OHL Friday Night Faceoff: Owen Sound at Guelph
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 Sleeman Centre this week, where the 2027 Memorial Cup host Guelph Storm welcome the Owen Sound Attack for a Midwest Division matchup and one of six games across the league on Friday night. Fans can watch the action live and free on FloHockey’s YouTube channel, with puck drop set for 7:07 p.m.
Guelph enters Friday as one of the hottest teams in the OHL, having won four straight since getting its full lineup back from NHL training camps. The Storm had 10 players away to begin the season, but have hit their stride since their return, outscoring opponents 21-3 over that stretch.
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Tyler Hopkins has helped lead the charge offensively, recording nine points (4-5–9) through four games. Owen Griffin (Columbus Blue Jackets) sits just behind him with seven points, while Ryan Roobroeck (Chicago Blackhawks), Ethan Czata (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Carter Stevens (St. Louis Blues) have each recorded six.
The Storm have been equally impressive in the crease, with Zach Jovanovski (Carolina Hurricanes) posting shutouts in both of his appearances this season. With a deep lineup back together, the 2027 Memorial Cup hosts will look to keep rolling in their first Friday Night Faceoff appearance of the season.
Owen Sound enters Friday looking to build off a statement win over the Brantford Bulldogs. After opening the season with a victory over the Kitchener Rangers and then dropping four straight, the Attack handed Brantford its first loss of the season with a 3-0 shutout, snapping the Bulldogs’ seven-game winning streak.
Captain and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Pierce Mbuyi has led the way offensively with four goals and six points to start the season. Off-season addition and veteran netminder Ryerson Leenders enters Friday just one win away from cracking the top 10 since 2000.
While consistency has been a challenge for Owen Sound early on, the Attack have shown they can rise to the occasion against some of the league’s top teams. Both of their victories have come by way of shutout, first against the defending Memorial Cup champion Kitchener Rangers and most recently against a Brantford Bulldogs team that entered the night riding a seven-game winning streak. They’ll look to find that same defensive form on Friday as they head to Guelph to face another early-season powerhouse in the Storm.
Players to Watch
Owen Sound Attack:
- Pierce Mbuyi (LW) – The Attack captain has led the way offensively with four goals and six points to start the season, being held off the scoresheet just once. A Pittsburgh Penguins prospect, Mbuyi will look to help Owen Sound build off its statement win over Brantford against one of the hottest teams in the league.
- Ryerson Leenders (G) – With both of Owen Sound’s wins coming via shutout, goaltending has been key when the Attack have been at their best. Sitting at 96 career wins, Leenders enters Friday night just one victory away from cracking the top 10 since 2000 and four away from reaching 100 in his OHL career.
Guelph Storm:
- Tyler Hopkins (C) – The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect has been at the centre of Guelph’s offensive surge, leading the club with nine points while recording at least two in each of his four games. Hopkins has helped a now full-strength Storm lineup quickly establish itself as one of the league’s early frontrunners.
- Zach Jovanovski (G) – It is hard to ask for a better start between the pipes. The Carolina Hurricanes prospect has appeared in two games this season and has yet to allow a goal, turning aside all 44 shots he has faced for back-to-back shutouts as part of Guelph’s four-game winning 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.
