It was an eye-opening, dominant effort against a very good team.
In early December, the Barrie Colts arrived in the nation’s capital and suffocated the Ottawa 67’s 4-1 win in a battle between two of the OHL’s top teams.
The Colts outshot their opponents 41-26 and thoroughly outplayed them from start to finish.
While it was an impressive message sent to a talented young 67’s team, it was aimed more at the Colts’ management team and coaching staff.
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The intent was clear. The players wanted no trade deadline selloff in a month. What they wanted was added support to a roster they believed was capable of making a long run in the playoffs.
“That one game there (in early December), it was kind of at a time where we were fielding calls on some of our older graduating players, and we really didn’t know if we were going to be buyers or sellers at the deadline,” said Colts’ head coach Dylan Smoskowitz ahead of the opening game of their Eastern Conference best-of-seven second-round series against the same 67’s, Thursday night, at Sadlon Arena. “We went out, and give the players credit, they showed everyone that the Barrie Colts were for real, and that not only changed management, but the coaching staff’s minds, as well, that we got something here in Barrie.
“That performance was a big factor in the decision (at the trade deadline) to go and add Ben Wilmott, Parker von Richter, and Mason Zebeski, and not sell some guys like Cole Beaudoin or Kashawn Aitcheson.”
The win was part of a 22-1-1 run the Colts went on after the Christmas break and included an 8-5 win in Ottawa just over a month later.
“We kind of rolled off that win, and off that confidence for the rest of the season, so it’s not an unfamiliar rink by any means,” Smoskowitz said of TD Place, the home of the 67’s. “The guys seem to do well there, but at the end of the day, it’s a new season now in the playoffs, and every team is in a new season, and we’re just taking it one game at a time.
“We’re not looking past Thursday night.”
After a five-game opening-round playoff series win over Niagara, the Colts will have their hands full with an Ottawa team that racked up 100 points, backed by a defence that gave up the league’s fewest goals and a deep offence that found the back of the net more times than every OHL team except the Brantford Bulldogs.
While Barrie won both games in Ottawa, the 67’s pulled out 2-1 and 3-2 overtime wins here.
“It’s two evenly matched teams,” said Smoskowitz. “They’re a well-coached team. They play pretty structured, and they made some good additions at the deadline. They’re not easy outs on any night, so it’s a challenge I know our staff is looking forward to. Our players are looking forward to it.
“There should be a lot of good hockey coming up over the next two weeks.”
The architect of that strong, structured play is one of the OHL’s most experienced coaches. Dave Cameron has spent 15 years behind an OHL bench, another eight on an NHL bench, including two as head coach of the Ottawa Senators, and four more as an AHL coach.
It’s safe to say they are a well-coached team.
“We’re dealing with a head coach who came from the NHL and came back to the junior level. Whereas here, in Barrie, we are dealing with a head coach who came from minor hockey to the junior level, so it’s a little bit different,” said Smoskowitz with a big grin.
“Both teams are trying to win a championship by playing good defence, so it should be a pretty good match.”
That stingy 67’s defence is led by standout goaltender Ryder Fetterolf and impressive young backup Jaeden Nelson, who teamed up to win the 2025-26 Dave Pinkney Trophy, awarded for allowing the fewest goals against during the regular season.
Fetterolf also bagged the F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy for the best rookie goals against average of 2.07.
The 67’s, similar to Barrie with Ben Hrebik and Arvin Jaswal, believe they have two goaltenders who are capable of getting the job done.
While Fetterolf did give up a season-high six goals to Barrie in the Feb. 16th 8-5 win, goals could be at a premium this season.
“They have a good one-two punch over there,” said Smoskowitz. “Just like any team, any coach, we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel or trying to figure out a new way to score a goal. The game of hockey has been around for years.
“We’re going to get pucks to the net, we’re going to get bodies to the net, and we’re going to hope one crosses the line. That’s the gist of our game plan.”
Ottawa’s offence presents a different challenge, backed by a deep forward group that has spread the attack pretty well across four lines. Led by Cooper Foster, Jasper Khuta, Nic Whitehead, Filip Ekberg, and Spencer Bowes, the 67’s have 12 different players who have posted double-digit goals this season.
While the Colts boast three first-round NHLers, the younger 67’s squad has none. Still, it’s as potent a group as any when it comes to scoring.
“They have a bunch of guys that are really, really good hockey players, so it’s a challenge to us to never take a shift off because they are going to send good players on the ice right from the first to their fourth line,” said Smoskowitz. “It doesn’t matter who goes out there for us, they have to understand what the game plan is.
“They have to understand what their jobs are. There are no shifts to be taken off if you want to have success against a team like that.”
Smoskowitz admitted he was a little frustrated with his team’s early play in the series against Niagara, where they split the opening two games before Barrie reeled off three straight wins to close out the series.
As the series went on, Barrie’s play got stronger and stronger.
“It’s definitely an encouraging sign,” said the Barrie rookie coach heading into a series against a much tougher foe. “I was a little bit frustrated at the start of that series. We weren’t playing to our identity, to a standard we set so high throughout the season.
“Game 4 and Game 5, we were much better. We looked much more like the team on those 11-game and eight-game win streaks. Everything we did was kind of the right way, and the guys were buying in and working hard.”
Energy was high, as was the execution level. The Colts will have to build off that against Ottawa.
“I think that starts with the focus and energy being on us,” added Smoskowitz. “Understanding what Ottawa wants to do and some weaknesses, of course, but really not spending much energy on Ottawa and more energy on ourselves. Playing Barrie Colts style of hockey.”
What should help drive that energy is being able to open the series in front of a packed home crowd that has been as loud and boisterous as they have all season.
The players feed off that support, says Smoskowitz, who overheard a conversation on that matter earlier this week between veteran forwards Ben Wilmott and Brad Gardiner.
“Wilmott was saying at one of the TV timeouts (on Saturday) he took a second or two to look around, and was like ‘Wow, there’s a lot of people here, and it’s pretty loud in here.’ That’s coming from a kid who played in London, where they averaged 10,000 people a night,” Smoskowitz said.
“The city is excited and rightfully so. This is a great group. A special group, and we’re not looking too far, but we’ve got some big plans here in Barrie. The city is rightfully excited, and the boys love playing in front of them.”
TALE OF THE TAPE
REGULAR SEASON FINISH
Barrie – 99 points (1st, Central Division)
Ottawa – 100 points (2nd, East Division)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Barrie won season series 2-1-1-0
Oct. 9: Ott 2, Bar 1
Dec. 5: Bar 4, Ott 1
Feb. 16: Bar 8, Ott 5
Mar. 12: Ott 3, Bar 2 (OT)
GOALS FOR/GOALS AGAINST
Barrie – 246/194
Ottawa – 265/160
TOP SCORERS
Barrie: Cole Beaudoin (33-55-88), Kashawn Aitcheson (28-42-70)
Ottawa: Cooper Foster (29-37-66), Jasper Kuhta (32-31-63)
SPECIAL TEAMS
BARRIE
Power Play: 3rd - 61 goals on 230 chances
Penalty Kill: 11th - 59 goals against on 269 chances
Shorthanded goals: 11
OTTAWA
Power Play: 13th - 51 goals on 258 chances
Penalty Kill: 12th - 48 goals against on 216 chances
Shorthanded goals: 8
GOALTENDING
BARRIE
Ben Hrebik: 43 GP, 2.81 GAA, .920 SV%
Arvin Jaswal: 24 GP, 2.45 GAA, .922 SV%
OTTAWA
Ryder Fetterolf: 41 GP, 2.07 GAA, .923 SV%
Jaeden Nelson: 29 GP, 2.33 GAA, .915 SV%
PREDICTION
Colts win series in six games.
