November 4, 2025

GMHL Game of the Week: October 27 to November 2 2025

In a fierce North Division clash at the Wasaga Stars Arena, the Tottenham Railers stunned the Wasaga River Dragons with a 3–2 overtime victory on Tuesday night. Behind a sensational performance from goaltender Anton Nikulin, the Railers weathered a 61-shot barrage to snap the Dragons' home winning streak and hand them their second straight loss.

Following a narrow shootout loss to the Bradford Rattlers just two days earlier, Wasaga found themselves in unfamiliar territory yet again — and for a second consecutive game, OT proved unkind.

Game Summary

First Period – Trading Blows

The opening frame saw both teams create chances, but it was Jesse Aitken who broke the deadlock, firing home a patient feed from Yenri Jibb to put Tottenham up 1–0 at 12:46. Wasaga answered back on the power play near the end of the period, as Illia Gulyk ripped a shot past Nikulin with just under a minute left to knot things up.

Second Period – Railers Regain Control

Tottenham leaned on their depth in the second period when Aimy Royer buried a one-timer from Patrick Doyle at 6:54 to restore the lead. The period was marred by heavy physicality and five penalties, including a game misconduct assessed to Doyle, but Nikulin and the Railers penalty kill held firm to carry the 2–1 advantage into the third.

Third Period – River Dragons Rally Late

Just when it looked like the Railers might hold on, Wasaga’s Victor Freedeke found the equalizer with just 2:00 to play, capitalizing on a well-screened shot that sneaked through traffic. The late drama set the stage for an intense OT period.

Overtime – Frazee Seals It

In the dying seconds of 3-on-3 OT, it was none other than Tighe Frazee — the rising star of last postseason — who played hero again, finishing off a slick feed from Aitken at 15:47 to give Tottenham the victory.

Goaltending Battle

Anton Nikulin (TOT): 59 saves on 61 shots (.967 SV%) – A performance for the ages, Nikulin was a wall in the crease and earned first-star honors.
Brody Pritchard (WAS): 36 saves on 39 shots (.923 SV%) – Kept his team in the game despite facing fewer shots.

Key Performances

Anton Nikulin (TOT): 59 SV, .967 SV% – Simply incredible under pressure.
Jesse Aitken (TOT): 1G, 1A – Scored the opener and set up the game-winner.
Tighe Frazee (TOT): 1G (OTW), 0A – Adds yet another clutch goal to his highlight reel.
Victor Freedeke (WAS): 1G – Timely goal to force overtime.
Illia Gulyk (WAS): 1G – Power play marker to swing momentum early.

Implications

With the win, the Railers improve to 8–7–0 (16 points), holding their position in the crowded middle of the North Division. However, with back-to-back losses since this game, Tottenham will need to tighten up defensively to stay competitive.

The River Dragons, now 9–2–2 (20 points), have hit their first speed bump of the season, dropping three of their last four games. Wasaga's offense continues to hum, but the recent string of tight games indicates that they may need a reset in the weeks ahead.

What’s Next

Wasaga River Dragons: Will host the Bradford Bulls on Tuesday in what should be an emotionally charged contest, as River Dragons owner Brandon Billie faces off against his former club.
Tottenham Railers: Hit the road to play the Durham Roadrunners on Monday, looking to get back into the win column after back-to-back losses post this OT win.

The fierce North Division shows no signs of cooling down, and with the standings tightening up, every point matters.