Latest news with #FlintFirebirds
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Charlie Murata Commits To Michigan State
Flint Firebirds forward Charlie Murata has committed to Michigan State, it was announced Friday. Murata, who hails from Toronto, Ont., spent the entire 2024-25 season with the U16 Don Mills Flyers, scoring 50 goals and adding 47 assists for 97 points in 76 regular-season games. Prior to his U16 year, Murata also spent his U14 and U15 years with Don Mills. Drafted by the Firebirds in the first round of the 2025 OHL Priority Selection, Murata signed with the team in May and will head off to join the Spartans in the fall of 2028. A skilled, smart forward, Murata has the ability to take over a game with his puck skills and ability to maneuver in transition. While he might take some time to get adjusted to the OHL, it would not be a surprise to see him become a difference maker for the Firebirds in his rookie season.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Harvard Commit Luka Graziano Signs With Flint Firebirds
Flint Firebirds GM Dave McParlan has been active this summer in bringing in new pieces to his blueline for the upcoming 2025-26 season. The additions continue to come with the signing of former OHL Cup champion Luka Graziano.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Harvard Commit Luka Graziano Signs With Flint Firebirds
Flint Firebirds GM Dave McParlan has been active this summer in bringing in new pieces to his blueline for the upcoming 2025-26 season. The additions continue to come with the signing of former OHL Cup champion Luka Graziano. 'I am very excited to be joining the Firebirds. Flint is a great organization which grants me the opportunity to advance my game. I can't wait for things to get started later this month,' said Graziano via Flint's press release. Graziano, 17, played for the U16 Toronto Jr. Canadiens organization during the 2022-23 season. In his OHL draft season, he was a leader on the blueline for his team all year long and stepped up in the big moments. On top of winning the 2023 OHL Cup and being named to the event's All-Star Team, the right-shot defenseman scored the opening goal of the Championship Final, earned Player of the Game honors, and led all defenders in tournament scoring with eight points (4 goals, 4 assists) in seven games. That JRC team featured a lot of talent. Several players from their team have progressed to become full-time players in the OHL, including Xander Velliaris, Nicolas Addy, and Chase Yanni. Additionally, two players — Jake O'Brien and Luca Romano — were recently drafted into the NHL this past June. Newly signed Ottawa 67's forward Brayden Krawczyk also played at the 2023 OHL Cup as an underage player, though he was used sparingly and only suited up for three games. Brampton Steelheads Sign Matej Stankoven, A Distant Relative To Carolina Hurricanes Star Forward On Wednesday, the Brampton Steelheads organization announced the signing of their first-round pick from the 2025 CHL Import Draft. Slovak forward Matej Stankoven has signed an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. 'Graziano is an offensive-minded defenseman and an elite skater with very good acceleration who can cover a lot of real estate quickly. His IQ gives him the ability to find his teammates at the right moment, whether it's a first pass zone exit or creating an offensive opportunity. His anticipation and agility allow him to clog lanes and intercept passes while on the defensive side,' said Flint Firebirds Head Scout Mike Oliverio via the organization's press release. Graziano is committed to Harvard University, where his commitment is set to begin with the 2026-27 season. He was formerly drafted 56th overall in the third round of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, but played in the OJHL due to his NCAA oath. During the 2023-24 season, the offensive defenseman recorded 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) in 50 games for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens of the OJHL, earning Second Team All-Prospect honors. Graziano headed over to the BCHL to play for the West Kelowna Warriors to start last season. However, after recording only three assists in 22 games, he decided to return home at the beginning of the new year to finish out his 2024-25 campaign with JRC. The Toronto, Ontario native joins Dryden Allen, Zack Bleick, and George Komadoski as defensemen who have signed with the Firebirds this off-season. Graziano has a late October 2007 birthday, making him eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft. Make sure you bookmark THN's OHL site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. Latest OHL News: Peterborough Continues To Add Veteran Pieces; Acquiring Lucas Karmiris From Brampton The OHL's summer trade freeze is officially over, and the Peterborough Petes are the first team to make a splash. London Knights Rene Van Bommel Commits To NCAA Lake Superior State University London Knights forward Rene Van Bommel has committed to Lake Superior State University in the NCAA, where he will report following the completion of his junior career in the OHL. Dynamic Czech & Minnesota Wild Prospect Ventures To The OHL To Bolster His Development The Brantford Bulldogs were the talk of the town at the 2025 CHL Import Draft, and it wasn't just because they drafted a seven-foot-tall, 273-pound, 17-year-old defenseman.
New York Times
23-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Does Edmonton Oilers prospect Connor Clattenburg have an NHL future?
In the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers selected winger Connor Clattenburg from the OHL's Flint Firebirds. Draft day scouting reports described a physical winger who hit everything that moved and had some offence. By the fifth round of any draft, teams are looking for players with one outstanding skill, with the understanding that the elite passers and first-shot scorers are long gone. Edmonton liked the rugged aspect of Clattenburg's resume. Advertisement Clattenburg doesn't fit the profile of a future NHL player. He didn't appear in my top-20 prospects published after the draft this summer. My list is mostly math-based, assuming that a forward on his way to the Oilers will have to score at least a little to make the grade. In late early winter 2024, the Oilers signed him. That's a good arrow for any fifth-round selection. Another piece of good news: Edmonton's prospect pool doesn't have many wingers who are 6-foot-5, 203 pounds with a reputation for rattling the boards with heavy hits. A deeper dive offers more intrigue. The OHL coaches poll published this spring had Clattenburg ranked as the top body checker in the league's Western Conference, and No. 3 in both the best defensive forward and hardest worker categories in the West as well. Body checking and hardest work are interesting, but the best defensive forward votes are the real news. That offers a sliver of hope for a possible NHL future. Bruce Curlock evaluates Oilers prospects using video evidence and tracking progress. Recently, he ranked Clattenburg as his No. 7 prospect, writing, 'his skating and size are projectable to a fourth line player who can play hard, physical hockey. I would be quite surprised if he doesn't get a cup of coffee or two in the NHL. What will make him stick for longer than a large double-double is the development of his puck skills.' Doubling down on the strong ranking was Bob Stauffer from Oilers Now, himself a strong talent evaluator. Stauffer matched Gurlock's opinion, ranking Clattenburg as his No. 7 prospect. Is Clattenburg the seventh best prospect in the Oilers system? Over many years, the Oilers have drafted physical wingers with the idea of using them in depth (fourth line) roles. Some have been wildly successful, others hung around the league for a time, while still others fell short of the NHL. Here's a brief and incomplete look at some depth wingers who brought a physical element, checking ability and shy offence to their final seasons of junior hockey. All numbers hockeydb Offence had little to do with Kelly Buchberger's NHL career. He was a tireless forechecker who was fearless physically. He became one of the most popular players in team history. Part of that success came due to the rules of the time, which allowed all manner of fights and intimidation. Buchberger killed penalties, blocked shots and earned a long and productive NHL career. His offence was never a strength, and the changing of the rules (instigator) makes him an extreme outlier when discussing modern players. It's not possible for a Buchberger to exist in 2025. Advertisement Mitch Moroz is a better style comparable for Clattenburg. Both men earned strong reputations as checking forwards, and both scored well enough in their final junior seasons to receive NHL contracts from the Oilers. Moroz had an exceptional junior career with the Edmonton Oil Kings, including 35 goals in his final season in the WHL. He didn't flourish in pro hockey. Part of the issue was offence, as he scored just 14 goals in 147 AHL games. The Oilers weren't a strong team at the time, and the club was inconsistent in developing players in the AHL. Clattenburg's offence in the OHL last season and team goal scoring in the league were similar to Moroz coming out of junior. That doesn't mean he'll fail in pro hockey, but the Bakersfield Condors coaching staff will need to play him in situations where his skills can be advanced. Bottom line on offence: Clattenburg will have three seasons of his entry-level deal to post some offence in the minors. The organization showed faith in him by reaching out with a contract. He won't have the rule advantage that allowed Buchberger to flourish, but will have a more mature development team in Bakersfield than Moroz a decade ago. Clattenburg's first AHL season will tell us much about his ability to play a responsible game. He should have a better team to play for than Moroz as an AHL rookie. The final Oklahoma City Barons team bled goals with Moroz on and off the ice. He did improve in Year 2. In 40 games with the 2015-16 Bakersfield Condors, Moroz went 18-14 goals (56 percent). He was unable to build on it, though, and his career faded. For Clattenburg, playing time will be the tell. Moroz didn't see much action as a rookie, and didn't see feature minutes on the Barons or Condors. The team chose to run veterans Rob Klinkhammer and Ryan Hamilton on the skill lines. Much of development comes from an organizational commitment. Clattenburg will need opportunities. Advertisement Curlock's comments about Clattenburg's offensive ability include a passage about advancing his play offensively during the past season. One of the dangers of placing too much importance on a player's final junior season is physical maturity. Clattenburg would have bossed players a couple of years younger all winter long. Moroz scored 35 goals at 19, after delivering just 13 the previous season. Clattenburg scored 25 goals in his final 76 OHL games over two seasons. The numbers are similar, and the league goal totals are also a match. Neither man dominated at 17 or 18. Clattenburg's two-way acumen is a huge positive, and his reputation as a punishing hitter will be welcome. As it always does, this will come down to how much offence will be delivered. When winger Gilles Tremblay arrived at Montreal Canadiens training camp in the fall of 1960, he told coach Toe Blake he could take care of the defensive aspects of the game, but wouldn't be able to help too much offensively. Blake told him to look after the puck in the Montreal zone, and he'd teach him where goals came from at the other end. It worked well for a decade. That's what Clatternburg will need. He won't see feature minutes. He'll have to score fourth-line goals consistently to make the NHL. We wait.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Matthew Mania Commits To Michigan
Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images Flint Firebirds defenseman Matthew Mania has committed to Michigan, it was announced Wednesday. Mania, a product of Brandon, Fla., just finished his first season with the Firebirds, scoring seven goals and adding 38 assists for 45 points in 66 regular season games. With Flint having made the playoffs, Mania put up a goal in five games. Advertisement Drafted by the Sudbury Wolves in the fourth round of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, Mania has appeared in 227 career regular season games with the Wolves and the Firebirds. Over that time, he has collected 23 goals and 96 assists for 119 points. Prior to making the jump to the OHL, Mania spent time playing his minor hockey for Belle Tire and the North Jersey Avalanche. As Mania gets set to join the Wolverines this fall, he will likely grab a sizeable role with the team and run with it. Capable of contributing on both sides of the puck, Mania is a great add for Michigan, and it will be exciting to watch him play for the yellow and blue over the coming years.
