Hot Birmingham Bulls look for more success against Evansville and Huntsville this week.

Presented by Bham Now

Birmingham will end the 2025 calendar year on a season-long 4-game win streak fighting to stretch it to five in Evansville New Years Eve.  It will be a challenge to do as the Bulls will be extremely short-handed without the services of Timmy Kent, Lazarus Kaebel and Jacob Mucitelli against a team that Birmingham historically has had trouble with.  

Kaebel was called up to Worcester in the ECHL, Mucitelli was called up by Wheeling and Kent was left in Pelham after an injury in practice and is day to day.  With only 14 skaters available for New Years Eve in Evansville, as well as needing a backup goalie, Head Coach Craig Simchuk has been working day and night to fill these spots.

“It’s good to see those guys get an opportunity at the next level.  But for the team it's unfortunate.  They are a big part of this team and it’s hard to replace quality players like that overnight”, said Simchuk.  “This becomes an opportunity for some of our guys here to step up and play more minutes and in bigger situations”.

Simchuk added, “Searching for hockey players never ends and is a year round job.  Everyone is searching for players now due to injuries and more call-ups.  We will continue to look for the right players to come to Birmingham”.  

Simchuk did sign goaltender Talor Joseph to back up Hayden Stewart.  Joseph played last year for SPHL Champion Evansville.  Joseph started last season in Knoxville and finished in Evansville where he was part of that Championship team.  He has played a total of 35 games in the SPHL and carries a combined 3.25 GAA and a .903 save%.  He has the experience and ability to give Stewart a break and give the Bulls a goalie they can rely on. 

After the New Year’s Eve game in Evansville, the Bulls will face Huntsville in a home and home game set against the Havoc.  Friday night the Bulls will be in Huntsville and then return to home ice to play against Huntsville at the Pelham Civic Complex.

Meanwhile Birmingham’s Danny Weight  and Kolten Olynek won’t be playing in Evansville but both could possibly be ready against Huntsville.  Weight, who was averaging a point per game, has been on the IR since November 19 and Olynek has been out since a December 20 game in Roanoke.