Trimming a training camp roster from 75 players down to 29 is never an easy process, and for the Barrie Colts, the hardest decisions are still to come over the next week.
As the coaching staff works to finalize the group, head coach Dylan Smoskowitz knows firsthand the emotional toll those conversations can take.
After all, he was once on the receiving end of that exact conversation during his playing days.
“All the kids, who we have released, we couldn’t have asked for a better group to start training camp with—just a respectful, hard-working group,” Smoskowitz said. “I was one of those kids. I remember walking into Dale Hawerchuk’s office, going into my third year, and he told me that after two years of playing for the team, there wasn’t a spot for me anymore.
“Lucky enough, I got picked up by Mississauga and got to continue my own junior career, but this is not the end of the road. It was just a bump on the road for these guys.”
Part of the reason for the tough decisions comes down to the team’s strategic direction. The Colts are prioritizing ice time and growth for their younger prospects, which meant making difficult choices to release older veterans, including overager Mason Wray and defenceman Luke Howard.
“If we were going for it, going for a championship, and really geared up for this year like we were last year, we’d be looking to load up on older guys,” Smoskowitz explained. “I’m definitely not saying this team can’t win... but at the same time, we know that we’re building for the future.
“We’ve got something special cooking here in Barrie. So, we’ve got to give these young guys an opportunity to get used to the league, make mistakes and learn from them, and most importantly, give them a chance to grow.”
The Colts will make their final roster cuts following this weekend’s back-to-back preseason games, beginning with a road date with the Steelheads in Brampton on Friday night, followed by a home clash Saturday night against the Kitchener Rangers.
Up front, the team currently has 15 forwards remaining in camp. They could stay with the full group or trim that down to 14 for the regular season.
Among those making strong cases to stay are six-foot, 185-pound Cos Cob, CT native Ben Lombardi and late-round draft pick Rocco Olek. The six-foot-three, 190-pound Olek has grown in stature and impressed across three exhibition games, while Lombardi came in as a free agent, laying body checks and blocking shots every shift.
Lombardi is good friends with former Colt Joe Salandra.
“The way he moves out there and the professional attitude he brings to the rink every day, he’s pretty much a carbon copy of Salandra,” Smoskowitz noted. “To see these two guys, the success they’ve had so far, huge credit to them... they could be an inspirational story for some kids who maybe get passed over in the draft.”
Olek has played three out of the four exhibition games and has stood in each of them.
“I feel like he’s getting better every game,” Smoskowitz said. “I feel like that’s going to continue.”
Both rookie prospects also fit in with the style of game the Colts play. Players, says Smoskowitz, who are built to be Barrie Colts.
“He gets players who are built to be Barrie Colts, and we like to play a certain style,” who praised General Manager Marty Williamson and his staff for bringing in the talent. “We want to be fast. We want to be in your face. We want to be able to handle ourselves on the scoreboard, but also handle ourselves in the physical department.
“Marty does an exceptional job identifying players who fit the Barrie Colts mould.”
Things are equally competitive on the blue line, where 11 defencemen remain in camp with the expectation of keeping around eight. The situation is further influenced by Evan Passmore’s departure to camp with the New York Rangers.
While Passmore will eat up significant minutes if returned, his absence opens up immediate ice time for others to step up. Smoskowitz highlighted that the organization may hold onto an extra blueliner temporarily while waiting to see how Passmore’s situation unfolds in NHL camp, making the upcoming decisions on the back end especially tight.
“I’ve said, from Day 1, the guys at camp have shown to be very competitive,” he said. “They’ve cheered each other on while pushing each other to be their best, which, as a coach, is all you can ask for. We’re very interested to see, in these next couple of exhibition games, and possibly even to start the season, without Passmore, who really takes advantage of those opportunities.”
Smoskowitz praises the players for bringing the high level of competitiveness that they have every day to camp. It’s the reason why these decisions to trim the roster have been so difficult.
“We definitely don’t want to rush anything,” said the Colts’ head coach. “We’ve got two more games, back-to-back. If we can give a couple of guys one more kind of trial run here in these two games, and really see who rises to the top, I think it’s going to be a great week of practice and then a couple of really interesting last exhibition games to see the 20 guys we want to open up in North Bay with.”
BACH HOLDS OFF ATTACK
In goal, Hagan Bach has turned heads with his play, including a standout 35-save performance in a 3-2 shootout win against Owen Sound on Saturday.
“Hagan Bach has been, I can’t even say a pleasant surprise, because we had some high hopes for the kid... but with him, and the kind of person he is, and how driven he is, he’s a pro’s pro,” Smoskowitz praised, noting new goalie coach Frankie Palazzese sees immense potential in him. “Show me a good goalie, and I’ll show you a good coach... I’m hoping Hagan Bach, Matvei Nikonovich, and Jaswal can make me look like a good coach for a second year in a row.”
MATHESON SERVING EARLY NOTICE
Offensively, 16-year-old Lucas Matheson has continued his explosive preseason, netting his fourth goal in three games to go along with a pair of assists. The rookie’s six points ties him for top spot with two other players for the scoring lead among defencemen.
“This kid is so good and works so hard,” Smoskowitz said of Matheson’s elite shot. “When Lucas has an open shot, he can really rip it and grip it... It’s putting some teams on notice really quick that when they play the Barrie Colts, you better have a game plan to shut down No. 22.”
