Chatham-Kent, Ont. – Spirit General Manager Dave Drinkill announced Monday afternoon a formal affiliation with the Chatham Maroons of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL).
“The Saginaw Spirit are pleased to announce this affiliation with Chatham,” said Drinkill. “The Maroons are a first-class organization with great ownership and remarkable people within their franchise.”
This past season, the Spirit rostered a pair of Chatham Maroons in forward David Brown and goaltender Brett Fullerton. In addition to four games with the Spirit, Brown finished second among Chatham scorers with 54 points (26G-28-54). Fullerton led the Maroons with 12 wins, a 3.32 GAA, and .905 SV% this season while also making four appearances in Saginaw.
“We’re incredibly proud to partner with a first-class organization in the Saginaw Spirit,” said Chatham’s Head Coach and GM Richard Santos. “This affiliation offers our organization insight on what it will take to develop our players for the next level, as well as further their careers as a whole.”
The Maroons have won ten conference titles since 1990, in addition to a 1999 Sutherland Cup Championship. Chatham finished with a record of 25-21-2-2 this season, good for third in the Western Conference and their eighth consecutive postseason appearance.
“We had certain criteria that needed to be met in our search for an affiliate, and Chatham exceeded our expectations,” said Drinkill. “I’m looking forward to working closely with the Maroons as I believe this is a perfect place for future Spirit players to grow their game.”
While not a Spirit player himself, Chatham’s leading scorer in 2022-2023 was Julien Gervais, older brother of Saginaw’s Sebastien Gervais. Julien tallied 23 goals and 42 assists for 65 points in 48 games this year.
“We’ve had a working relationship with Saginaw in the past and look forward to growing this one,” said Santos. “This affiliation will provide great opportunities for players and the organization as a whole.”
Saginaw’s affiliation with the Maroons is the second in franchise history, after an affiliation with the Leamington Flyers (OJHL) in the late 2000’s.
