By Nathan Waters
Header image courtesy of the Flint Firebirds
The air is cooling, the leaves are changing, the ice has been set and that can only mean one thing: Flint Firebirds hockey is back.
Following a record setting season and an up and down playoff run, the Flint Firebirds are eyeing a brand new set of challenges.
Offseason Adventures
Summer may not be known for hockey, but that did not keep players from lighting up the ice in the offseason. Two of Flint’s players were participants in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. The annual event, started in 1991 as the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, sees U18 teams from across the world compete for the gold medal. Each installment, which rotates between Canada and Czechia/Slovakia, had the 2026 edition held in Edmonton.
Left wing Charlie Murata suited up for team Canada while goalie Mason Courville stood guard of the net for the United States. Murata was able to notch two assists in five games played and four penalty minutes while Courville played three games across the tournament, picking up wins against Slovakia and Finland.
Both players met in the gold medal game with Canada breezing to a dominant 8-1 win. The game saw Courville play 20 minutes and allow 6 goals before being replaced. He would have to settle for silver while Murata brings the bragging rights back to Flint, along with his gold medal.
Farewells and Fresh Faces
Alongside the players who have either aged out or gone on to further their careers and education in college, Flint had three players who would have been expected to suit up this season traded away.
In Flint’s biggest trade of the offseason, they sent 2025 draftee Landon Pickersgill to Sarnia. Flint also included four draft picks, a third rounder in 2027, a fourth rounder in 2029 and fourth and 15th round picks in 2030. In exchange, Sarnia sent defenseman Nicholas Bogas to Flint.
Last season, Bogas played for the U.S. National Team Development Program, and in 37 games he had two goals and two assists. His dad Chris Bogas is a former professional player who played for the Flint Generals in 2009-10.
Bogas, a Royal Oak native, was described as “a bit of an old school defenseman” by Flint Firebirds coach Paul Flache, who has coached the team since 2023. “He blocks shots, hits guys, and wins his battles. He’s tough as nails.”
The St. Louis Blue draftee also participated in this summer’s Hlinka Cup with new teammate Courville, and has committed to play college hockey at Michigan State University.
St. Louis, Missouri, native George Komadoski was traded for a third round pick in the 2027 draft. He had 50 appearances for Flint in 2025-26, recording three assists and 50 penalty minutes. He will play 2026-27 in Brantford with the Bulldogs before heading to South Bend to suit up for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in fall of 2027.
Brayden Lappalainen will also be setting down roots in Brantford this season. The 2025 draftee was moved for a 2029 second round draft pick. He only suited up for one game for Flint in 2025-26, spending most of his time in Flint’s Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) affiliate Leamington Flyers in Leamington, Ontario.
Christian Colismo, born in 2008, who played 15 games for Flint in 2025-26, is now suiting up for the Niagara IceDogs. Flint received a 2030 fifth round pick for him.
Flint brought in two other players besides Bogas via trade so far this season.
Goaltender Trenton Bennett was acquired on June 2 from the Owen Sound Attack in exchange for four draft picks. Bennett should be familiar with Flint as he faced his new team in the playoffs this past spring. He will play in tandem with Courville, replacing the departed Mason Vaccari.
“We wanted to solidify our goaltending along with Mason [Courville]. So now we have a one-two punch,” Flache said. “He has the experience you can lean on and he’s very big and athletic. You can’t teach size.”
Flint also picked up Simon Belohorsky from the Guelph Storm for two draft picks. The forward played 34 games in Guelph netting nine goals and four assists.
The team also adds players to its roster through the international draft, which includes all teams in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), each offseason. Franchises are limited to a total of three players from this draft on the roster, and may have experience that includes junior or professional ice time, especially in Europe.
Flint brought in two players of the three allotted for this year’s import draft, held on June 30. Latvian center Martins Klaucans was brought in using the 28th overall pick. Born in Riga, this is the second year in a row Flint has drafted a player out of the city following the 2025 draft selection Darels Uljanskis who now holds down the blue line at St. Cloud State in Minnesota.
With the 43rd pick and Flint’s final pick of the import draft, they selected Tomas Selic of Bratislava, Slovakia. The right winger spent the 2025-26 season playing for the HC Kometa Brno U20 team in Czechia where he tallied up 21 goals and 29 assists during the 45 games he played. He also played for the Slovakian U18 team in this summer’s IIHF U18 World Junior Championships where he notched three goals and three assists.
The bulk of new players come in the OHL Priority Selection Draft. Held on June 12 and 13, the 15-round 301-player draft saw 18-20 year old players from across Ontario and several adjacent states in the United States get selected. Some of these players will slot right into the team while others will spend some further time with their current junior teams until they are ready to step up to the main Flint team in future seasons. Below is an overview of the 15 players who Flint now hold the rights for, should they play in the OHL.
| Round | Pick | Name | Position | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Chase Schulberger | D | Quakertown, PA, United States |
| 3 | 52 | Cole Guizzetti | C | Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada |
| 3 | 57 | Emry Lowe | C | Brantford, ON, Canada |
| 4 | 73 | Colby Arnold | G | St. Louis, MO, United States |
| 4 | 77 | Declan McCotter | RW | St. Marys, ON, Canada |
| 4 | 78 | Jacob Laplante | D | Ottawa, ON, Canada |
| 5 | 81 | Lucas Cranney | D | Ajax, ON, Canada |
| 5 | 98 | Jackson Zinkie | C | Ajax, ON, Canada |
| 5 | 101 | Cameron Evans | LW | Pittsburgh, PA, United States |
| 6 | 110 | Lukas Butler | G | Whitby, ON, Canada |
| 8 | 156 | Will Cameron | LW | Toronto, ON, Canada |
| 9 | 176 | Kai Milne-Ross | D | Bowmanville, ON, Canada |
| 10 | 189 | Jacob Bertucci | D | King City, ON, Canada |
| 11 | 216 | Beckett Jancevski | C | Harrow, ON, Canada |
| 12 | 236 | Colby Smith | C | Whitby, ON, Canada |
Flint also added players ages 16-18 through the U18 Draft on June 8. These athletes play in the U18 AAA hockey programs across the province of Ontario. The draft, held in two rounds, requires each team to select two players. Should the team select a goaltender in those first two rounds, they may select an additional skater in an optional third round.
The Firebirds selected Toronto’s Matthew Pittman, a left handed defender who played for the Don Mills Flyers U18 AAA team, 15th overall, and Quinn Young of Greely, Ontario, a right hand shooting right winger who played for the Upper Canada Cyclones U18 AAA for 2025-26, 35th overall. Young scored two goals and provided three assists.
Staff updates
Flint’s staff also has a slightly new look this season due to one departure and some promotions.
Assistant coach Reijo Ruostalainen stepped down from his role in Flint after three years as he looks to spend more time with family in his native Finland. Scott MacDonald has been promoted to take his place. He was formerly director of analytics and video.
Flache, assistant coach Justin Solcz, and goaltending coach Rob Liddell have all been rewarded with new contracts to keep them in the Vehicle City through the 2028-2029 season.
“It’s great, [we] are really excited and happy for the entire staff,” Flache said. “For a few more years, we get to help our players and (are) just grateful for the opportunity.”
A Strong Start
The Firebirds got off to a fast start to their season, winning two of their first three games, including two straight on the road.
They opened the season with an exciting 5-4 comeback victory over Saginaw that saw the ‘Birds take home the I-75 cup from their rivals at the Dow Event Center on September 19. Xavier Tessier had a hat trick in the win and Darian Anderson and Brady Smith also scored.
The team won its second straight with a 4-2 win in Windsor on September 25. Anderson, Josh Bonnyman, Jimmy Lombardi, and Klaucans all picked up goals.
Flint dropped its home opener on September 26, 5-2 to Niagara. Flint fell behind by two in the first period before goals by Anderson and Lucas Nutting tied it in the second. Niagara scored three unanswered goals to put the game away, though.
On the Horizon
The Firebirds schedule and ticket information is available online. As always, the Firebirds will be hosting a variety of fun promotional theme nights this season, including 810 Nights each Wednesday game of the season, Hockey Scares Cancer with trick or treat at the rink on Saturday, October 31, and Women in Sports night on Saturday, March 13.
For those unable to attend the games in person, every game is streamed on FloSports, with a subscription.
