MISSISSAUGA, ON – The Mississauga Steelheads will face off against the North Bay Battalion in the playoffs for the first time in both of these franchises’ histories. The two divisional rivals are set to start their battle on Friday March 31, with North Bay receiving home-ice advantage. The Steelheads return home for their first playoff home game on April 4 at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre. Tickets for the playoffs can be purchased by clicking here.
Playoff Stats:
| Steelheads’ Playoff Record | Home | Away | Overall | Record in Series |
| All-Time | 12-9-6 | 12-15-3 | 24-24-9 | 4-7 |
| Battalion’s Playoff Record | Home | Away | Overall | Record in Series |
| All-Time | 20-14-1 | 17-14-5 | 37-28-6 | 8-6 |
2022-23 Head to Head Matchup:
| Mississauga | North Bay | |
| Points | James Hardie (8) | Matvey Petrov (8) |
| Goals | Zander Veccia (4) | Josh Bloom (7) |
| Assists | James Hardie (6) | Matvey Petrov (8) |
| SOG | James Hardie (20) | Josh Bloom (22) |
| FOW | Luke Misa (52) | Liam Arnsby (31) |
| PIMs | Zander Veccia (8) | Liam Arnsby (7) |
Goals For Per Game:
Mississauga 3.32
North Bay 4.19
Goal Against Per Game:
Mississauga 3.79
North Bay 2.69
Key Player Bios:
Mississauga:
Leading the way for the Blue and White is co-captain and Innisfil native James Hardie, who potted 38 goals and set a new single season points record with 82 (38G, 44A). This season, Hardie set a number of other franchise records this year, including career goals (128) and points (244). In the team’s two series last year, the overager led the team for playoff points (10) and goals (8). The Steelheads captain has spent time with both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins during their development camps. Hardie was recognized as the OHL Player of the Week from January 16-22.
Leading the Steelheads in terms of the defensive categories is Kasper Larsen, who returned to the Trout part-way through the season for his final year of OHL eligibility. The 6‘5 defender played in 54 games for the Steelheads this year, totaling 35 points (6G, 29A), leading Mississauga blueliners in the points and assists categories. The Danish overager earned a tryout with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization in the fall of 2022 before returning to the Steelheads.
In terms of the new acquisitions, Mississauga acquired forward Angus MacDonell in exchange for Luca Del Bel Belluz during this season’s trade deadline. MacDonell became a force for his new team, totalling 24 points (17G,7A) in 31 games as a Steelhead. His point totals for the whole season put him in second place in the Mississauga lineup, with 41 points (29G, 12A) in 64 games. MacDonell is NHL Draft eligible for this season, and was ranked #172 overall for North American skaters in the midterm rankings.
North Bay:
Finishing the season at 8th overall in OHL scoring is Edmonton Oilers prospect, Matvey Petrov. The Russian-born player put up 93 points (27G, 66A) this season to lead the way for his team. The 2021 6th-round pick in the NHL Draft has recorded 8 points against Mississauga this season. Petrov was recognized as the OHL Player of the Week from Oct. 31 – Nov. 6.
Goaltender Dom DiVincentiis tops several categories in the OHL, including goals against average (2.33), save percentage (0.919), wins (36), and shutouts (5). The January Goaltender of the Month has posted a 3-1 win record against Mississauga this season. North Bay’s starting goaltender was selected in the 7th round (#207 overall) by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2022 NHL Draft. Acquired by the Battalion from the Saginaw Spirit a third of the way through this season is left-winger Josh Bloom. The forward has provided a ton of offence for his new team, recording 55 points (25G, 30A) in 49 games with North Bay. While drafted in the 3rd round (#95 overall) by the Buffalo Sabres in 2021, Bloom was recently part of the Riley Stillman trade, sending him to the Vancouver Canucks.
SOURCE Mississauga Steelheads
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