• For the first time, Stouffville will host an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) game on Sunday, Sept. 14.
  • The Sudbury Wolves and Kingston Frontenacs will face off in the league’s final preseason game before the regular season begins.
  • The puck drops at 4 p.m. in the Stouffville Arena.
  • The event is co-hosted by the Stouffville Spirit and the Whitchurch-Stouffville Minor Hockey Association (WSMHA).
  • Stouffville has deep player and personnel ties to both OHL teams.
  • WSMHA will hold a community skate on Sept. 13 ahead of the exhibition matchup.

 

For the first time in league history, Stouffville will host an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) game, giving local fans a rare chance to see top-tier junior hockey talent up close.

The Sudbury Wolves and Kingston Frontenacs will face off in a preseason matchup at the Stouffville Arena on Sunday, Sept. 14. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m., and the game will mark the OHL’s final exhibition contest before its regular season begins on Sept. 19.

The event is being co-hosted by the Stouffville Spirit and the Whitchurch-Stouffville Minor Hockey Association (WSMHA). In advance of the game, the WSMHA is planning a community skate for the evening of Saturday, Sept. 13.

“It’s an opportunity to show area hockey fans another level of Junior hockey,” Spirit co-owner and general manager Kenny Burrows said. “Both teams will have nearly finalized their rosters by Sept. 14, so fans will see a lot of players who have been drafted by NHL teams or will be drafted.”

The OHL is the highest level of Junior hockey in the province, and its ties to the Stouffville Spirit run deep. The local Junior A team, part of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, has long served as a development pathway for both OHL clubs set to hit the ice in Stouffville this fall.

The Spirit maintain a long-standing affiliate relationship with the Sudbury Wolves, one that continues to produce shared talent. Last season, Spirit alumni Nolan Jackson and Tayjon Street skated with the Wolves, while then-rookie Brady Smith, the youngest player on the Spirit roster, appeared in three games for the OHL squad.

That player pipeline stretches back over two decades, with notable alumni such as Jonathan D’Aversa and Brennan Serville making the jump from Stouffville to Sudbury. For Serville, that path eventually led to the NHL.

“Ken and I have talked about an exhibition game in Stouffville for the last couple of years,” Rob Papineau, Sudbury’s general manager and vice-president of hockey operations, said. “We’ve had such a great relationship with the Spirit, Ken, and the people of Stouffville that we’ve developed some really good players… We thought it would be a great opportunity.”

The Frontenacs also share a strong connection with Stouffville. Former Spirit standout and OJHL rookie of the year Ethan Werek spent three seasons with Kingston before being drafted by the New York Rangers, launching a 14-year professional career. Kingston also added Riley Clark from the Spirit last year, while Stouffville resident and former Spirit staff member Bob Breckles now serves on Kingston’s scouting team.

“The opportunity to go places such as Stouffville, play an exhibition game, and allow players like Riley an opportunity to play in front of fans he’s played in front of is great,” Kingston general manager Kory Cooper said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to build on our relationship with Stouffville.”

Ward 3 Councillor and 15-season NHL veteran Keith Acton sees the game as an opportunity not just for former Spirit players, but for young, aspiring hockey players across Stouffville.

“Kenny and the Spirit have done a great job creating opportunities for kids in this community to see high-level Junior A hockey, and many of them have hopes and dreams to play at that level,” Acton said in comments to Bullet Point News. “Having two OHL teams playing an exhibition game here will mean a lot to them.”

Acton played for the Peterborough Petes from 1975 to 1978. At the time, the Petes competed in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, the predecessor to the OHL. The Petes also served as a farm team for the Montreal Canadiens, who drafted Acton.

“Like so many Canadian towns, the local hockey arena is one of the best gathering places for the community. There have been a lot of big games played in Stouffville over the years, and Kenny getting these guys to come out and play here is just amazing,” he added.

“I’ll bet we will see plenty of NHL scouts in the arena that night,” Acton concluded. “It’s a four o’clock game following the Terry Fox Run, so it’s going to be quite a day in Stouffville.”

The Spirit are also set to host their own home exhibition games ahead of the OHL matchup. They’ll face the Toronto Patriots at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23, followed by a game against the St. Michael’s Buzzers at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28.

For local fans, it’s a full slate of high-calibre hockey to start the season at the Stouffville Arena.