The wide grin on Chris Emerton’s face only grew as he watched his son, Cole, put on his Barrie Colts jersey.
Inside the Colts dressing room on Saturday morning as the club introduced their early picks from Day 1 of the OHL Priority Selection on Friday night to the media, the former Jr. B Colt could hardly believe his eyes.
It was in 1992 that the then Creemore native was acquired by Barrie from the Collingwood Blues and he first slipped on a Colts jersey.
And now 32 years later Cole, a third-round pick (50th overall), was officially a Barrie Colt just like dad.
“I’m shocked that he put on a Colts jersey,” said the elder Emerton, a then smooth skating offensive defenceman who helped lead the Jr. B Colts to a Sutherland Cup in 1992-93, rewarded to the provincial champions. “It was a special moment this morning.
“My former billets here in Barrie reached out this morning and were just so thrilled that another Emerton was putting on a Colts jersey.”
Both defencemen, both Colts and both with flowing, fulsome hair at the age of 16. Cole now and Chris then.
Like father, like son.
“It’s certainly come full circle and it proves how old I’ve become,” said Chris, before laughing out loud. “We’re just super thankful to the organization and to see him put that same jersey on is pretty special for me.”
A strong skating blueliner who helped the Vaughan Kings U16 AAA minor midgets reach the finals of the OHL Cup before falling to Oakville, Emerton was expected to go late first round according to some draft pundits.
“It feels awesome and it’s such an honour to be here,” Cole said of being drafted by the Colts. “I can’t wait to get started.”
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Cole would have been happy suiting up with any OHL team, but the fact that it was Barrie, that his dad once wore a jersey with the same name, made this all that much more special.
“It’s super special knowing that I’ll get to play in the same city my dad once did,” said the Oro-Medonte native. “It’s a great feeling.”
Colts general manager and head coach Marty Williamson had no idea that Emerton’s father had once been a Jr. B Barrie Colt. What he feels pretty good about is that the organization got themselves a steal by the defenceman being there in the fourth round.
“He is what could make the draft real special,” Williamson said of Emerton. “To get a kid like him with our fourth pick, Cole is a guy that we just love. I watched Vaughan play and I get visions of (former Colts captain) Ryan O’Connor.
“That’s what I see, a kid who is hard nosed, plays the game with a great motor and has a good shot. He plays with a really good work grade, and it enhances the skill that he has. We’re extremely happy with that first day on Friday.”
The five-foot-nine, 170-pound Emerton says he models his game after New York Rangers star defender Adam Fox. He had six goals and 19 assists in 34 games with the Kings and four goals and a helper in seven OHL Cup games.
One of the top defencemen available in the draft, Emerton loves to lead the rush and is a force in the offensive zone with the puck on his stick.
“I’ll bring some offence and be able to join the rush and get pucks moving, and being able to defend too,” he said.
While having a big season for the Kings end with a 3-0 loss to Oakville in the OHL Cup final was tough to swallow, Emerton is thankful he got a chance to play with Vaughan this season.
“It was a great year,” he said. “I had so much fun with all of them. Everyone on the team is such a skilled, great player and it helped me so much.”
Emerton says he’ll get down to work now to get ready for his first training camp with the Colts later this summer.
“Just trying to get bigger, faster and stronger,” he said. “Just be on the ice whenever I can and in the gym whenever I can just to hopefully make the squad next year.”
Emerton has been getting tips from his dad since he was four or five years old.
“I wouldn’t definitely be here without him today,” said Cole.
Dad and son talk hockey all the time.
“Since he’s gotten older and has gone way past my skill level we just talk about little things and try to help him out here and there, but the way these kids play now and how they compete and skate is pretty special to watch,” said Chris.
Emerton wasn’t the only local player to hear his name called on the weekend.
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association champion Barrie Colts U16 minor midget AAA squad lead all minor hockey teams with 14 players selected in the OHL draft.
The powerhouse Colts had three players alone taken in the first round. Elite playmaking centre Alex McLean went ninth overall to the Guelph Storm, while linemate Nathan Amidovski was taken two picks later at 11th overall by the Ottawa 67’s, before the London Knights got themselves a deal by picking up Barrie captain and centre Logan Hawery with the 20th overall pick.
Four more Jr. Colts heard their names called on the Friday, with defenceman Kent Greer, 29th to the North Bay Battalion, blueliner Blake Gowan, 32nd overall to the Peterborough Petes, and Troy Patten, 34th overall to the Mississauga Steelheads, going in the second round.
The Owen Sound Attack competed the first day of drafting by selecting Colts defenceman Elliot Arnett with the last pick (62nd overall) of the third round.
