Brantford Bulldogs C Patrick Thomas tallied a franchise-record six points in a 6-2 win over the Niagara IceDogs on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
During the pregame ceremony, Bulldogs Chief Operating Officer Spencer Hyman presented a $200,000 cheque on behalf of the Bulldogs Foundation to the Brant Community Healthcare System.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring three minutes into the game. Near the IceDogs net, LW Cole Brown dished the puck to a wide-open RW Nick Lardis for his OHL-leading 38th goal of the season.
Brantford was on the penalty kill twice and killed off both Niagara powerplays in the opening frame.
Bulldogs G Ryerson Leenders was busy in the crease as he stopped all nine IceDogs shots on goal and preserved the one-goal lead for Brantford through twenty minutes.
The Bulldogs took full control in the second period. It started near the halfway mark on the powerplay as D Adam Jiricek passed the puck to C Jake O’Brien. From the right faceoff circle, O’Brien shot the one-timer past IceDogs G Owen Flores for his 23rd goal of the season.
Bulldogs continued their goal barrage with under eleven minutes remaining as the shot from D Owen Protz got through the screen and past Flores for his fifth of the season.
Brantford D Lucas Moore dazzled the hometown crowd with a potential goal-of-the-year candidate. Skated from their end, Moore got around the IceDogs defender and tucked the puck five-hole past Flores for a 4-0 lead.
Before the period ended, the Bulldogs notched one more goal, once again on the man advantage, as Thomas scored his 20th of the season and fifth point of the game.
Early in the third period, Thomas recorded the historic sixth point of the game on the assist on the goal from Brown.
Goals from IceDogs D Jake Brauti and C Ethan Czata made the game respectable for the visitors.
But the game was well at hand as the Bulldogs sent a spirited crowd home on a positive note. Leenders saved 36 of 38 shots for his sixth straight win, 15th overall on the season.
