Brantford Bulldogs’ season ends after falling to Oshawa Generals in Game 6

The Brantford Bulldogs team bus is seen parked outside the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in this file photo taken on September 1, 2024. (Shelby Knox/CTV News)

After a good effort by the boys in black and gold, the Brantford Bulldogs have finished their season after losing to the Oshawa Generals in Game 6, ending 4-1.

The Bulldogs went into Sunday’s game trying to force a Game 7. Generals’ Luca Marrelli started the game off strong, putting his team on the board with a powerplay goal at the 4:35 mark. With just four minutes left in the period, Colby Barlow was able to extend the Generals’ lead by tipping the puck in, finishing the first 20 minutes off with a 2-0 advantage.

Early in the second, after the initial shot by Generals’ Owen Griffin was blocked by Bulldogs goalie Ryerson Leenders, Griffin was able to tip the ricocheted puck back into the net, extending the teams lead. Marek Vanacker was able to put the Bulldogs on the board with another tip in the back door just over thirty seconds later. Unfortunately, that was the only goal the Bulldogs were able to land for the night and the last goal for the second period.

In the final period, despite a valiant effort, the Generals continuously denied all of the Bulldogs attempts at the net. With just eight seconds left on the clock, Griffin wrapped a bow on the Bulldogs’ defeat with a final goal and a 4-2 second round win for the Oshawa Generals. The Oshawa Generals will go on to the east conference finals to face the winner of Tuesday’s game, played by the Barrie Colts against the Kingston Frontenacs.

Season highlights

Bulldogs’ player Nick Lardis was on fire during the team’s playoff season. Out of the seven games he played and despite having to sit out for a few games due to an injury, he managed to score 11 goals for his team, including two hat tricks. By March 2025 during the regular season, Lardis became the eighth player in Ontario Hockey League (OHL) history to hit 70 goals since 2000, according to the Canadian Hockey League.

This Bulldogs season close also saw the end of captain Patrick Thomas and defensemen Thomas Budnick and Tomas Hamara’s OHL careers.

According to announcer Reed Duthie, Thomas has the most points of all time in Bulldogs history.

In January, the Bulldogs signed a 40-year agreement to stay in Brantford. They will return for the 2025-2026 season.