Gardiner feels right at home with Colts

For Brad Gardiner, his trips to the Sadlon Arena in Barrie with the Ottawa 67’s his first three OHL seasons were always a bit like returning home.

Now, the newly acquired Colts’ centre, whose dad, Bruce Gardiner, was a standout with the Jr. ‘B’ Barrie Colts back in the early 1980s before spending seven seasons in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils, is thrilled he’ll get to call the Sadlon Arena home on daily basis.

“My dad had a stint playing hockey here, and it adds to the excitement of me playing here as well,” said the 19-year-old Aurora native, who was acquired by Barrie just before training camp for four draft picks. “Not only exciting for me, but my entire family. I’m sure they’re going to be here every night.

“Even on the road, I always have energy playing here, and I’m sure I’ll have no excuse not being excited to play each night.”

A third-round pick of the Dallas Stars (79th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, Gardiner is looking to have a big season in his dad’s hometown in hopes of signing a pro contract with the NHL club.

Eager to join a contender, he was excited when he found out he was being sent to the Colts.

“Obviously, I’d been talking to Ottawa in the summer. I wasn’t exactly sure where,” said Gardiner, about a possible trade. “But Barrie is a place I wanted to be. I’m from here, not too far out in Aurora. I got lots of family here.

“I was pretty stoked when I obviously got that final call that this is where I was going to be playing this year.”

With the Colts looking to take a run at an OHL title this season, Gardiner, said general manager and head coach Marty Williamson, was a natural fit as a strong two-way right-shot centre who was among the OHL’s top faceoff men last season.   

“He’s another guy that is hungry,” said Williamson of Gardiner, who finished 15th overall with 611 faceoff wins last season. “That’s what I like about this team. I don’t have to worry about a Cole Beaudoin because he’s always hungry, and guys like (Riley Patterson) and that, they want to get to the next level. They know it’s a big step for them, and the same thing about Gardiner.

“We got second, third and fourth-round (NHL) picks, and Beau Akey wants to get a contract, so that bodes well for me in the ability to motivate these guys and they self-motivate themselves in terms of what they want to get done.”

Gardiner is one of three Dallas prospects joining the Colts this season along with top import pick Emil Humming and defenceman Tristan Bertucci, who also joined the team in a trade from Flint and was selected in the second round before Gardiner in the 2023 NHL draft.

Hemming was a first-round pick (29th overall) in this year’s NHL Draft.

“Hemming and I were together at (Dallas prospects) training camp,” said the six-foot-one, 185-pound forward, who will leave next week for Stars camp in Traverse City, Michigan where they will faceoff for a couple of games with prospects from the Detroit Red Wings. “Bertucci, I played him growing up and playing against him the last few years. We got drafted the same year. All great players like the others.

“It should be fun to start building that chemistry and hopefully in the future we can stay together (on a line).”

Gardiner had a career-high 16 goals and 33 assists for 49 points in 67 games with the 67’s last season. Playing for a defensive-minded head coach in Dave Cameron wasn’t easy, but Gardiner praised his former coach for making him a much better player all-around.

“A ton, for sure,” Gardiner said about how much playing for Cameron has improved his game. “Being there as a 16-year-old in Ottawa, it’s been tough. He was hard on us, but I think that’s always been good for me. I’m super thankful for all the support he’s given me over the years. I’ll always look fondly at my time back in Ottawa, but I’m excited now to play under a new coach in Marty as well.

“Everything (Cameron) has taught me will stick with me throughout my entire hockey career and help me turn my game into a more mature game, a more pro game.”

Gardiner has played between Hemming and captain Beau Jelsma this preseason, it’s expected he’ll play a much more offensive role with Barrie this season than he did in Ottawa.

A role that Williamson believes his newest centreman will thrive in.

“I think he can,” he said of Gardiner stepping up his offensive game. “He shoots the puck really well. He’s extremely smart about sliding in and out of areas. When you’re playing with the Hemmings and Jelsma right now, they’re going to find you at times, or you can pick up garbage.  

“He’s just got a really good all-around game. I’m really excited at getting him. It’s just one of those things that really meets the eye as far as what our team needed and, again, he’s unbelievably happy to be here. There’s a big smile on his face and that goes a longways, too.”

Gardiner believes he’s ready for the bigger responsibility of providing more offence.

“We had lots of skilled players in Ottawa, too,” he said. “We all developed together since we were 16 years old, but obviously being older now confidence comes with your game, and I want to take a step offensively a bit this year.

“I feel like I’ve developed my game well defensively over the last three years in Ottawa, so whoever I end up playing with I’m sure we’ll do well. It’s an exciting group and it should be a good year.”

Having a father who has gone through all this has helped the young forward and will continue to help him as he looks to earn a contract with the Stars.

Bruce Gardiner, a sixth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in 1991, spent four years at Colgate University before making the jump to pro hockey and then the NHL with the Ottawa Senators.

“It helps a lot,” Gardiner said. “The draft process and the nerves for that year. Even this year, trying to play to get a contract. There’s ups and downs through the year and having him in my corner supporting me means a lot. Obviously, he can give me the advice, but at the end of the day it has to be me that (carries it forward).

“Seeing the lifestyle when he turned pro, it’s pretty hard not to be motivated by that. Obviously, that’s my end goal. Just taking it each day at a time. Having him is great, but at the end of the day I’m the one that’s got to get it done, so I’m up for the job and I’m excited.”

The Colts will look to run their OHL preseason record to 3-0 Friday night when they travel to the Big Nickel to take on the Sudbury Wolves.

Game time at the Sudbury Community Arena is 7:05 p.m.