Flint Firebirds in flight
It has been a season of ascension for the Flint Firebirds. After being ousted in the first round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs in each of the past three seasons, Flint is in as a semi-final participant in the Western Conference.
No. 3 seed Flint ambushed the no. 6 seed Owen Sound Attack with stunning ease in the first round of this year’s playoffs. Not only did the Firebirds flip off the Attack in four straight games, they did so with decisive 8-1, 11-1, 10-0 and 6-1 victories.
Thirty five goals scored and only three allowed by Flint is as resounding a statement that has been ever made by an OHL team in a single playoff series.
Before this year, the last time the Firebirds won a playoff series was back in 2022 when they upended the Soo Greyhounds four games to one in the Western Conference semi finals. Flint would then go on to lose to the Windsor Spitfires in an epic seven game Western Conference final that year.
Fast forward back to this season.
Flint finalized a franchise record-setting regular season schedule by posting a mark of 44-17-8. Tack on four straight wins in the playoff dismantling of Owen Sound and Flint — under the leadership of general manager Dave McParlan and head coach Paul Flache — is in a formidable phase as an OHL franchise that debuted back in 2015 from the ashes of the Plymouth Whalers.
Win or lose in the second round of this year’s playoffs — the Western Conference is an absolute beast — the Firebirds have set a new standard for a franchise that won a mere 20 of 68 games back in its initial OHL season of 2015-2016.
Flying high. Not only is Flint exceptionally coached under the direction of head honcho Paul Flache but the Firebirds have a carefully and expertly constructed player roster led by general manager Dave McParlan and head scout Mike Oliverio.
In a perusal of the Flint lineup — from standout overage goalie Mason Vaccari to a blue line brigade that includes Urban Podrekar, Darels Uljanskis, Luka Graziano, Rylan Fellinger and Dryden Allen to upper end forwards such as Nathan Aspinall, Kevin He, Jimmy Lombardi, Alex Kostov, Jacob Battaglia, Darian Anderson and Chris Thibodeau — the Firebirds are without any apparent weakness.
Vaccari, an under the radar, off season acquisition by Flint from the Kingston Frontenacs, had an OHL career regular season for the Firebirds with 36 wins, which was second most among all league goalies.
Meanwhile, He and Battaglia were both trade acquisitions over the course of the ’25-26 season. He had 39 goals, 38 assists, 77 points (including 25 goals, 21 assists, 46 points in 32 games for Flint after being obtained from the Niagara IceDogs) to finish second on the Firebirds scoring chart. Battaglia, meanwhile, finished with 26 goals, 22 assists, 48 points (including 12-9-21 numbers in 28 games for Flint after being acquired from Kingston.)
He and Battaglia represent just two of several dangerous scorers for the Firebirds. Others include the aforementioned likes of scoring leader Nathan Aspinall (33-61-94), fellow forwards Jimmy Lombardi (36-36-72) and Alex Kostov (24-31-55 in just 47 games) and ace defenseman Urban Podrekar (11-39-50.) Notably, 16 of Podrekar’s 50 points came on the power play.
Playoff points. In out-scoring Owen Sound by the aforementioned margin of 35-3 in the first round of the playoffs, Flint was on fire.
Eight players had at least five points for Flint in the four game sweep led by Jacob Battaglia (five goals, 10 assists, 15 points), Nathan Aspinall (6-7-13), Jimmy Lombardi (4-4-8), Chris Thibodeau (3-5-8), Darian Anderson (4-3-7), Alex Kostov (2-5-7), Kevin He (2-4-6) and Ryland Cunningham (2-3-5.)
Net worth. Goalie Mason Vaccari carried on from his rousing regular season in the playoff romp of Owen Sound. Not only was Vaccari in net for all four Flint wins but he fashioned a goals against average of 0.75 with a .974 save percentage to go along with two assists.
above photo of Mason Vaccari and photo below of Rylan Fellinger by Bob Davies
