Don’t call these Colts underdogs

Heading into this season, most OHL pundits considered the Brantford Bulldogs the favourites to win the league championship. A 106-point run through the regular season to finish atop the OHL standings only solidified that belief.

Yet, as the Barrie Colts prepare for the opening game of the Eastern Conference Final Wednesday night in Brantford, don’t expect them to accept the role of underdogs. The Central Division champions don't see it that way, no matter who they are facing.

“If anyone has been around this team on a day-to-day basis, it’s a hard group to call underdogs with the amount of work these guys have put in,” said Colts head coach Dylan Smoskowitz. “With the amount of time these guys have spent on their craft and buying into the system—along with their workouts and time spent together to build a brotherhood and a culture—it’s hard to imagine these guys are underdogs."

“We go into every game believing we’re going to win, and it’s no different in this series. We believe we’ve put the work in.”

Winning at least one game on the road to open the series would be ideal for Calvin Crombie and his Barrie teammates. The series will continue Friday night in Brantford before returning to Barrie for Game 3 on Sunday night and Game 4 next Tuesday.

“Nobody wants to lose, especially at home,” Crombie said of the playoffs. “For us, the goal is to go in there and take one, maybe both, and play our game. If we play the way we can, I don’t think there’s any team in our way. Obviously, going into another team’s rink and taking one or two is hard to do, but I think we can do it.”

The Path to the Finals

Both teams have taken a fairly expedient route to arrive at a conference final that many expected. The Colts polished off the Niagara IceDogs and Ottawa 67’s in five games each, while the Bulldogs have yet to lose a playoff game, coming off four-game sweeps of the Sudbury Wolves and North Bay Battalion.

The Bulldogs and Colts battled all season for the top spot in the conference, splitting the season series 2-2. They will ice lineups that include a combined eight first-round NHL picks. Cole Beaudoin (Utah) leads all OHL playoff scorers with 23 points in 10 games, while Barrie teammates Emil Hemming (Dallas) and Kashawn Aitcheson (NY Islanders) are also among the scoring leaders.

Brantford will counter with five NHL first-rounders, including forwards Jake O’Brien (Seattle), Jett Luchanko (Philadelphia), and Marek Vanacker (Chicago), along with blueliners Ben Danford (Toronto) and Adam Jiricek (St. Louis). The Bulldogs' roster also includes center Caleb Malhotra, who is expected to be a top-10 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

“It’s a very good team,” Smoskowitz said of the Bulldogs. “It’s well-constructed; you have to give a lot of credit to their GM, Spencer Hyman. They’re well-coached. Jay McKee is an NHL-calibre coach coaching at the OHL level. They’ve got a bunch of older, established hockey players over there."

“It’s very similar to the way we’re built. We have established guys as well—players who have signed professional contracts, played in the World Juniors, and are going to move on to pro hockey. It’s going to be a really fun matchup for the fans to watch.”

Battle in the Crease

The series features two of the top goaltending duos in the OHL. Buffalo Sabres prospect Ryerson Leenders has carried the load for Brantford, while Ben Hrebik has made nearly every start for Barrie.

Just as the Colts focused on OHL Goaltender of the Year Ryder Fetterolf in the previous round, the goal against Brantford is to get bodies to the net. They aim to make life difficult for Leenders, who leads all playoff goalies with a 1.84 goals-against average.

“David Belitski does a fantastic job of breaking down our opponent’s goalies and laying out that information in a clear, well-thought-out way so our players feel they have an advantage,” Smoskowitz said of the Colts’ goaltending coach. “Nothing is going to change for us. It’s status quo in terms of how we prepare: get some bodies and traffic in front of the net.”

Hrebik has grown stronger as the playoffs progress. The veteran was especially sharp in closing out the Ottawa series, turning aside 33 of 34 shots. He’ll likely need to be even better against a Brantford offence that is as deep and dangerous as any in the league.

“You watch the kid today at practice, and he’s so dialled in,” Smoskowitz said. “He’s ready for this opportunity because of how hard he works on a daily basis. He’s more than prepared for this moment.”

Defensive Depth and Special Teams

The series also showcases two elite blueline groups. Aitcheson headlines a Barrie unit that includes NHL draft picks Evan Passmore (NY Rangers) and Gabriel Eliasson (Ottawa), along with standout Parker von Richter.

For the Bulldogs, Jiricek and Danford lead a deep unit alongside NHL picks Owen Protz (Montreal) and Edison Engle (Winnipeg). Jiricek is coming off a dominant season with 59 points in 55 games and a silver medal with Czechia at the World Juniors. He has remained hot in the playoffs, tallying 14 points in eight games.

“If you’re not aware of him, you’re definitely going to pay for it,” Smoskowitz said of the Blues’ 16th overall pick in 2024. “He’s got great instincts with and without the puck.”

Brantford’s offense features five players who posted over 70 points this season, leading to a league-high 296 goals. Smoskowitz emphasized that minimizing mistakes is the only way to contain them.

“When you play a team like that, you have to be detail-oriented and stick to your structure," he explained. "A mistake 200 feet from your own net might not bite you, but a mistake two feet from your net probably ends up in the back of it. Our guys are up for the challenge.”

Special teams will be a deciding factor. The Bulldogs led the OHL with a staggering 34.8% power-play efficiency. While the Colts intend to maintain their heavy, physical style, discipline is paramount.

“Toeing the line is the phrase I’ve been using,” Smoskowitz said. “The last thing we’re going to do is change the way we play. We’re going to be in your face and physically punishing, but we can’t go overboard and let the refs dictate the outcome.”

The Colts took one day to celebrate their win over the 67's, but the focus is now entirely on Game 1.

“These guys are obsessed with work ethic and improvement,” Smoskowitz concluded. “That's why it's so hard to think of this group as underdogs.”

Eastern Conference Finals Schedule

• Game 1: Wed., Apr. 22 – Barrie @ Brantford, 7 p.m.
• Game 2: Fri., Apr. 24 – Barrie @ Brantford, 7 p.m.
• Game 3: Sun., Apr. 26 – Brantford @ Barrie, 6 p.m.
• Game 4: Tue., Apr. 28 – Brantford @ Barrie, 7 p.m.
• Game 5: Thur., Apr. 30 – Barrie @ Brantford, 7 p.m.*
• Game 6: Sat., May 2 – Brantford @ Barrie, 7:30 p.m.*
• Game 7: Mon., May 4 – Barrie @ Brantford, 7 p.m.* 
  *If necessary

Tale of the Tape

Prediction: Colts in 7 games.