Flint, Mich. – The 2023 NHL Draft is set to take place on June 28th, 2023, and NHL Central Scouting has put out its first set of rankings for the year. The Flint Firebirds came in with four players listed in the Preliminary Rankings, tying them for the most in the entire Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
Coulson Pitre (B), Tristan Bertucci (C), Nathan Day (C) and Ethan Hay (C) round out the four for Flint. The projections for a ‘B’-rated player is between the 2nd and 3rd rounds, and a ‘C’-rated player is between the 4th and 6th.
All four Firebirds are off to great starts in their sophomore campaigns. A year after setting the single-season goals record in Flint, Coulson Pitre has followed up with 2 G and 3 A in 10 GP so far this year. Tristan Bertucci has 1 G and 2 A in 7 GP while seeing regular playing time on Flint’s top defensive pair. Nathan Day has been steady in 4 GP between the pipes this season checking in with a .864 SV%, and Ethan Hay has 4 G, 1 A in 10 GP this season. His 4 G currently is good for 5th on the Firebirds.
The Flint Firebirds have had at least one player selected in every NHL Draft since their inception in 2015, including having multiple players taken in five of the seven drafts. Most recently, Gavin Hayes (3rd round, Chicago) and Amadeus Lombardi (4th round, Detroit) were taken in the 2022 NHL Draft this past summer in Montreal.
The Firebirds return home this Saturday to host the Oshawa Generals at 7:00 pm (ET) on First Responder’s Night presented by Dort Financial Credit Union. All police, fire and EMT workers are eligible to receive a FREE ticket to the game, with a valid ID, as a thank you for all your work! Then on Sunday, it’s time to Trick-Or-Treat at the rink on a Family ‘FUN’ day as fans are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes! Get two FREE kids tickets for every paid adult admission ticket and be ready to trick-or-treat around the concourse during the game. Puck drop is set for 4:00 pm against the Mississauga Steelheads.
Tickets for this weekend’s games are available now from Etix HERE. All promotional tickets are available only at the Dort Financial Center Box Office.
For more information, contact:
Jack Sznewajs
Director of Broadcasting & Communications
Flint Firebirds Hockey Club
[email protected]