The offensive numbers stand out and make it obvious why the Barrie Colts would acquire a player like Dalyn Wakely.
Coming off a season where he scored 39 goals and recorded 104 points is impressive enough, but the overage forward’s acquisition from the North Bay Battalion on Thursday is so much more.
With three straight runs to the Eastern Conference finals under his belt, the experience and veteran leadership he brings to a team looking to take a run at an OHL championship is just as key as the big numbers Wakely produces on the ice.
To see him play over the years in their Central Division games and battle against him in the playoffs, Colts general manager and head coach Marty Williamson didn’t hesitate to make the move when the deal fell in his lap on Wednesday night.
“I thought last year he was outstanding in the playoffs and to bring that kind of experience over (was big),” said Williamson, who sent forward Shamar Moses and fourth-round (2025) and fifth-round (2027) picks to North Bay in the deal. “Just meeting him, this kid is really dialled in. He is even better than I thought he was going to be. It is a really good pickup for us.”
A sixth-round selection of Edmonton in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Wakely was recently sent back to junior hockey by the Bakersfield Condors, the Oilers’ AHL affiliate.
The Port Hope native arrived in Barrie Thursday morning.
“I am over the moon,” said the 20-year-old centre, who had 89 goals and 187 points over three seasons and 199 games in North Bay. “I think the big thing personally was looking for a team that had those intentions of going deep. What I will be able to bring to this group is a little bit of experience with the last three years in North Bay and being able to draw on that.
“Just hopefully be able to push this group to the next level here and find some success as we go along here. But I am super pumped. A lot of the guys I know just from battling them the last couple of years and I do not think I could have picked a better group to join here, so I am excited.”
With North Bay having one too many overagers and looking more to the future this season, Wakely knew if he were sent back to the OHL he wanted to play for a contender.
“It is a tricky scenario any time you got too many guys at one spot in hockey, and someone has got to go,” said the six-foot-one, 198-pound Wakely, who is looking to get a professional contract from the Oilers. “I am not going to sit here and say we weren’t hoping with North Bay from the jump. That was the good part of this. Things were pretty clear from the summertime on what I wanted to get done and be doing if I was sent back to the OHL.
“North Bay was able to work with me on that and find a spot where it will be a great fit. Just being there for so long, they helped me out in that way. It was definitely difficult to leave a spot like that. I had so many relationships there, but I think that any time there is a chance to move on and find a team that is looking to win, I am looking to do that.”
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The trade between the two Central rivals came together fairly quickly and by surprise. Williamson said he received a call late Wednesday from Wakely’s agent.
“We had to talk to him last night because we were kind of late to the table,” said Williamson, who coached Jason Wakely, Dayln’s father in his first season behind the bench. “He was going down the road with some other teams. We (Wakely) had a short conversation, and he just said I am in. He said I’ll be there at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, and it was pretty easy.
“He wanted to get to a competitive team that has a shot to win, and that is what the focus is. When he heard that he said he was in, it was a pretty good night for me last night.”
The Colts paid a steep price for the North Bay forward in giving up Moses. Barrie’s 19th pick overall in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, Moses was off to a slow start this season with no points in his first five games.
The developing power forward has the skills and grit to be an impact player over the next four seasons with North Bay.
“I give a lot of credit to our scouting staff that keeps bringing me young talent like this which allows me to make a move like this,” said Williamson. “We know Shamar is going to be a very good player in this league, but this is the business of the league. Everybody wants your young players if they are moving (a player), and draft picks don’t hold much weight.
“The key to this was they wanted Shamar and the key to this was we wanted Dalyn, and we were able to put the trade together.”
While he feels he will contribute offensively on the ice, in the faceoff circle, and with his leadership on the ice, Wakely believes his biggest impact might be off the ice.
“Kind of show guys what it takes to win,” he said “Three years in a row to the conference final and you pick up a thing or two along the way, and I think I will be able to help this group down the stretch here just learn some things, figure out some fine details away from the rink and stuff like that.
“I know these guys are hungry to get wins and improve people, so I am really excited to be here.”
The deal gives Barrie one overage forward over the limit of three you can play in a game. With captain Beau Jelsma set to return in two weeks, the Colts will move one of the four.
“We got a couple of injuries right now,” said Williamson. “York is banged up and obviously Beau is not ready to come back. We will play that out and see what the best for the hockey team is going forward.”
Wakely will jump right into action with the Colts, beginning Friday night on the road against the defending OHL champion London Knights and then back home Saturday against the Brampton Steelheads, the CHL’s top-ranked team.
“It does not get any better,” said Wakely. “We think we are in the mix of teams that should be considered top in the country, so this is a weekend to showcase our stuff and what we can do. Definitely excited to get it going tomorrow night.”
ICE CHIPS: Rookie forward Parker Vaughan is one of 41 CHL players who will compete with Canada Red and Canada White at the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, from November 3-9 at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia. Vaughan was a fifth overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection.
