Flint has building blocks
They took a shot and made a good run of it. While it is naturally disappointing when a championship goal is not achieved, the Flint Firebirds attained plenty over the course of the ’25-26 Ontario Hockey League season. And now, with so many key players having graduated, the Firebirds are in a retool stage ahead of the ’26-27 season.
To be sure, from the net to the blue line to returning forwards, Flint does have some components to build around in ’26-27. Which will be following a ’25-26 campaign in which the Firebirds set regular season records in the 10 year history of the franchise in wins with 44 and in points with 95 en route to a third place finish in the highly competitive Western Conference — before losing in the second round of the playoffs to the Windsor Spitfires.
Up and coming young goalie Mason Courville figures to increase his workload in ’26-27 following a ’25-26 rookie season in which the puck stopper with the late October, 2009 birthdate fashioned a record of 8-8-1 to go with a 3.06 goals against average and .893 save percentage as the backup to since graduated workhorse Mason Vaccari.
It is on the blue line that the Firebirds have five seasoned OHL skaters who are poised to play upward roles in ’26-27 — 2007 birth year defenders Luka Graziano, Dryden Allen, Rylan Fellinger and James Paul and George Komadoski, who was born in 2028. Fellinger, who grew up in small town Wawa and played minor hockey in Sault Ste. Marie, is a 2024 National Hockey League draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Up front, 40 goal scorer Jimmy Lombardi, a signed NHL draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings, heads a neat list of returnees for Flint as a 2007 birth year skater. Others who Flint would like to see boost their production in ’26-27 are 2008 birth year forwards Brady T. Smith, Xavier Tessier, Bryson Morgan and Ryland Cunningham as well as 2009 birth year youngster Charlie Murata, who was the Firebirds first round pick at the 2025 OHL priority selections draft.
The Firebirds will also be looking for their second and third round picks from the ’25 OHL draft to step into the lineup as rookies in ’26-27 — prized, right hand shooting defenseman Lucas Nutting and forward Brayden Lappalainen, a highly regarded prospect from the Windsor area.
A potential sleeper to fill one of the defense positions in ’26-27 is mammoth, mid December 2008 birth year brick house Carter Kucher, who Flint took in the 11th round of the 2024 OHL draft. Kucher is a fearsome, physical force from Sault Ste. Marie who has stepped up his game over the past two seasons with the Chatham Maroons of the Greater Ontario Hockey League after moving up to the junior ranks from the AAA Under 18 Soo Indians program.
To be sure, Flint will have some huge holes to fill in ’26-27 from a big graduating class of ’25-26. But Firebirds general manager Dave McParlan and head scout Mike Oliverio have done a good job of stocking the shelves with a number of potential and up and comers that should help to keep Flint competitive in ’26-27 and beyond.
feature photo of Rylan Fellinger by Natalie Shaver
