Jan 4th vs London Game Day Playbook

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A MESSAGE TO YOU 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.

ROGER HUNT

VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER

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.

ROCCO TULLIO PRESIDENT & GOVERNOR

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 DECEMBER 30TH

EAST DIVISION

KINGSTON FRONTENACS

Things have slightly turned around for the Frontenacs since their long drought, winning five of their last six games – including some upset victories over Brantford and Windsor on home ice.

Kingston’s latest victories have come thanks to Matthew Minchak continuing his outstanding play between the pipes and the likes of Landon Wright, Matthew Frost and Nolan Buttar chipping in offensively. Maleek McGowan has also potted four goals in his last five.

Despite Kingston’s latest efforts, they still have a tall climb up the Eastern Conference standings ahead of them because of their long losing skids. They will also have to do so without leading scorer and Leafs’ prospect, Tyler Hopkins, who was traded to Guelph Storm last week.

In return, the Frontenacs received ’08 centre, Alex McLean and four draft picks to build for the future. This season might have turned into one that Kingston was hoping to avoid, but they can still climb the standings if they continue their recent play.

CENTRAL DIVISION

BRAMPTON STEELHEADS

Another team with their work cut out for them in the back half of the season, the Steelheads find themselves clinging to the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Brampton had a good run at the end of November but have since dropped seven in a row and ten of their past eleven thanks in part to the offense running dry and not being able to keep the puck out of the net.

This cold streak has forced the Steelheads to offload some pieces for draft capital, beginning with Canucks’ prospect, Gabriel Chiarot, who was traded to the Kitchener Rangers for eight picks between 2026 and 2029.

With the trade deadline approaching, Brampton could look to move some more veterans like Mason Zebeski or Jakub Fibigr for either younger players or more draft stock. However, the playoffs are still a possibility with half a season to go if they get on a hot streak.

MIDWEST DIVISION

OWEN SOUND AT TA C K

After their strong start to the year, things have cooled off for Owen Sound on the heels of a seven-game losing streak and losses in 12 of the club’s last 16 games overall.

The offense is still promising for the Attack with a solid top-six led recently by Pierce Mbuyi and Nicolas Sykora but struggles of keeping the puck out of the net have led to them being the third-worst defensive team in the OHL. Some of the issues on defense might be because Carter George is away as team Canada’s starting goalie at the U20 World Juniors, others could be because of the team’s penalty kill that is also ranked third-last at 74.8%.

No matter the circumstances, Owen Sound enters the back half of the season with the Western Conference looking to get even more top heavy. A good win streak easily keeps them afloat with a fairly easy schedule coming up, but especially in their division, results will need to show.

WEST DIVISION

WINDSOR SPITFIRES

The West Division is heating up, and the Spitfires are very much in the mix for it as they have been all season with their talented group of forwards, steady defensemen and goaltending.

Windsor currently has the likes of Liam Greentree and A.J. Spellacy away at the U20 World Juniors, but that has not stopped Ethan Belchetz and Jack Nesbitt from putting together strong seasons with Ethan Garden and short-handed specialist Cole Davis contributing behind them.

Leading all d-men in assists, Carson Woodall continues to lead the Spitfires in overall scoring with Anthony Cristoforo also up to 32 points. A well-rounded blue line has not only helped Windsor as a top-five scoring team but as the league’s second-best defensive group too.

Part of the defensive success has also been because of Joey Costanzo’s terrific play as well. The overaged netminder leads all goalies in Goals Against Average and is top-five in Save Percentage with 18 wins and three shutouts to date.

You would think Windsor is the team to beat with a roster like this, but a .500 stretch and the Firebirds getting hot has changed the narrative. The Spitfires are just two points back of both their division and the conference, leading to what should be a terrific second half of the year.

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GAMEDAY OSHAWA GENERALS vs LONDON KNIGHTS SUNDAY, JANUARY 4 | 2:05PM

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GAME DAY PREVIEW The Oshawa Generals renew battle with the London Knights with both teams matching up for the second and final time in the 2025/26 campaign.

These two were the OHL finalists for the past two seasons with London coming out victorious both times, but only ten players remain from last year’s series between both sides – most notably Owen Griffin, Harrison Franssen, Haoxi Wang and Brooks Rogowski from Oshawa.

Now, the two squads have taken some steps back with their top talents from past years turning pro this season. The Knights have come out with a better outcome, still in contention for their division with a blend of offensive depth and defensive shut-down abilities.

As for the new-look Generals, their season has shown some growing pains, but they are coming off two solid efforts in back-to-back games, earning points against Niagara in overtime on the road and the top-seeded Ottawa 67’s at home in a shootout.

In fact, the last time Oshawa faced London before the holiday break, they jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and were off to a solid start before the Knights soared back for five of the game’s next six goals to take an offensive battle.

With just three goals in as many games since coming out of the break, the Gens will hope to get some five-on-five offense going, but their power play is starting to gain traction with three goals in their last four games on the manadvantage.

Oshawa will h ope that part of their offensive attack comes from Vadim Smirnov, the club’s third round selection in the CHL Import Draft from Russia who is slowly finding his groove again with two goals in four games. Smirnov’s game has been coming around thanks to his nose for the net and he has recently been rewarded with his own shot in the Generals’ top-six.

For the Knights, their leading scorer Ben Wilmott might have had just one assist the last time these teams met, but his two-way style is what makes him one of London’s top guns. The future Ohio State University commit is also in his first OHL season after coming up from the USHL and his impressed with his defensive capabilities whilst putting up one or two points a game.

The Generals continue to monitor the health of some of their players – including Aiden O’Donnell and Sam Roberts – while Onni Kalto continues his run at the U20 World Juniors with team Finland advancing to the semi-finals against Sweden. Sam O’Reilly and coach Dale Hunter are absent on London’s side as team Canada also competes in the semis against Czechia.

PLAYERS TO WATCH VADIM SMIRNOV

BEN WILMOTT

OSHAWA GENERALS

GAMES PLAYED: 32 GOALS: 6 POINTS: 11 PIMS: 11

LONDON KNIGHTS

GAMES PLAYED: 36 GOALS: 12 POINTS: 33 PIMS: 23

ASSISTS: 5

ASSISTS: 21

LAST GAME RECAP JANUARY 1ST, 2026 The Oshawa Generals hoped to start 2026 off on the right foot but fell short in a hard-fought effort against the Ottawa 67’s, dropping 3-2 in a shootout.

Brooks Rogowski and Haoxi Wang returned to the lineup today after missing last night’s game due to illness, but with a few more absences up front, Tyler Hinde – Oshawa’s third-round choice in last year’s priority selection – drew in for his OHL debut.

The Gens took to the ice in their navy-blue alternates and got the scoring started just 30 seconds in. Harrison Franssen went to the net and put away a spinning forehander past Jaeden Nelson for his second goal in as many games.

Oshawa got the start the wanted quickly, but Ottawa began piling up shots and scoring chances just as fast. Eventually, the 67’s would convert on a four-on-three power play after quick puck movement led to an open one-timer from Filip Ekberg.

The ice closed up a bit to start the second with both teams tightening up, but Spencer Bowes changed that with a rush up the ice, wrapping it around the net and banking it off Jaden Cholette and in to give Ottawa its first lead.

Not long after, the Gens would get a power play and made short work of it to tie things back up. Vadim Smirnov was the recipient of a bounce off the boards on Brooks Rogowski’s slap shot from out high and he put it into a gaping cage.

Oshawa got much more looks with 18 shots in the middle frame and got it to the intermission nodded at twos on the heels of a big four-minute penalty kill late in the period.

Entering the final 20 in a tight and tie game, both teams had their chances but their defensive structures and strong goaltending each way prevented any goals for the entirety of the period.

The Generals would go to overtime for a second straight game, but even in three-on-three the goaltenders stood tall, leading to the first shootout of the year for Oshawa.

It would come down to a sixth round, but Thomas Vandenberg netted the only goal and the winner for Ottawa, cutting from right to left and burying it past Cholette’s left-handed blocker.

The Generals lose out on the extra point in back-to-back days but come away with two solid efforts in Niagara and here this afternoon against the Eastern Conference’s top team on zero days’ rest.

Oshawa’s goaltending gave them a chance to win once again with Jaden Cholette stopping 37 of 39 shots. The same could be said for Jaeden Nelson, who made 27 saves – including some big ones in overtime and the shootout.

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