The Saginaw Spirit had a historic 2023-24 season that ended with them winning the 2024 Memorial Cup on home ice. Heading into this season, they will have to retool and reload as they look to keep the momentum rolling.
Spirit Departures
General manager (GM) Dave Drinkill made it clear throughout last season that he would ensure head coach Chris Lazary had all the pieces he needed to make a serious run at an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) championship and the Memorial Cup. This included adding players like Montreal Canadiens prospect and Memorial Cup Most Valuable Player (MVP) Owen Beck, Ottawa Senators prospect Jorian Donovan, and Anaheim Ducks prospect Rodwin Dionicio, among others. They are all heading to the next level this season and will leave a massive hole in the lineup that will need to be filled if the team wants to duplicate their success.
Along with these players is the loss of captain Braden Haché, who aged out at the end of last season. While he may not have racked up many points, Haché brought leadership to the locker room and was a driving force on the ice.
Another big hole that needs to be filled will be the number two spot between the pipes. The team traded last year’s unsung hero, Nolan Lalonde, to the Kingston Frontenacs, as he will be heading into his overage season. Lalonde proved to be more than up to the task in the regular season (21-6-1 record) and in the playoffs when starting goaltender Andrew Oke was injured.
With the players departing, the Spirit are losing a lot of production, just north of 350 regular-season points (136 goals, 219 assists, 355 points) from last season and Lalonde’s 21 wins. They are also losing experience and leadership.
Spirit Holes To Be Filled
However, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic if you are a Spirit fan. They will have 2024 first-round pick Zayne Parekh returning to the backend after a historic season in 2023-24. The hope is that the time he has spent with the Calgary Flames this offseason and preseason will roll into his play for the Spirit, and he will be heavily relied upon defensively and offensively once again. With Parekh leading the defensive grouping, Michael Misa, entering his draft year, will be relied upon from the forward group.
Related: Flames Need to Give Top Prospect Zayne Parekh NHL Games This Season
After being granted exceptional status before the 2022-23 season, Misa has been a strong player for the organization but has, for the most part, played a bit of a secondary role. He has earned praise as one of 2025’s top draft prospects, and with the veteran players leaving, he will be leaned on to lead a younger group of forwards while also stepping up his offensive game.
The rest of the Spirit roster will see a mix of returning players who will be asked to take on bigger roles and newcomers who will take on secondary roles. Among those returning is Calem Mangone, one of the team’s key secondary offensive producers for the past two seasons. Defensemen James Guo and Will Bishop will also be asked to help lockdown the backend with Parekh.
The newcomers are led by Igor Chernyshov, the team’s first-round 2024 Import Draft selection and San Jose Sharks second-round pick. However, he suffered an injury in the offseason that will keep him out until the new year, likely after surgery. Upon his return, he will likely be slotted into one of the top two lines and looked to for offensive production.
A couple of youngsters to watch are Jacob Cloutier and Kristian Epperson. Both forwards had strong preseasons, and Epperson slotted in alongside Misa, and they played well together. Between the pipes, Saginaw native Sammy DiBlasi will likely take over the backup spot, with Caleb Papineau also fighting for the spot. DiBlasi played in three games during the preseason, and while he did show his inexperience at times, he looked solid – outside of his 10-goals-against game against the Erie Otters.
Plenty to Be Excited About in Saginaw
While the Spirit have seen plenty of high-level players leave their organization heading into this season, there is plenty to be excited about as they build off last season’s success. If players like Misa and Parekh can continue to take their games to another level, it should be a strong and successful season for the reigning Memorial Cup champions.
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