GMHL Game of the Week: October 13 to 19 2025

The Bradford Rattlers showed their resilience on Sunday night, storming back from a four-goal deficit to defeat the Tottenham Railers 5–4 in front of a home crowd at the BWG Leisure Centre. The matchup closed out the week in thrilling fashion and featured two North Division contenders who entered the game riding high off weekend victories — Bradford with a 7–3 win over Ville-Marie and Tottenham following a 5–1 triumph against West Nipissing.

 

Game Summary

First Period – Frazee Sparks the Railers Early

 

The Railers carried momentum from the night before, with Tighe Frazee setting the tone early. The forward — last season’s South Division playoff breakout — struck just 49 seconds in and added another three minutes later to give Tottenham a quick 2–0 lead.

 

Bradford tested goaltender Cameron Millar with 17 first-period shots, but he held strong to preserve the Railers’ advantage heading into the intermission.

 

Second Period – Tottenham Extends, Bradford Pushes Back

 

Tottenham’s confidence continued to build as Jesse Aitken and Aimy Royer found the back of the net to extend the lead to 4–0, with Frazee and DonHeaven Veilleux each adding helpers.

 

The Rattlers, however, refused to fold. Gabriel Mamedov broke the shutout with a goal off a perfect setup from Isac Karlsson, cutting the deficit to three and injecting life back into the Bradford bench. Emotions boiled over later in the frame when Nikita Khotko and Jesse Aitken dropped the gloves, both earning game disqualifications as tensions flared.

 

Third Period – A Comeback to Remember

 

Bradford’s response in the final frame was nothing short of remarkable. Just 26 seconds in, Stepan Bolotov got the comeback started with a quick strike from Karlsson and Adam Dobrecky.

 

Moments later, the defending champions flipped the game on its head with back-to-back short-handed goals — first from Dobrecky, then from Karlsson — tying things up 4–4 and swinging the momentum completely in their favor.

 

With just two seconds remaining, Sergey Tsarev sent a low shot toward the net that deflected off the skate of Railers defenseman Alexis St. Laurent and past Millar, completing the stunning 5–4 comeback victory for the Rattlers.

 

Goaltending Battle

 

Both netminders faced a barrage of quality chances. Cameron Millar made 39 saves on 44 shots for Tottenham, while Patrik Cullin steadied after a rough start, turning aside 26 of 30 in the Bradford crease to backstop the comeback.

 

Key Performances

 

Isac Karlsson (Bradford): 1G, 3A – Now leads the GMHL in points (28) and assists (17), quarterbacking Bradford’s offense and rally.

 

Adam Dobrecky (Bradford): 1G, 2A – Continues to shine on special teams, leading the league in short-handed goals (4) and sitting tied for second in goals (12).

 

Tighe Frazee (Tottenham): 2G, 1A – Climbed to second in league scoring (27 points) and remains one of the league’s most consistent threats.

 

Jesse Aitken (Tottenham): 1G – Holds third in league points (26) and leads all scorers with 14 goals despite his early ejection.

 

Sergey Tsarev (Bradford): 1G – Credited with the game-winner, sealing the comeback on a deflection in the final moments.

 

Implications

 

With the win, the Bradford Rattlers (7–3–0) strengthened their position near the top of the North Division, tied at 14 points with Wasaga (7–1–0) and just one point back of Ville-Marie (7–4–1).

 

The Tottenham Railers (6–5–0) remain in the mix, sitting fourth in the division and proving once again they can compete with the best in the North — a division that’s produced every Russell Cup champion for the past eight seasons.

 

Meanwhile, Karlsson and Dobrecky continue to dominate the stat sheets, while Frazee and Aitken’s hot starts keep Tottenham among the league’s top offensive teams.

 

What’s Next

 

The Rattlers will look to extend their winning streak to three games as they visit the North York Renegades on Saturday before hosting the Wasaga River Dragons on Sunday in a matchup with major divisional implications.

 

The Railers return home for their lone game of the week — a Saturday tilt against the Niagara Predators — as they aim to bounce back and stay in the hunt for a top-three spot in the North.