Oshawa Generals open the OHL season at home October 8

In just three months it will be #GameOn in the Ontario Hockey League and for the first time since 2007, the Oshawa Generals will be opening their season at home.

The Generals begin their season at the Tribute Community Centre Friday, October 8 against East Division rivals Hamilton Bulldogs.

The 2021-22 OHL regular season gets underway the previous night with a slate of three games, featuring action in North Bay (vs Peterborough), Windsor (vs Sarnia) and Barrie (vs Niagara).

The Thanksgiving long weekend matches also serve to kick off the OHL’s brand new #GameON campaign in celebration of the League’s return to the ice.

“We have had some good fortune lately and the fact the OHL is back this season and we are kicking the season off at home is even more exciting,” says general manager Roger Hunt. “Our fans won’t have to wait for a second longer to see our players in action on home ice.”

The Generals are known for taking advantage of their home crowd, currently riding a six-game home opener win streak. Across the last six home openers, the Generals have outscored their opponents 29-11.

Divisional alignment remains the same in 2021-22, with each of the League’s 20 member teams playing a 68-game unbalanced schedule predominantly consisting of intra-conference play. Cross-conference matchups will occur in select instances between opponents of close geographical proximity.

The OHL’s three American-based teams – the Erie Otters, Flint Firebirds and Saginaw Spirit – will open the season facing each other exclusively through the end of October.

The OHL also continues the tradition of being primarily a weekend league to accommodate families and the student-athlete with close to 82 per of the schedule played between Thursday and Sunday.

In other team news, the Generals are still looking for a new head coach, but they have found their new Director of Performance.

Daniel Noble, who is also Hockey Director at Upper Canada College and co-owner of Toronto sport and performance training centre Grit Athletics, will be responsible for assisting the players in the off-season and in-season training plans.

“I grew up in Oshawa and still remember watching Eric Lindros play with my dad. I also have been working with Generals alum Anthony Cirelli and Michael Dal Colle for the past 10 years and was in the stands in Quebec City to watch them win the Memorial Cup,” he said. “I look forward to pursuing the same level of success with this team.”