Feb 6th vs Sarnia Game Day Playbook

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A MESSAGE TO YOU

VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER

I want to take this opportunity to welcome all of you to the 2025-26 Oshawa Generals OHL season. As always not only a welcome to the legions of returning fans, but for all of the new fans as well. Welcome to Gens Nation!!!

The large number of players that you will be seeing on the ice this season will be coming off back to back OHL championship finals appearances. A great accomplishment but we all know we fell short of our ultimate goal of winning the Robertson trophy and going to the Memorial Cup. The real success of this years team is to return to that level. Three years ago we finished in eighth place followed by a first place and fourth place regular season finishes respectively. The first-place finish and back-to-back finals appearances were the result of the building blocks being put in place seasons before and the team growing up together. Winning doesn’t happen by accident, and it must be done by doing things the right way.

The men in charge of that will be led by Mario Pouliot and his winning pedigree in junior hockey. Mario will push these players to places they may not have been before but trusting a coach that has won two Memorial Cups the reboot should move quickly. Mike Farrugia will be in his third season behind the bench, and they will be joined by newcomer Derrick Walser who most recently coached in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels. Derrick was part of the Peterborough Pete’s coaching staff that won the OHL championship and competed in the Memorial Cup in 2023.

The hockey landscape as we know it, is changing and the people to benefit the most will be you the fans and the players. Fans will get to see young players live that they may never have been able to see before. Players with NCAA commits that may have played in other leagues to preserve their eligibility are free to explore the OHL now before going to school. Players will have the opportunity to extend their playing careers and get the best of both worlds. I suspect by the end of this upcoming season we may have half of our players with NCAA commits. However, make no mistake the OHL/CHL will remain the industry leader in producing NHL draft picks. Look no further then our own Simon Wang and Owen Griffin who had their names called for the San Jose Sharks and the Columbus Blue Jackets respectively this past June in LA.

Now you must play your part and fill this building every night. Give these guys true home ice advantage and push them to be there best night in and night out. Go Gens Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As we prepare to embark on our 88th year, we’re energized by what the future holds. While much has changed over the years, our expectations remain the same: to ice a competitive team with our sights set on returning to the finals. This year’s roster will feature an exciting blend of new talent and veteran leadership—a dynamic mix of size, skill, and relentless compete.

We can’t wait to welcome our loyal fans back to the rink and feel your support in the stands.

Starting in the new year, fans will begin to see major renovations take shape at the arena—a place the Generals have proudly called home for decades, and will continue to for years to come. These enhancements will honor our deep-rooted history while ushering in a new era of excellence, elevating the game-day experience for players and fans alike. From improved facilities to refreshed fan spaces, the upgrades will reflect the pride and spirit of the Oshawa community. This investment not only reinforces our commitment to the organization but celebrates the city we represent—with full completion slated for late 2027.

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AROUND THE OHL

AS OF FEBRUARY 5TH

EAST DIVISION

BRANTFORD BULLDOGS

After a .500 stretch for the last couple of months, the Bulldogs have gotten hot again with points in twelve straight to climb back to the top of the East.

Their talents continue to be as lethal as ever with Marek Vanacker up to 35 goals to lead the OHL, and both Caleb Malhotra and Jake O’Brien being top-five in league scoring with 27 points combined in their each of their last ten.

Add a deadly blue line – with former Generals Ben Danford and Zach Sandhu – built for both offense and defense as well as Ryerson Leenders and David Egorov continuing to put up solid numbers between the pipes, and you have a pretty well-rounded group.

Despite Brantford’s streak putting them back in the number one seed, they only have a three-point lead with the Ottawa 67’s still hot on their tail. The two have a big matchup ahead this weekend in what will be their final meeting head-to-head this season.

CENTRAL DIVISION

BARRIE COLTS

On the heels of nine wins in ten games and victories in 23 of 28 since mid-November, the Colts have entered conversations for the Eastern Conference-lead.

Everything continues to click for Barrie on both sides of the puck. Cole Beaudoin and Emil Hemming keep putting up the points and have gained solid chemistry with Ben Wilmott, who has 14 points in eleven games since coming over from London.

Kashawn Aitcheson is still the driving force of the Colts’ blue line, leading all OHL defensemen in goals with 22 – 12 of them on the power play, which is also tied for second-most in the league.

Ben Hrebik being second in save percentage league-wide has also helped Barrie keep the puck out of the net in their stretch, but their offense gaining even more of a boost has been the key element to getting them into the race for the top seed.

MIDWEST DIVISION

OWEN SOUND ATTACK

It has been a rough sled for Owen Sound since the second half of the season began – winning only three of twelve and going on a seven-game losing streak since the end of December.

While the Attack remain a solid offensive bunch with Pierce Mbuyi and solid depth leading them to the seventh-most goals in the league, their weakness continues to be keeping the puck out of the net – an issue they have had for what seems like all season.

Their inconsistency forced them to ship off captain David Bedkowski to the Ottawa 67’s and star goaltender Carter George to the SOO Greyhounds at the trade deadline. With a gap in the net, Trenten Bennett will man the cage for the rest of the year.

Owen Sound does still hold a ten-point gap for a playoff spot and have a two-point edge for the sixth seed in the Western Conference. They will attempt to finish the season strong for a 14th straight postseason appearance.

WINDSOR SPITFIRES

In the ever-tight Western Conference, the Spitfires sit in the third seed but are far from being out of the race thanks in part to their high-end talent.

Top NHL Draft-eligible prospect Ethan Belchetz has eight points in his last ten and is fourth in league goal-scoring with 29. Liam Greentree – whose rights were recently traded to the New York Rangers – and Cole Davis are also some of the league’s best short-handed specialists.

Defensively, Carson Woodall and Anthony Cristoforo continue to be a great one-two punch on the blue line as both are top-five in scoring amongst defenders. Joey Costanzo is also top-five in just about every goaltending category, from wins to shutouts.

Windsor has had a subpar stretch with five wins in their last ten, but their talents continue to be some of the best in the OHL. They enter this weekend just a single point back of both Kitchener and Flint for that top position in the West.

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OSHAWA GENERALS vs SARNIA STING

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6 | 7:05PM

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GAME DAY PREVIEW

The Oshawa Generals get set for the first of two games on home ice this weekend, beginning with the Sarnia Sting tonight.

The Gens are coming off a busy weekend where they took two of three games. First, a 6-4 comeback victory over the Niagara IceDogs last Friday and a 4-3 overtime win this past Sunday over the Brampton Steelheads thanks to Brooks Rogowski’s power play marker.

Rogowski comes in with goals in three straight while Harrison Franssen and Luke Posthumus have combined for 19 points in each of their last ten. Oshawa hopes to extend their home win streak to three as they welcome in another struggling team in the Sting.

Sarnia might have their own solid pieces that are eligible for this year’s NHL Draft like Easton Walos and Beckham Edwards, but they sit dead last in the Western Conference and come into today with two wins in their last ten and three straight losses.

Two teams that are building for the future come into this one looking for a big win in what is their second and final matchup of the season. Oshawa took the first meeting in Sarnia 3-1 back in October with Rogowski netting the winner with a power play goal in the third.

Both teams have made tweaks to their rosters compared to four months ago, but their goals for development in the final two months of the season remain the same. The Generals have had their way with Sarnia recently with six wins in their last seven head-to-head.

Owen Griffin also had some good success against the Sting in October with a goal and an assist and hopes to do the same tonight. The Gens’ leading scorer has done a lot for his team on both sides of the puck all season with his on-ice awareness and drive to make plays happen.

The other way, Sarnia’s sophomore Alessandro Di lorio looks to keep his run going with three goals in his last five coming in. it has been a tough second season for Di lorio, who missed the start of it with an injury, but his playmaking abilities have showed since his return in November.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

OWEN GRIFFIN ALESSANDRO DI IORIO

OSHAWA GENERALS

GAMES PLAYED: 46 GOALS: 19 ASSISTS: 23

POINTS: 42 PIMS: 36

SARNIA STING

GAMES PLAYED: 31 GOALS: 12 ASSISTS: 9

POINTS: 21 PIMS: 14

LAST GAME RECAP

FEBRUARY 1ST, 2026

The Oshawa Generals once again rallied in the third period and took down the Brampton Steelheads 4-3 in overtime on the club’s sixth annual Pride Night.

Both Rowen Sang and Tyler Hinde drew in up front and Jaden Cholette was back between the pipes for the first time in six games. His opponent in the net would be Zach Bowen, who made his third straight start for the Steelheads.

After a tough go offensively yesterday, the Gens struck nice and early in this one. Anthony Figliomeni forced a turnover behind the Brampton net and fed Vadim Smirnov, who outwaited Zach Bowen and tucked it past him for the icebreaker.

The Generals enjoyed the lead for some time before Keaton Ardagh netted the equalizer after flying into the zone on the far side and wiring it over Cholette’s left-handed blocker for his eleventh on the season.

It would not be tied for long after Leo Laschon jumped in from the point and netted Brooks Rogowski’s terrific backhand saucer pass from the near side. Brampton would respond again with a power play marker from Julian DeMiglio to tie it at two before the first intermission.

After both teams combined for more goals than in yesterday’s game in 20 minutes, they continued their physical battle throughout the middle frame with hard hits, closing out open ice and pushing and shoving after whistles.

There was not a whole lot of offense generated in the second until the final minute of the period when Justin Bottineau grabbed a loose puck just outside the blue paint and ripped it past Cholette to give Brampton their first lead heading to the third.

For the third straight game this weekend, the Generals enter the third trailing and in need of a comeback effort to win. The same scenario occurred in their last home game Friday night, where they put up four in the third to overcome a two-goal deficit.

Oshawa would get many chances in a fast and high-event third period and would tie it with 4:40 remaining on the heels of Tyler Hinde’s first OHL goal. At four-on-four, Hinde drove to the net and stayed with the rebound to jam it in.

The Generals outshot Brampton 21-6 in the third and their efforts guaranteed them a point, setting up three-on-three overtime for five minutes. Just 21 seconds into the extra period, Oshawa would get their fourth power play and a chance to win.

On the four-on-three advantage, the Gens cycled it around until Brooks Rogowski roofed it upstairs from the slot to get his team the victory. It was Rogowski’s second point of the night, tenth goal of the season and second in as many days against the Steelheads.

It was another physical and intense contest between last year’s first round combatants, but the Generals came out on top in a game that went beyond 60 minutes to force a split in the season series with Brampton.

Jaden Cholette earned his tenth victory of the season, stopping 21 of 24 shots, but Oshawa played well in front of their goaltender all night to secure two wins in their three games this weekend.

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MATT BEACHIN

Call 905-433-0900 Ext. 2233 or Email mbeachin@oshawagenerals.com

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