Hamilton Bulldogs Defeat Windsor Spitfires 6-1 to Claim 2022 OHL Title
The Hamilton Bulldogs are 2022 OHL Champions, defeating the Windsor Spitfires 6-1 in Game 7 on Wednesday at FirstOntario Centre on Wednesday night. Both teams traveled a long and winding road to get to the point where the OHL champion was finally crowned. NOTE: FirstOntario Centre is spelled correctly!
After the Bulldogs (3-2) took a one game lead in the series following a 3-2 win over the Spitfires (2-3) in game five in Hamilton on Sunday afternoon (June 12), the teams returned to Windsor for game six at the WFCU Centre the following night . Playing in front of a raucous near-sell-out crowd of 6378, Daniel D’amico scored twice and opened the scoring in the game for the Spitfires (3-3) when he pounced on a loose puck just outside the Bulldogs’ blueline and raced in alone and scored on an unassisted shorthanded effort seven an a half minutes into the first period. Logan Morrison scored both Hamilton goals in the first period to give the visitors a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes of play.
D’Amico scored his second goal of the contest to get the Spitfires back to even terms at 2-2 with just under two minutes remaining in the second period before Windsor defenceman Michael Renwick scored on a blast from the blueline to give the Spitfires a 3-2 lead after two periods. Windsor team captain Will Cuyle then gave the Spitfires a two-goal lead with his 15th goal of the post-season before Pasquale Zito scored on an unassisted of his own by poking checking the puck lose from a Hamilton defenceman at the Windsor blueline and racing down the ice to put the Spitfires up by three goals and to round out the scoring in the game and set the stage for game seven.
Matt Onuska made 27 saves to pick up his third win of the series for the Spitfires while Marco Constantini made 21 stops at the other end.
In the deciding game the Bulldogs scored on the first shot of the game when Mason McTavish notched his 16th goal of the post-season. McTavish, the third pick overall in the 2021 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks, who was acquired during the OHL regular season by the Bulldogs in a blockbuster trade with the Pterterborough Petes, would later score his second goal of the game into an empty net in the third period.
McTavish, who played nine games with the Ducks during the 2021-2022 NHL regular season, also played for Team Canada in the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Avery Hayes paced the Bulldogs (4-3) offensively in game seven against the Spitfires with three goals and Jan Mysak had the other goal for Hamilton. Hayes’ third goal of the game was also an empty netter in the third period as Windsor pulled goaltender Matt Onuska with just over five minutes remaining in regulation time with the Spitfires trailing 4-1 at that juncture of the game. Alex Christopoulos scored the only goal of the game for the Spitfires (3-4), who were attempting to win their second consecutive game seven of the playoffs after besting the Flint Firebirds in the OHL’S Western Conference Final.
Constantini made 27 saves to pick up the win in net for the new OHL champs while Onuska blocked 25 shots for the Spitfires.
Although he did not score a point in game seven against the Bulldogs, Windsor centre Wyatt Johnston did clinch the OHL’s play-off scoring title by scoring 14 goals and adding 27 assists in 25 games. Johnston, the first round pick, 23rdt overall, in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, also won the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the OHL’s regular season scoring champion by tallying 46 goals and 78 assists for 124 points in 68 games during the 2021-2022 OHL regular season.
By virtue of capturing the OHL championship, Bulldogs punched their ticket to the 2022 Memorial Cup tournament which opens next Monday in Saint John, New Brunswick.
The Spitfires will open their 2022-2023 OHL season when they host the Sarnia Sting at the WFCU Centre on October 1.