Barrie Colts fans will have plenty to cheer for this month.
With Barrie players competing at the world junior hockey championship over the holiday season and a group of young players filling the void while they’re away, local hockey fans will have two teams to root for over the next five weeks or so.
“We get to watch two fun teams,” said Colts’ general manager Marty Williamson. “We get to cheer a (Canadian) team with two of our guys (Cole Beaudoin and Kashawn Aitcheson) as key parts. With the Finnish team, I’ve been told Hemming is probably going to wear a letter.
“It’s an exciting time.”
Co-captains Aitcheson and Beaudoin are expected to be named to the Canadian national team next week, and Hemming is all but a certainty to suit up for Finland. Barrie could also find itself without defenceman Gabriel Eliasson if the Ottawa Senators’ prospect is added to the Swedish roster.
While the exodus of major talent will make things challenging for the upcoming month, as always, their departure also provides a chance for others to step forward and take on bigger roles.
“I think this is a really good opportunity for a lot of these guys,” said Williamson. “They’re going to get some power-play time. I really don’t look at it as doom and gloom. You lose your best players. Yes, it’s going to be tough. We know that, but these guys enjoy playing hockey, and they’re going to get more ice time.
“We just hope they keep advancing their games. Just keep getting better. That’s kind of a big mantra for us. Just keep improving.”
Barrie (14-8-1-4) sits four points ahead of the North Bay Battalion atop the Central Division standings heading into Friday night’s contest against the Ottawa 67’s at TD Place (7 p.m. puck drop).
After a six-game losing skid early in the season, the Colts bounced back with an impressive 11-1-1-1 run over the last 14 games to move into second spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
And they’ve made their run not playing their best hockey, at times, and relying heavily on the goaltending of Ben Hrebik and backup Arvin Jaswal.
“We need to be doing some things better,” said Williamson. “We’re into a third of the season type thing, and there are certain things we need. Yes, there are some good signs, and you need to pat our goaltending on the back, how well they’ve done for us. They’ve given us the opportunity to win every night.
“It’s a little bit the devil in the (details). I like that we’re winning, because you’re never going to turn down getting these points in the bank. We are doing some good things, but we need to improve in some areas too.”
Staying atop the division may not be so easy over the next month. Not with the loss of Beaudoin, tied for third among OHL scoring leaders, Aitcheson, who leads all league blueliners with 18 goals, and Hemming, who has racked up four goals and 20 points in just 13 games.
That’s a third of the offence (34 of 91 goals scored) that will be missing from the lineup.
While the OHL’s most penalized team hasn’t done itself any favours with its parade, at times, to the penalty box, it’s not the biggest challenge that lies ahead.
“Yeah, we need to watch our stick work a little bit,” said Williamson. “Our identity is to play a heavy game. There’s always a learning curve with that. There have been (penalties) that I haven’t been happy with, but, overall, I don’t think it’s our biggest problem.
“I think we’re going to be fine there. Secondary scoring right now is our biggest weakness. We’re just not getting enough.”
With their big guns competing for gold in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the OHL club will turn to the likes of Joe Salandra, Carter Lowe, Alex Assadourian, Bode Stewart, and others to help overage centre Brad Gardiner put up the offence.
“There’s a group of forwards that need to produce a little more for us to take some of the pressures off every penalty being the game on the line, and those kinds of things,” said Williamson.
The Colts general manager and head coach Dylan Smoskowitz believes it’s only a matter of time before Salandra is “going to pop.”
The American forward, says Williamson, has been playing really well, and it’s only a matter of time before he starts getting rewarded.
“I love the way he’s playing,” the GM said of Salandra, who has three goals and 13 assists in 27 games. “He’s leading us most nights in hits. He just does all the right things. He’s shown some great speed in winning races. This second half is going to be a good half for him.”
Assadourian is another forward he believes can step up to play a bigger offensive role.
“I think he’s getting rid of some habits with Niagara with the circles and that,” said Williamson, of the overage forward who has four goals and 12 assists in 27 games. “He’s playing much more of a straight-line game. I think we’ll see the benefits of that.”
The Colts are also looking to bring in some reinforcements from among their prospects. Forwards Alexander Sementsov, Barrie’s 18th overall pick in the 2025 OHL draft, and Tate Collins, a member of the OJHL’s Toronto Patriots, are expected to be called up.
The highly skilled Sementsov has scored two goals and 13 points in 23 games with the Newmarket Hurricanes of the OJHL.
“I think we’d like to get Sementsov a couple of games and just see what his growth can be for us in the second half,” Williamson said of the Russian-born winger.
Collins, who was signed earlier this year, could also see some action. While younger roster extras such as Eamon Edgar, Sam Black, Jonah McCormick, Ethan Armstrong, and Teague Vader will take on bigger roles.
“If we need another guy, then Collins is going to be that guy,” said Williamson. “We’ve had Black not play an awful lot, and he’s been a great soldier for us. I know he’s chomping at the bit. He’s a guy we’ll lean on, too. “Even (Luc) Gauvreau, I’d like to get him in every night. He brings a presence to our team. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He’s not fancy, nor scores a bunch, but he’s a tough kid that doesn’t make many mistakes.”
One rookie, already playing a leading role and likely to be leaned on heavily, will be blueliner Chris Emerton. The Oro-Medonte native’s game has taken big steps, especially over the last few weeks.
“They work hard to try and belong, and then they start to realize that they belong,” said Williamson. That’s the maturation we’ve seen with (Emerton). “I love watching him play. He gives us everything he has every shift. He’s a battler. He’s got great skills. He’s just a really nice piece going forward. He probably could be the biggest surprise right now for our hockey team in what he’s given us.
“I thought, ‘undersized,’ going to take him a while. Bottom of the lineup, well, this guy has put his name in the lineup every single night, and he’s not coming out.”
McCormick will see more time on the penalty kill, while Edgar more time on the power play.
“It’s going to be fun to watch,” said Williamson.
Hrebik will be counted on to continue his early-season magic. He posted a sparkling 6-0-1-1 record with a 1.97 goals against average and .946 save percentage en route to being named the OHL Goaltender of the Month.
After being passed over in last year’s NHL Entry Draft, Hrebik is determined to let teams know he shouldn’t be overlooked again.
“I think this kid gets snubbed just about everywhere,” said Williamson. “I know he’s goalie of the month for the league, which I think is great. I saw a mock OHL (roster) for the world juniors, and he was left off. I think the world of Carter George, but some of the other goalies he should be right there in that discussion.
“I think he’s a little bit unheard of. We think the world of him. If he’s the best-kept secret, then we’re pretty happy to have him.”
At this time last year, when Sam Hillebrandt went off to join the U.S. national team at worlds, Hrebik grabbed the reins and earned the co-starter’s role with his American partner in the crease.
The opportunity is there for others this month to catch the attention of Williamson, Smoskowitz and the remainder of the Barrie management.
More importantly, help the club remain where it is in the standings, and show management they took advantage when the opportunity was there.
“We got North Bay breathing down our necks, and they’re not really going to lose anybody,” said Williamson. “I’ve heard comments they believe they can be in first place coming out of January 6.
“Whether we are or not, that’s our goal. Winning as many games as we can and, either we’re beefing up this team or whatever the decisions that are made, we want to be in a good position. We think first place is the best spot to be in.”
ICE CHIPS: Barrie finishes its eastern Ontario swing late Saturday afternoon in Kingston. . . Beaudoin and Aitcheson will be in the lineup this weekend, before heading to the national camp early next week. . . The Colts will also be missing top six forward Calvin Crombie for another three weeks. “He probably doesn’t get back until we get our (other) guys back.”
