Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos

The Soo Greyhounds wrapped up their 2026–2027 preseason on a winning note Sunday afternoon, September 13, skating to a 3–1 victory over the Saginaw Spirit at the Memorial Gardens in Sault Ste. Marie.

The afternoon matinee gave the Greyhounds one final opportunity to fine-tune their game before the regular season gets underway, and they responded with a strong performance against their division rival.

First Period

The Spirit opened the scoring just 1:28 into the game when Gordei Khotkov found the back of the net, with Dmitry Savin picking up the assist to give Saginaw an early 1–0 advantage.

The Greyhounds wasted little time answering.

Just 15 seconds later, at 1:43, Brady Smith scored to bring the game even at 1–1. Nolan Long earned the assist on the equalizer.

Soo continued to apply pressure as the period progressed, and with just over three minutes remaining in the opening frame, Ryan Kaczynski put the Greyhounds ahead.

Kaczynski scored at the 16:22 mark, with Christopher Brown setting up the play, sending the Greyhounds into the first intermission with a 2–1 lead.

Strong Goaltending
Rookie goaltender David Vermirovsky turned in an impressive performance between the pipes for the Greyhounds.

Vermirovsky stopped 20 of 21 shots he faced, allowing just the early Saginaw goal while keeping the Spirit off the scoreboard for the remainder of the afternoon.

For Saginaw, David Rathwell played the opening period and stopped 10 of 11 shots before Egor Sokolov took over in the second period. Sokolov turned aside 21 of 23 shots in his appearance.

Greyhounds Add Insurance
The Greyhounds extended their lead just 33 seconds into the third period.

Carson Andrew scored early in the final frame, with Christopher Brown recording his second assist of the afternoon. The goal gave Soo a 3–1 advantage and provided some valuable insurance heading into the remainder of the game.

The Greyhounds would hold the Spirit off the scoresheet from there, closing out the preseason with a two-goal victory.

For Soo, the game provided a final opportunity for players and coaches to evaluate the roster, systems and special teams before the games begin to count in the standings.

Regular Season Is Next
With the preseason now complete, the Greyhounds turn their attention to opening night.

Soo will host the Saginaw Spirit on Friday, September 18, in a rematch at the Memorial Gardens. The regular-season opener is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m puck drop.

After weeks of preparation, practices and preseason action, the Greyhounds will now begin the 2026–2027 Ontario Hockey League campaign with their first opportunity to earn points when Saginaw returns to Sault Ste. Marie.