Dylan Smoskowitz didn’t wait long to pick up the phone and talk to his young defencemen.
After the Barrie Colts announced the trade of veteran blueliner Grayson Tiller to the Niagara IceDogs on June 10th, the head coach wanted to let second-year returnees Ethan Armstrong and Justin Handsor know the deal was made with them in mind.
“Literally the day after we made that trade, I called those guys,” said Smoskowitz, ahead of Barrie’s final preseason game on Sunday afternoon (2 p.m.) against the Oshawa Generals at Sadlon Arena. “I called Handsor. I called Armstrong, and I said ‘That trade was because of you guys. Because we believe in you. Because we wanted to create some room for you guys to step in here and have a larger role with the team and be real contributing players to this team.’
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“I told them kudos for having us believe in you, but at the same time, let’s make sure we have big summers, we work hard. Some big minutes are going to have to be eaten by those guys, and we feel like they have. They had the heart to have big summers, and I’m very, very impressed with them throughout training camp and exhibition season.”
While NHL prospects Kashawn Aitcheson, Gabriel Eliasson, and Evan Passmore are all set to return, gone from the blueline are key veterans Tristan Bertucci, Beau Akey, and Tiller.
The decision to move Tiller was also made a little easier for Smoskowitz and his coaching staff knowing they had Cole Emerton and Teague Vader waiting in the wings to step in as rookies.
Smoskowitz said they’ve been “really happy” with what they’ve seen from the likes of Emerton and Vader and their young blueline, though they know that their development will take some time.
“Guys like Justin Handsor and Ethan Armstrong, they’re still figuring out this league,” he said. “It’s going to take them a while, but with the big three (Aitcheson, Eliasson, and Passmore) at NHL camps, we’re relying on our young guys.
“We’re really, really happy with how quickly they have become men and made themselves comfortable. I’m really happy with what they’re showing us on the ice.”
What should help returnees like Armstrong and Handsor take that next step is the experience they gained last season playing with and watching a veteran group go about their business every day on and off the ice.
“I bring it back to when Aitcheson was a rookie too, and he was able to learn from Brandt Clarke, Artur Cholach, Braden Haché, and Connor Punnett,” said Smoskowitz.
The head coach said fast-forward it to Handsor last year being on the ice and in video sessions with Bertucci, Akey, and Aitcheson. When Armstrong joined the team in the second half of the season, he was also on the ice and in the video room with the same veterans.
Noah Barton played with the Barrie U18 team and practiced with the Colts, while Emerton also got in practice time with the OHL club.
“So, to be around a Bertucci and Akey, and to be learning from these guys and from watching how they control the game and make their reads on the ice, it pays dividends,” added Smoskowitz. “Our young guys have been around some really great talent on the back end, which we feel is going to put them in a stable situation going into this season.”
The Colts still have 10 blueliners in camp, and that number is sure to be trimmed down as Aitcheson (New York Islanders), Eliasson (Ottawa Senators), and Passmore (New York Rangers) return from their respective NHL camps over the next week as expected.
Free agents Jack Pollock and Joey Wassilyn are also still in camp, competing for a spot on the point.
“These last two exhibition games this weekend will be huge for some guys in terms of either cementing their spot on the team this year or letting us know they’re a year away from being a contributor to the Barrie Colts,” said Smoskowitz ahead of Friday night’s 4-3 loss to the Brampton Battalion in Orangeville.
“It’s all about opportunities.”
The Colts will also look to make cuts up front. Cole Beaudoin (Utah Mammoth) and Emil Hemming (Dallas Stars) are away at NHL camp, but the club still has 17 forwards in camp.
“We want to go through these two games and give the guys a full chance to showcase themselves and what they can offer the team for the season,” said Smoskowitz. “But, as we get going for next week and we start preparing for when games have two points on the line, we want to be very close to our final numbers and have the guys that we’re going to be riding more get their reps and get more comfortable with our system.
“So, I imagine early next week we get down to a smaller number.”
Ben Bowen is one winger fighting for a spot. After missing pretty much all of last season to injury, the 27th overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, who had 24 goals and 40 points in 28 games with the Vaughan minor midgets in 2023-24, is working hard to put a tough year behind him.
“We can’t be prouder of Ben Bowen and the way he’s rebounded after having a really tough year,” said Smoskowitz. “It’s not easy at that age to sit out and watch all your buddies play. Being able to skate but not score a goal and be a part of any game action is tough. You almost have to treat Ben as a 16-year-old coming into the league because he missed a full year of hockey.
“I can’t be prouder of the kid for fighting through that and just having the willingness to learn and continue to push through. We expect big things for Ben, and the best part of the new rules with this league is having a bit of a longer runway to showcase yourself before a decision has to be made.”
The Colts open the 2025-26 OHL season on Saturday night (7:30 p.m.) when they host the Guelph Storm at Sadlon Arena. They’ll have a full week of practice to prepare.
“We have one game and feel like football coaches,” said Smoskowitz. “We can focus on one opponent and really do a deep dive into the individual player pre-scouts.
“It’s going to be a huge week for us and we have six days to prepare for 60 minutes, which is pretty convenient his week.”
ICE CHIPS
Second-year puck stopper Arvin Jaswal’s play has caught the attention of the coaching staff with veteran Ben Hrebik away at training camp with the Boston Bruins.
“Coach Dave Belitski has been very impressed with him and his net presence and work ethic,” said Smoskowitz. “They have full confidence in Jazzy and what he can do.”
Barrie traded forward Cole Dubowsky to the Windsor Spitfires on Tuesday in return for an 11th-round pick in 2026.
