OHL Labour Day Weekend Preseason Recap: Sep. 1

The OHL preseason resumed over the Labour Day weekend, with nine games taking place, a first look at the newly relocated Brampton Steelheads, and a couple of teams putting up a 10-spot on their opponents.

Let's review all the action from this past weekend. We've already recapped the three Saturday games and now we're going to look at the six Sunday games.

Erie Otters vs. Saginaw Spirit

Erie and Saginaw got the party started at 11am at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. Despite their recent loss (10-5 against Brantford), the Otters turned things around and triumphed with a commanding 10-6 victory over the defending Memorial Cup champs.

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Saginaw's Jacob Cloutier opened the scoring short-handed, but Erie responded with five unanswered goals. The Otters entered the final frame with a 7-4 lead despite being outshot 35-26. Carey Terrance and Jack Clarke (second of the game) put the game out of reach for the Spirit as Erie earned their first win of the preseason.

Game Notes:
-Six Erie skaters were held without a point while seven players recorded multi-point performances.
-Anaheim Ducks prospect Carey Terrance and Chicago Blackhawks prospect Martin Misiak each recorded three points. Terrance, Misiak, and Brett Hammond combined for eight points, 12 shots, and a plus-7. 
-Otter second-rounder Lucas Ambrosio played alongside veteran Nathan Sauder and has been making a strong case to be on the team's opening night roster as a 16-year-old.
-Saginaw's Jacob Cloutier was listed on the team's fourth line but rang in a two-goal performance.
-Veteran defenseman James Guo led the Spirit in scoring with three assists.

Related: OHL training camp roster breakdown: Saginaw Spirit

Brantford Bulldogs vs. Kitchener Rangers

Brantford and Kitchener wrapped up the Labour Day weekend showcase. The Rangers needed a win to go a perfect 3-0 over the weekend, but the Bulldogs gave them a tough fight.

Kitchener's 2024 first-rounder Evan Headrick scored unassisted 2:21 into the game, followed by assistant captain Trent Swick. The Rangers outshot their opposition 10-5 and led 2-0 after the opening frame.

Halfway through the second, 2025 NHL draft-eligible prospect Tanner Lam scored. With a three-goal lead heading into the final frame, all seemed fine for the home team. Or so they thought.

Brantford defenseman Ben Radley scored his fourth of the preseason less than five minutes in. Then, fellow defenseman Noah Roberts got in on the fun. All of a sudden, it's a 3-2 game, and pressure on Kitchener not to blow it.

Bulldogs' 2023 third-rounder Joshua Avery had the primary assist on his team's first goal and scored the all-important game-tying tally. Despite allowing three goals in the third, Kitchener outshot Brantford 17-8 in the period, but Ryerson Leenders wanted to show why he's the number one in Brantford now.

Overtime solved nothing and in the shootout, all three Rangers players scored against Leenders, securing the victory and a 3-0 start to the preseason for Kitchener.

Game Notes:
-Ryerson Leenders made 34 saves on 37 shots in the loss in his first appearance in the crease with Brantford.
-Bulldogs' 2024 third-rounder Nikolas Rossetto scored first in the shootout and registered one assist, bringing his preseason statistics up to three points in three games.
-Trent Swick and Joshua Avery were the lone players to record two points.
-Kitchener finished the weekend 0/11 on the powerplay.

Related: OHL Training Camp Roster Breakdown: Kitchener Rangers

Guelph Storm vs. Brampton Steelheads

Our first look at the Brampton Steelheads playing out of the CAA Centre but the newly relocated team could not withstand a three-goal third period by the Storm.

Guelph suited up an experienced roster, while Brampton missed a few of their best players. The Steelheads got out to a 3-1 lead thanks to Ben Lalkin, Finn Harding, and Luke Misa.

Storm center Parker Snelgrove scored his second of the game around the halfway mark of the period, which started a rally of five unanswered goals by the away team. Brampton forward Gabriel Chiarot scored less than 20 seconds after Rylan Singh made it 6-3 for Guelph, but the home team could not mount the epic comeback and lost 6-4.

Game Notes:
-The Steelheads lost two defensemen — Luke Dragusica and Spencer Sova — in the first half of the game to fighting game misconducts.
-Guelph and Brampton played their two goaltenders. Guelph fans got an early look at their future in net with 2024 third-rounder Colin Ellsworth. 
-The Storm shared the wealth on offense, only five players were held without a point. 
-Jett Luchanko, Cam Allen, Parker Snelgrove, Brampton forwards Lucas Karmiris, and Ben Lalkin recorded two-point games. 
-Steelheads 2024 13th-rounder Manuel Amado suited up in his first OHL game, beating all the odds, and signed an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the team on Friday.

Ottawa 67's vs. Kingston Frontenacs

The Frontenacs and 67's clashed against one another in their preseason debuts for a Sunday matinee game. Kingston fans taking in the action got a first look at newcomers Emil Pieniniemi and Cedrick Guindon. And they did not disappoint.

Frontenacs forward Luke McNamara sounded off the horn at the Slush Puppie Place less than three minutes in. Ottawa's veteran defenseman Matthew Mayich responded with an unassisted marker. However, Mayich's goal was the loan tally that got past Kingston's 16-year-old netminder Gavin Betts.

Matthew Soto and Camden McCuaig put Kingston up 3-1 before the end of the first period with two goals in 2:35 minutes. Then, in the second period, Buffalo Sabres prospect Ethan Miedema scored 13 seconds in. Ben Pickell added a fifth goal later in the frame, capping off Kingston's 5-1 victory over Ottawa.

Game Notes:
-Gavin Betts was the first goaltender selected in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection and he showed why, stopping 28/29 in his first appearance in an OHL crease. 
-Cedrick Guindon recorded three assists, five shots, and was a plus-2 in his Frontenacs debut.
-Emil Pieniniemi played alongside Kingston's top defenseman Quinton Burns and led all players in shots with eight. 
-67's goalie Liam Conway came in halfway through the game for Collin MacKenzie and stopped 19/19. Conway was selected 11th overall in the 2024 U18 Draft.

Related: OHL training camp breakdown: Peterborough Petes

Niagara IceDogs vs. Peterborough Petes

Goaltending and defense were optional in this game, along with staying out of the box. Niagara and Peterborough combined for 14 goals, 14 powerplays, and 89 shots.

After IceDogs center Alex Assadourian scored first 5:40 into the game, the Petes scored three goals within five minutes of each other, two of which came off the stick of Chase Lefebvre. Mike Levin brought the game within one on the powerplay, but Peterborough's Joseph Cadorin and Caden Taylor scored in quick succession, putting the home team up 5-2.

Niagara needed a spark and who else but their 2023-24 rookie sensation Ryan Roobroeck to ignite it, set up by the franchise's fourth-overall pick in 2024, Braidy Wassilyn.

Roobroeck's powerplay marker started the comeback. Assadourian scored his second of the game with 14 seconds left in the second period. And then swiftly in the third, Mathieu Paris scored twice and set up Ethan Czata to put the IceDogs up 7-5.

The Petes weren't going to go away, however. While the game was being played at 4-on-4, Nico Addy brought his team within one before Lefebvre capped off the hat trick two minutes later, making it a 7-7 game.

The game went into a shootout after overtime failed to produce a winner. Niagara's Assadourian and Roobroeck missed their shots, while Peterborough's Caden Taylor and Colin Fitzgerald scored, resulting in an 8-7 victory for the Petes.

Game Notes:
-Nine players recorded multi-point games.
-Alex Assadourian did it all for the IceDogs. Three points, went 15/32 on faceoffs, and recorded eight shots on net. 
-New Niagara defenseman Matthew Virgilio had two assists, four shots, and was a plus-1 in his first game with his new team. 
-Petes' overage and assistant captain Chase Lefebvre's four points were a game-high. 
-2025 NHL draft-eligible prospect Aiden Young recorded three assists.
-Peterborough's new 16-year-old poster boy Colin Fitzgerald scored the shootout winner, recorded one assist, and took the most faceoffs on his team going 14/30.

Sudbury Wolves vs. Soo Greyhounds

Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie started their preseason against one another at the GFL Memorial Gardens, with the home team coming out on top.

The Greyhounds outshot the Wolves 10-7 in a scoreless first period, but Julian Fantino came out quickly in the second frame (41 seconds in) and got Sault Ste. Marie on the board. Sudbury forward and Sault Ste. Marie native Hudson Chitaroni got his shot past Landon Miller on the powerplay to tie the game up.

The game headed into the third tied at 2-2, but another quick goal to start the period via Justin DeZoete kickstarted the Greyhounds' three-goal third period. Marco Mignosa scored shorthanded and Travis Hayes added an empty netter, sealing Sault Ste. Marie's 5-2 win over Sudbury.

Related: OHL Training Camp Roster Breakdown: Soo Greyhounds

Game Notes:
-Greyhounds 2023 third-rounder Brady Smith recorded three primary assists. 
-Detroit Red Wings prospect Landon Miller looked solid in the crease for Sault Ste. Marie, stopping 28/30. 
-Sudbury overage centerman Kocha Delic registered two assists before receiving a fighting game misconduct early in the third period.

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