Buffalo Wings Fly Out Front as PIHA Pro East Finally Drops the Puck in Fraser

The PIHA Pro Eastern Division season finally got underway on Saturday, November 22 at Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Michigan, after a postponed event pushed the start deep into the fall. With multiple new-look rosters and a pair of expansion programs, anticipation for opening night was sky-high. Four of the division’s seven teams — the Buffalo Wings, Pittsburgh Inferno, Motor City Dirty Dawgs, and Toronto 6ixers — each played four games in a compact eight-game schedule, with two contests decided in overtime. The other three Eastern clubs were set to debut Sunday in a separate Long Island event, meaning Fraser served as the first measuring stick for half of the field. stats.api.digitalshift.ca+1

When the dust settled, Buffalo emerged as the clear pace-setter with a perfect 4-0-0 record, while Pittsburgh (2-2-0), Toronto (1-1-2), and Motor City (1-3-0) all showed flashes but also early-season inconsistency. Two overtime thrillers, a handful of third-period swings, and several standout individual performances gave the opening Pro East event the big-league feel everyone had been waiting for. 

Game-by-Game Recaps

Game 1 – Buffalo Wings 2, Pittsburgh Inferno 1

The first Pro East game of the year was a tight, low-scoring chess match between the Wings and Inferno. Pittsburgh’s Gage Clark opened the scoring in the first period, but Buffalo settled in and gradually tilted the ice their way. In the second, Scott Charboneau and Devin Brink combined for a pair of goals, with Brink and Jess Hackett chipping in on the go-ahead marker. Goaltender Kyle Adcock shut the door down the stretch as Buffalo held off a late Inferno push to secure the 2–1 win. 

Game 2 – Motor City Dirty Dawgs 2, Toronto 6ixers 1 (OT)

The Motor City Dirty Dawgs and Toronto 6ixers delivered the first overtime drama of the Pro season. Toronto struck first and looked composed through much of regulation, but Motor City hung around thanks to steady goaltending and timely defensive plays. Aaron Schwartz pulled the Dawgs level in the second period, then completed the comeback in overtime by burying the winner off the rush. It was an early statement for Motor City and a frustrating “point left on the table” for Toronto. 

Game 3 – Pittsburgh Inferno 4, Motor City Dirty Dawgs 3

In a seesaw battle, Pittsburgh and Motor City traded chances all night in one of the most entertaining games of the event. The Dirty Dawgs found offense from multiple sources, but the Inferno kept answering back, leaning on their speed in transition. A big performance from Pittsburgh’s top forwards powered a three-goal surge that turned a tight game into a lead they would not relinquish. Despite a late Motor City push, the Inferno closed out a 4–3 win and evened their day at 1–1. 

Game 4 – Buffalo Wings 5, Toronto 6ixers 2

Buffalo’s second outing showcased their offensive depth as they methodically pulled away from the 6ixers. The Wings’ top six dictated pace, moving the puck quickly through the neutral zone and generating layered entries that left Toronto scrambling in coverage. A multi-point night from Devin Brink and more production from Charboneau and company helped Buffalo build a comfortable cushion. Toronto broke through with a pair of tallies, but the Wings answered each time to cruise to a 5–2 victory. 

Game 5 – Pittsburgh Inferno 4, Toronto 6ixers 3 (OT)

The second overtime game of the day pitted a hungry 6ixers team against a Pittsburgh squad seeking a winning record. Toronto put together one of its best efforts of the event, finding offense from multiple lines and twice battling back from deficits. The Inferno leaned on their veterans to settle things down and manufacture chances late in regulation. In overtime, Pittsburgh capitalized on a broken play, jumping on a loose puck and converting the winner to steal the extra point and hand Toronto a second OT loss. 

Game 6 – Buffalo Wings 7, Motor City Dirty Dawgs 2

By the time Buffalo met Motor City, the Wings were already rolling — and this one turned into a statement game. Buffalo exploded for a multi-goal outburst that showcased their balance: defensemen joining the rush, forwards driving the middle, and crisp, east–west puck movement. Motor City found the net twice but spent long stretches hemmed in their own zone, forced into penalties and chasing the play. The Wings’ relentless forecheck and finishing touch produced a lopsided 7–2 win that underlined just how dangerous they can be when they’re on. stats.api.digitalshift.ca

Game 7 – Buffalo Wings 5, Pittsburgh Inferno 2

The final meeting between Buffalo and Pittsburgh felt like a chance for the Inferno to answer back, but Buffalo slammed that door quickly. The Wings again found goals throughout their lineup, with secondary scorers joining Brink and Charboneau on the sheet to build a lead. Pittsburgh had flashes — including stretches of strong puck possession — but couldn’t solve the Buffalo defense often enough. A couple of timely Wings tallies in the second period put the game out of reach, sealing a 5–2 Buffalo win and a perfect 4–0-0 day. 

Game 8 – Toronto 6ixers 6, Motor City Dirty Dawgs 5

The nightcap turned into a wild, back-and-forth goal fest that finally gave Toronto its first regulation win. Both teams traded chances and goals, with the 6ixers getting key contributions from Brendan Sullivan, Nick Valente, and Cody Blazenko, while Motor City answered with offense of their own to keep things tight. In the third, Toronto’s top unit strung together a decisive stretch, cashing in on a couple of quick strikes that flipped the scoreboard for good. The Dirty Dawgs mounted one last push, but the 6ixers held on 6–5 to cap the day on a high note. 

Stars & Storylines

Buffalo’s Early Juggernaut
No bigger story came out of Fraser than the Buffalo Wings. A 4-0-0 sweep, wins over all three opponents, and goal totals of 2, 5, 7, and 5 scream “contender.” Devin Brink and Scott Charboneau were consistently dangerous, combining for multiple goals and key plays in every game, while Jess Hackett and a deep supporting cast provided secondary scoring. In net, Kyle Adcock and the Wings’ blue line allowed just 1, 2, 2, and 1 goals in the four wins, giving Buffalo the early look of a complete team at both ends. 

Inferno’s Split Decision
Pittsburgh’s 2-2-0 record doesn’t quite capture how competitive they were. The Inferno lost a one-goal game to Buffalo and battled through a pair of high-energy games with Motor City and Toronto, winning both of those by a single goal (one in OT). Gage Clark and company provided timely offense, while the Inferno’s defense showed it can hang with the league’s best when structured. If they can reduce the small lapses that led to Buffalo’s multi-goal surges, Pittsburgh looks every bit like a top-half playoff team. 

Toronto’s Point-Harvesting Start
On paper, a 1-1-2 record may look middling, but for a squad still finding its identity, Toronto’s ability to push two games to OT is significant. The 6ixers dropped both overtime decisions yet still walked away with points in three of their four outings, then punctuated the night with a six-goal performance over Motor City. With Brendan Sullivan, Nick Valente, Cody Blazenko, and a mobile back end all finding the scoresheet, this is a group that appears to be one or two bounces away from a very different-looking record. 

Dirty Dawgs Better than 1–3–0 Suggests
Motor City leaves Fraser at 1-3-0, but they were in the thick of almost everything. Their lone win was the OT thriller against Toronto, and they pushed both the Inferno and 6ixers in one-goal games. The only real stumble was the 7–2 loss to Buffalo, where the Wings simply overwhelmed them. With Aaron Schwartz already making an impact and several depth pieces showing flashes, the Dirty Dawgs have a foundation to build on — especially if they can tighten up defensively against the division’s elite offenses. 

Individual Standouts

• Devin Brink (BUF) – A constant threat from the back end, Brink drove play in transition and factored into multiple game-winning sequences. 

• Scott Charboneau (BUF) – Provided clutch scoring and physical presence, including key tallies in Buffalo’s tight win over Pittsburgh. 

• Gage Clark (PIT) – Opened the event with Pittsburgh’s first goal of the season and set the tone offensively for the Inferno. 

• Aaron Schwartz (MCD) – Scored both goals in Motor City’s OT win to claim the division’s first overtime heroics of the year. 

• Sullivan / Valente / Blazenko (TOR) – Headlined the 6ixers’ offensive outburst in the 6–5 finale, showing how dangerous Toronto can be when their top guys are rolling. 

Eastern Division Outlook – Early Days, High Stakes

With only four of seven Eastern Division teams in action so far, the standings are very much in their infancy — but some trends are already clear. Buffalo’s 4-0-0 start puts them in the driver’s seat, both in points percentage and in the all-important head-to-head tiebreaks against their Fraser opponents. Pittsburgh’s 2-2-0 mark, combined with Toronto’s 1-1-2 and Motor City’s 1-3-0, sets up an intriguing chase pack behind the Wings, with the 6ixers’ two OT losses quietly padding their point total.

In the Pro East, five of the seven teams will qualify for the playoffs, meaning that every point — especially those earned in overtime — will loom large later in the season. For Toronto, banking two OT points could be pivotal if the middle of the table tightens up. For Motor City, the narrow losses sting now but also show they’re right on the edge of turning close games into wins. With three more clubs set to join the fray after the Long Island event, the battle lines for those five playoff spots are just beginning to form.

What’s Next

The Eastern Division story is only half-written after the Fraser opener. The remaining three Pro East teams hit the floor on Sunday in Long Island, giving the league its first complete look at all seven contenders. When the dust settles from that second event, the early-season standings will finally have entries from every club — and we’ll begin to see how Buffalo’s blazing start and the mixed results from Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Motor City stack up against the rest of the conference.  In a few weeks time, all seven teams will converge in Pittsburgh for a massive six game weekend, that should flesh out the contenders and pretenders.

For now, though, the message from Big Boy Arena is clear: the Buffalo Wings are for real, the gap behind them is thin, and in a league where only two teams miss the postseason, every shift already matters.