The kids are alright.
Despite missing five key veterans Thursday in Peterborough, including captains Cole Beaudoin and Kashawn Aitcheson, a resilient young Barrie Colts lineup took a desperate Petes team fighting for home ice advantage in the playoffs into overtime.
Eamon Edgar capped off a three-point night with a game-tying marker with 3:41 remaining, and fellow rookie Teague Vader recorded his first career OHL goal as the Colts hung tough in a 5-4 overtime loss to Peterborough at Peterborough Memorial Centre.
Evan Passmore and Carter Lowe also scored for Barrie (45-14-4-4), which — with its place in the standings cemented and playoffs set to begin next week — was sitting out its top line and two of its top defencemen.
Emil Hemming, Ben Wilmott, and Parker von Richter also took a breather against a determined Peterborough team (38-24-1-3) that remains two points up on North Bay in the race for home ice in their head-to-head playoff series.
The Colts, who had nine first-year players in the lineup, sent it to overtime on Edgar’s sixth of the season, only to fall just 57 seconds in when Kieron Walton fired his own rebound past Arvin Jaswal for the game winner.
“That’s a good team over there, and that’s a desperate team over there,” said Colts’ head coach Dylan Smoskowitz. “They want these points for home ice, and for us to take five guys out of the lineup like that and have our depth players rise to the challenge and step up to the plate was great to see.”
Aiden Young, with a pair, Braydon McCallum, and James Petrovski also scored for the Petes, who outshot the Colts 47-22 thanks in large part to seven power plays.
Smoskowitz said his team went “toe-to-toe” with its opponents.
“We were energized,” he said. “Our bench was positive. I was really, really proud of the guys tonight for showing everyone, even ourselves, that we’re a 25-man deep roster. In the playoffs, if we run into injuries or suspensions, we’re next man up. We’re ready to go.”
By giving important veterans some rest in recent games, the young Colts demonstrated their reliability and readiness to step up during the playoffs if necessary.
“Especially tonight with our top line out, and a couple of big D back there out,” said Vader, who has gotten into 38 games this season. “We just wanted to come to the game and show that we’re not just a one-line team and that we have depth, and guys that can play a role and do it well.
“We put a solid effort out there tonight, and we’re looking to keep it going in the playoffs.”
After the game, Vader was still beaming about his first goal. The six-foot, 192-pound defender opened the scoring at 17:05 of the first period, just a few seconds after he finished serving a holding call.
After leaving the penalty box, Vader found himself alone between two defenders thanks to a flawless pass from William Schneid. He moved in and sold a move to his backhand before pulling it back to the forehand and firing one over the right shoulder of Petes goalie Easton Rye.
“It obviously feels great,” said Vader, of his first career goal. “I didn’t like that I got a penalty there, but I was fortunate enough to be sent in on a breakaway by Will there, and I just kind of blanked out when I went down. I shot it, it went in, and I just blacked out.
“I’ve been waiting to get this one off my back, so it definitely feels good for sure.”
Vader knew exactly what he was going to do.
“Actually, it’s kind of funny,” he explained. “When I was in the (penalty) box, I had time to think about it. Just the chance that I could get a breakaway. I thought, if I did get sprung on one, that’s what I’d do, and I was fortunate it went in.”
Smoskowitz was impressed with how his young defender managed the breakaway. It’s not easy for a defenceman to jump out of the box and suddenly be in that spot in a scoreless game.
“For him to stay calm, cool, collected, is impressive,” the head coach said of Barrie’s fifth-round pick in 2023. “He made a really nice move. He didn’t look like a defenceman on that one. He didn’t look like someone who has never scored in this league before, but I’m pretty happy for Teague tonight.”
Edgar’s equalizer came off a turnover at centre ice that he read nicely. Garrett Frazer, inside his own blueline, fired a pass attempt up the middle that the rookie forward picked off.
Edgar walked over the blueline and ripped one over the pad of Rye for the first three-point night of his career.
“It was a beauty shot in a tight game,” Smoskowitz said of Edgar’s snipe. “He’s earned the confidence that I have in him to be on the ice in a situation like that, and he proved me right. He made me look like a smart coach tonight. You put that kid on the ice. . . he creates the turnover himself and buries it.
“He makes no mistakes. His teammates love him. He’s one of the guys for sure, and I’m looking forward to working with him over the next couple of years.”
Edgar has fought through bumps and bruises in his first season, and while his development may have been slowed a bit, Barrie’s second-round pick in 2025 appears to be hitting his stride.
“Being on an older team his first year, he doesn’t get all the opportunities that some other 16-year-olds do, but man oh man, has he come alive lately,” said Smoskowitz. “The last 10 games, he’s looked like a grizzled veteran out there. He’s producing for us.
“He’s reliable, for me. He’s playing on our second-line power play right now. The future is very bright with Eamon Edgar in the lineup.”
Peterborough finished the night 2-for-7 with the man advantage and grabbed its first lead of the game when Young, on the power play, and Petrovski scored less than five minutes apart late in the second period to make it 4-3.
“That’s the best thing about this team,” said Vader of Barrie’s ability to fight back in games. “All our coaches take pride in us in being a hard-working team that never gives up. We practice hard every day, so I think just carrying that into our games, and just knowing that is a good thing to happen.”
UP NEXT
The Colts wrap up the 2025-26 regular season on Saturday when they host Niagara, their first-round playoff opponent.
ADD. OHL
North Bay 7 Brampton 0
ICEDOGS-COLTS EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE
BEST OF SEVEN SERIES
Game 1 – Thursday, March 26 at Barrie, 7 p.m.
Game 2 – Saturday, March 28, at Barrie, 7:30 p.m.
Game 3 – Tuesday, March 31, at Niagara, 7 p.m.
Game 4 – Thursday, April 2 at Niagara, 7 p.m.
Game 5 – Saturday, April 4, at Barrie, 7:30 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 6 – Monday, April 6, at Niagara, 7 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 7 – Tuesday, April 7, at Barrie, 7 p.m. (if necessary)
