has been one of Brampton’s top offensive contributors to open the season. He’ll look to continue finding the back of the net as the Steelheads aim to snap their early-season skid.

 

Ottawa 67’s:

• Jaeden Nelson (G) – The reigning back-to-back OHL Goaltender of the Week has been a key part of Ottawa’s strong start, posting a 2.28 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and one shutout. Nelson enters Friday coming off a 36-save shutout against Erie and a 41-save performance against Brantford, helping the 67’s collect five of a possible six points on their recent road trip.
• Spencer Bowes (LW) – Bowes has been one of Ottawa’s top offensive threats to start the season, leading the club with six goals through eight games. Coming off a goal in Sunday’s shootout victory over Brantford, he’ll look to continue producing as the Barber Poles aim to extend their four-game point streak.

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As part of the media partnership between the OHL and FloSports, a free Friday Night Faceoff matchup will be featured every week throughout the 2026-27 season across FloHockey’s social platforms.

Subscribers can continue to watch every OHL game all season long on FloHockey.tv and the FloSports app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and most smart TVs.