Calvin Crombie will return Wednesday night to where it all started for him in the OHL.
He has already worked through the emotions that come with a player returning to his old stomping grounds; the Barrie Colts overage forward made a pair of trips earlier this season to take on the Brantford Bulldogs at the TD Civic Centre.
Now, with the Eastern Conference Final best-of-seven series set to begin and the Bulldogs standing in the way of a trip to the league championship, Crombie’s focus is on doing all he can to ensure the Colts get the job done.
“At the end of the day, it’s all business for us here,” said Crombie, who spent two seasons in Brantford before being acquired by Barrie before the start of this season. “Players go through it all the time. You get traded to different teams, and sometimes you’ve got to face your former club. I got the nerves out of the way going in there the first time, and then being there again the second time.
“Obviously, I’m a little anxious. I have a lot of family in town and people watching. It’s going to be a great series. They’re a good team, and so are we. I think at the end of the day, we can get it done here. We’ve got the squad to do it."
There’s nothing the gritty winger would love more than to help send his old team packing. The Hamilton native hasn’t forgotten that the Bulldogs didn't have room for him.
“Yeah, at the end of the day, there’s some hatred, of course,” said Crombie, who has been having a strong playoff run with three goals and three assists for six points in nine games while playing on the team’s shutdown line. “There were some things that weren’t followed up on their end, and that’s hockey. I’m happy I was able to land in a good spot with a good coach and a great team that said they wanted to have a good run.
“At the end of the day, there’s some hatred, and that’s only going to help me play and fire me up more.”
The Colts were happy to trade a late draft pick for the six-foot, 200-pound winger, who finished the regular season with 11 goals and a career-high 35 points in 60 games. A leader on and off the ice, Crombie’s game has been a perfect fit for a Barrie team that loves to play a physical, heavy game up front.
“It’s been huge,” Colts head coach Dylan Smoskowitz said of Crombie’s compete factor. “Cal’s a man who plays in a junior league. He’s a pro. From the way his body is constructed, he’s a big, physical guy. The way he treats his body, and just how intimidating he is on the ice—he takes no prisoners. He plays the proper way. He’s in your face, and he’s never going to back down from a check.”
Playing on the right side with center William Schneid and left winger Carter Lowe, the trio has developed great chemistry. They were especially effective in the second round against Ottawa.
“I’m kind of in a similar role to what I was last year,” said Crombie. “Logging big minutes and playing that role where we're defensive and adding a scoring touch when it comes. We all have offensive ability, but our first mindset is defense. I was in a similar position last year, where my line excelled in the playoffs, matching the first line against Oshawa. It's the same this year: being sound defensively and scoring when we have our chances.”
When the playoffs arrive, things get tighter on the ice. Battles are everywhere, and it’s here that Crombie’s fiery, determined play excels.
“He’s built for the playoffs,” said Smoskowitz. “That’s something that my staff and I have talked about throughout the season. We liked Cal’s season a lot, and we liked what he brought, but we knew he was going to find another level in the playoffs, and he’s done that. I think he’s going to be very excited and motivated to play against his former team. He’s definitely going to bring it.”
Crombie and his linemates don’t mind the defensive role at all.
“The best thing about the line is that good defense leads to offense,” Smoskowitz added. “When these guys do their thing out there and shut down other teams’ top lines, they also have the ability to finish when the opportunity presents itself. It’s a pleasure to watch.”
Reaching this stage of the playoffs is what it’s all about for Crombie. He doesn’t want his OHL career to end anytime soon.
“This is the best time of the year. This is what you look forward to after playing 68 games and going through the regular season,” he said. “Coming into the OHL at the age of 18, my first year ended with being upset by Ottawa. Then last year, I dealt with some injuries going into the Oshawa series before getting knocked out and missing the conference final. This year, it’s great. We’re all super excited and pumped to go this far.”
Still, much work remains for Crombie and the Colts. First, the Bulldogs are standing in their way.
“The job is not finished. It’s one game, one series at a time,” he said. “You take it from there and play it game by game. The job’s not done until we’re hoisting the Memorial Cup in Kelowna.”
