Flint is early surprise in OHL
Buoyed by the recent return of three players from National Hockey League training camps and boasting the top two scorers in the Ontario Hockey League, the upstart Flint Firebirds, with a record of 4-1, have been an early-season surprise.
Granted, it’s only five games into the 2016-2017 season and the Firebirds have played four of their five matches on home ice.
But considering that they missed the Western Conference playoffs in 2015-2016 and amid all of the off-season changes, Flint is the feel good story in the early going of the 2016-2017 campaign.
Let’s begin with forwards Kole Sherwood and Luke Kirwan and defenseman Jalen Smereck, who all had extended stays at NHL camps.
All three have played in only two of the Firebirds five games to date yet they have combined for a whopping 13 points.
Sherwood (recently acquired from the London Knights) has 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points in 2 games.
Kirwan has 3 goals, 1 assist, 4 points in 2 games.
Smereck (obtained from the Oshawa Generals over the summer) has 0 goals, 4 assists, 4 points in 2 games.
Then there are forwards Ryan Moore and Nicholas Caamano, who are 1-2 in the OHL in scoring.
Moore has 5 goals, 9 assists, 14 points in 5 games.
Caamano has 5 goals, 8 assists, 13 points in 5 games.
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Overage defenseman Mathieu Henderson has 1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points in 5 games.
This year’s first-round draft pick, forward Ty Dellandrea, has 2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points in 5 games.
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All three Flint goalies — Garrett Forrest, Matthew Menna and Connor Hicks — have posted victories thus far.
Forrest is 1-0 with a 0.00 goals average and 1.000 save percentage.
Menna is 1-1 with a 2.00 goals against average and .900 save percentage.
Hicks is 2-0 with a 3.96 goals against average and .892 save percentage.
Not one to get carried away, first-year Firebirds general manager George Burnett is taking the early-season success in stride.
“Good start for all,” Burnett relayed to HockeyNewsNorth.com. “Loads of work and lots of details to take care of. Will learn a great deal this week heading out on the road.”
The Firebirds play at Mississauga on Friday and Erie on Saturday and will be boosted by the return of overage forward Everett Clark, who has missed the past three games due to injury.
PHOTO: Flint Firebirds forward Luke Kirwan has 3 goals, 1 assist, 4 points in just 2 games thus far this season.