Throughout this season, the Barrie Colts were asked about the reason for their success.
Always the same two answers.
“We’re a brotherhood,” would say one.
“We’re a family,” would say another.
Because they are, the Colts are heading to the OHL championship final against the Kitchener Rangers, beginning Wednesday night.
When it comes to this collection of “mutants,’ the playful name they’ve given themselves, they are a team first. They win as a team, they lose as a team.
Pitted against the Brantford Bulldogs in the Eastern Conference Final, the Colts were pegged as the underdogs against the OHL regular season champions and favourites to lay claim to the J. Ross Robertson Trophy.
“We’re no underdogs,” said the Colts.
Still, few agreed. Down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series after a rough 6-1 loss on home ice, many thought the Colts were dead in the water.
Little did they know that nothing seemed to faze the Colts all season. This collection of brothers never doubts themselves.
“This is the tightest group I’ve ever been with in my life,” said Barrie goaltender Ben Hrebik. “There’s no quit in this team at all. We all love each other and want the best for each other.”
It didn’t matter that Brantford had gone all-in this season. It didn’t matter that Brantford had five NHL first-rounders in the lineup. It didn’t matter that Brantford traded for nine top players and didn’t flinch one bit in giving up 34 picks and nine players to do it.
Even when they learned they would have to complete a comeback without one of their captains and leaders, Cole Beaudoin, they rallied around him.
Told Beaudoin, they loved him. Told him they would find a way. That they did.
Brantford may have had the hired guns, but they were the team. They were a family.
Never has Colts’ head coach Dylan Smoskowitz experienced something like this. The 5-0 whitewash of Brantford in Game 7 was easily No. 1 on his list of wins.
“I’ve never been part of a team like this as a player,” said Smoskowitz, who started his junior career in Barrie. “I’ve never been lucky enough to be part of a team like this as a coach. For this to be my first year, and for the group to be this special to have the leadership group and the staff that we do, I’m telling you, I just show up to the rink and have a good time.
“These guys make my life so easy, and I just never want this ride to end.”
The contributions came from throughout the lineup.
There was Hrebik, outstanding throughout the series, but proving near unbeatable at times in the final three games with no room for error. Easily, it’s one of the top goaltending playoff performances in franchise history.
One that ranks up there with David Chant in 2002 and Brian Finley, who would be named the most valuable player after leading the Colts to their lone OHL title in 2000.
There was Jaiden Newton, who came into a must-win Game 5 with no points in 35 career playoff games and proceeded to score three goals and add an assist over the final three games.
There was Kashawn Aitcheson, the New York Islanders’ top prospect and OHL Defenceman of the Year, who barely left the ice in the final three games.
In the 4-3 overtime win in Game 6 back home, “Kash” played 46 minutes and set up Mason Zebeski’s overtime winner.
In the seventh and deciding game on Monday night, he scored the game-winner and once again logged close to 40 minutes of ice time.
There was Parker von Richter, who showed why the Colts went out and got him at the trade deadline by having his best game on defence in a Barrie uniform in the team’s biggest game.
“There’s no quit,” said Hrebik of his team. “Just people stepping up into bigger roles. Obviously, Beaudoin was a huge loss, but people have to step up, and that’s what they’re doing. We just got to keep rolling.”
There were big efforts from rookies. Eamon Edgar was battling for pucks, Nicholas Desiderio and Jonah McCormick were both going hard on the forecheck and finishing checks.
Beaudoin was on the bench again, there with his teammates.
The family came together and got it done.
“(Monday night) was a special one when there were so many contributors,” said Smoskowitz of the effort that put them into the OHL finals. “On any given night in this league, you’ve got a couple of passengers. Even on a good night, you have a couple of passengers. There was not one passenger tonight. Even the guy who couldn’t play because of an injury wasn’t a passenger. He was still on the bench.
“It was one of the more fun games I’ve ever been around to coach, only because I didn’t have to coach. The guys did it themselves.”
The Colts have little time to prepare for the Rangers, who eliminated the Windsor Spitfires in five games to win the Western Conference Finals.
Smoskowitz doesn’t mind at all if it means they get to play for an OHL championship.
“It’s going to be a great series with Kitchener,” he said. “That’s a really good team over there. A well-built team that’s playing some good hockey right now. It’s going to be a quick day of meetings and video, and maybe a small practice tomorrow for Kitchener.
“But, again, we’re going to worry about ourselves and what we have to do. What made us successful in this series is what will make us successful in the next series.”
All season, Barrie has worked together as a team to arrive here. To get his opportunity.
“This is what we play for,” said Hrebik of winning a championship. “It’s all heart and grind here, so just keep going.”
Game time Wednesday night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium is 7 p.m.
OHL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Game 1: Barrie at Kitchener, Wednesday, May 6 at 7 p.m.
Game 2: Barrie at Kitchener, Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m.
Game 3: Kitchener at Barrie, Sunday, May 10 at 6 p.m.
Game 4: Kitchener at Barrie, Tuesday, May 12 at 7 p.m.
Game 5: Barrie at Kitchener, Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 6: Kitchener at Barrie, Saturday, May 16 at 6 pm (if necessary)
Game 7: Barrie at Kitchener, Monday, May 18 – Time TBA (if necessary)
