Road trip opener a 'stinker' for Greyhounds

Soo Greyhounds stumble against Niagara IceDogs, fall in division standings

Jan. 29, 2026 at 10:31pm

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The Soo Greyhounds suffered a humbling 6-3 defeat against the Niagara IceDogs on Thursday night, dropping a game they were heavily favored to win. The Greyhounds came out flat and took their opponent lightly, leading to costly mistakes and a deficit they couldn't overcome. The loss puts the Greyhounds further behind the Flint Firebirds and Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League's West Division standings.

Why it matters

The Greyhounds were on an eight-game winning streak heading into this game and had a chance to gain ground on the teams ahead of them in the division. Instead, the loss sees them fall further behind in the standings, making it more difficult to catch up and secure a better playoff position.

The details

The Greyhounds had a goal waved off early in the first period, and even if it had counted, forward Colin Fitzgerald said it likely wouldn't have changed the flat start. Niagara scored twice on the power play in the first period to take a 2-1 lead. The IceDogs then extended their lead in the second period with three unanswered goals, putting the game out of reach for the Greyhounds. Despite a late push, the Greyhounds couldn't complete the comeback.

  • The Greyhounds had a goal waved off 85 seconds into the game due to an offside call.
  • Niagara scored twice on the power play in the first period, taking a 2-1 lead.
  • Niagara extended their lead to 5-2 in the second period with three unanswered goals.
  • The Greyhounds cut the deficit to 5-3 in the third period, but an empty-net goal sealed the 6-3 loss.

The players

Colin Fitzgerald

A forward for the Soo Greyhounds who said the team took their opponent lightly, leading to the loss.

John Dean

The head coach of the Soo Greyhounds, who called the game a "stinker" for his club and said they may have read their own press clippings too much.

Noah Read

A player for the Niagara IceDogs who scored two goals in the game.

Charlie Robertson

The goaltender for the Niagara IceDogs who made 26 saves in the win.

Carter George

The goaltender for the Soo Greyhounds who stopped 21 shots in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“We came in knowing that we were on a hockey streak and we took a team lightly. Anytime you do that in this league, you can get bit in the ass and that's what happened tonight.”

— Colin Fitzgerald, Forward

“It's more than sloppy. Maybe we read our own press clippings a little too much and forget how hard we have to work to be successful. By the time we realize we need to out-compete our opponent, it's too late and we make some mental errors for Grade A scoring chances and goals against that ultimately don't allow us to dig out of the hole we put ourselves in.”

— John Dean, Head Coach

What’s next

The Greyhounds will look to bounce back on Friday night when they take on the Erie Otters, followed by a game against the Brantford Bandits on Sunday. They will need to regain their focus and intensity to climb back up the division standings.

The takeaway

This loss serves as a wake-up call for the Greyhounds, who had been on a hot streak but got complacent and took their opponent lightly. It's a reminder that in the competitive Ontario Hockey League, every game requires maximum effort and focus, regardless of the opponent's record or previous results.