Cole Beaudoin may have wanted to stay in Utah with the NHL’s Utah Mammoth, but the Barrie Colts are happy to have their No. 1 centre back.
The newly named co-captain, back from NHL training camp on Thursday, wasted little time making his mark. He scored twice and added an assist in a dominant season debut to help the Colts beat the Oshawa Generals 5-3 and snap a four-game losing streak Saturday at Sadlon Arena.
“He’s an engine. He’s a motor,” Colts’ head coach Dylan Smoskowitz said of Beaudoin. “The biggest thing with Cole is that he drags guys into the fight with him. The guys see how hard he’s working, how fast he’s moving, and they just want to be like that.
“He sets a great example, and that’s why we put a ‘C’ on his jersey this year.”
Playing alongside overage wingers Alex Assadourian and Calvin Crombie, Barrie’s top line tallied three goals and six assists for nine points.
Co-captain Kashawn Aitcheson also led the way in his first game since Friday’s leadership announcement, finishing with a pair of goals, including the winner, and three points.
“Yeah, it was really big for the team,” Beaudoin said of wanting to make an impact in his return and help his team snap its skid.
“Obviously, we were on a four-game losing streak, and we were just trying to get back in the win column, and now we’ve got to keep it going. Now that we’ve got one, we don’t stop. We don’t let up. We need to keep our foot on the gas and keep the pedal to the metal.
“It was nice to get a few there coming back. I’m playing with some good linemates. Assadourian was finding me, Crombie was finding me, and Kash was finding me. We played well in the offensive zone. We’ve got to tighten up some things in the defensive zone and limit their chances, but I’m happy with the guys. We’ve got to rest up and get back at it (Sunday).”
Crombie scored a goal and added two assists, while Assadourian recorded three helpers for the Colts (2-2-0-2), who got a solid 29-save performance in goal from Arvin Jaswal.
Sam Roberts, Simon Wang, on the power play, and Brooks Rogowski replied for the Generals (1-5), who have now lost three in a row.
Beaudoin was hoping to stick with the Mammoth in his second NHL camp with the team, but the 24th overall selection is determined to “show them” they made the wrong decision sending him back.
“Come back here and show them my offensive ability, and show them that I can play defence, play special teams,” he said. “Definitely come back and work on some things. Improve my game and work alongside this great team.”
Beaudoin, who will rotate with Aitcheson in sporting the ‘C,’ was the captain last night. He knows the responsibility that comes with such a decision.
“It’s an honour,” he said. “Anytime you get to wear a letter, anytime you get to wear a ‘C’, it’s an honour, especially with Kash. He’s been my best buddy since Day 1. We came to this building together and to share it with him, I’m grateful.
“Now, I just want to lead the guys on and keep winning games, keep pushing hard so come playoff time we’re ready to make a push.”
With the Colts looking for someone to lead the way and help turn things around, both Beaudoin and Aitcheson grabbed the reins.
“We knew it was going to take a special group of leaders to right this ship here with this group,” said Smoskowitz. “Kash has been doing a great job, holding the fort down for Cole to get back. But again, the two of them, the way they work in practice, the way they prepare for games, what we see out there on the ice is just the very tip of the iceberg with these guys.
“I know the fans get to see that, the fans all love them, but the coaches, the staff, his teammates, they get to see the work every day, and it’s pretty special to be around two guys like that.”
It was the Generals that struck first on this night, thanks to a phantom tripping call on Brad Gardiner. Replays showed the Oshawa blueliner lost his footing, and Gardiner was nowhere near him.
Roberts beat Jaswal just as the man advantage came to an end at 2:56.
Aitcheson tied it up on a shot from the point less than 10 minutes later, before Crombie and Beaudoin beat Oshawa goaltender Isaac Gravelle 39 seconds apart in the last minute of the opening frame to help Barrie take control.
Goals by Rogowski and Wang, less than seven minutes apart in the second, helped the Generals draw even, but Aitcheson didn’t waste much time putting Barrie back on top for good.
Just 39 seconds later, the New York Islanders’ 2025 17th overall selection snuck in from the point and took a feed in front from Assadourian to make it 4-3.
Beaudoin’s second of the game at 13:24 of the third period sealed the win.
It was a much better third for the Colts as opposed to Thursday night when they blew a 4-2 lead, en route to a 5-4 shootout loss to the visiting Soo Greyhounds.
This time, they pretty much shut down their opponents, outshooting them, 12-6.
“That was the first thing I said to the guys after the game tonight,” explained Smoskowitz. “We go into that third period with a one-goal lead, and we come out of the period winning 1-0. It’s not like we want to take our foot off the gas in the third period. We don’t want to be caught on our heels. We just want to play responsibly defensively.
“We call it positionally patient. You wait for an opportunity. You might be on your heels for a little bit, but when that opportunity hits, you’re on your toes and taking it to them. The guys did a good job holding down the fort in that third period.”
Beaudoin’s impact was felt all over the ice on this night. He blocked shots, got his stick into passing lanes to break up plays, and was his usual force up and down the ice.
“That’s his calling card,” Smoskowitz said of Beaudoin’s ability to lead the way and set an example. “Utah, when they chose him in the first round of that NHL draft, they called it a culture pick (because of his hard work and setting the tone), and that’s exactly what it is.
“I’ve said it before to. I’m so lucky in my first year as a head coach that I get to have a guy like Cole Beaudoin set the culture for this group. It’s very evident what he means to this team. You saw it here tonight, and we just couldn’t be happier to have him back.”
The Colts are back at it on Sunday afternoon when they hit the road to take on the Niagara IceDogs. The game will be the first trip back for Assadourian since he was acquired from Niagara before the season.
It will also mark the first time they face former teammates Grayson Tiller and Riley Patterson, who were dealt to Niagara in separate moves in the offseason.
With the quick turnaround, Smoskowitz knows he’ll need everyone on board.
“Definitely,” he said. “It’s some of the hardest games to play, but also some of the easiest. The 2 p.m. game on a Sunday, both teams can be tired, both teams can be lackadaisical. It’s not that hard to be stuck in. It’s not that hard to outcompete. You just have to want to do it.
“Our guys want to do it, and I expect that they’re going to outcompete Niagara.”
ICE CHIPS: Evan Passmore and Gardiner were named alternate captains. . . Nicholas Desiderio was sporting a smile after he appeared to score early in the second. The goal was called off after replays clearly showed he had slid the puck under the side of the net, which had been lifted off the ice. . . Barrie outshot Oshawa 39-32. . . Beaudoin, Crombie, and Assadourian each finished a plus 5, while Aitcheson was a plus 4. . . Assadourian now has six assists in six games. . . With three goals and three assists in six games, Crombie is well on his way to passing his career high of 31 points last season.
ADD. OHL
Ottawa 1 Erie 4
Windsor 4 Brantford 3 (SO)
Saginaw 7 Owen Sound 5
London 3 Guelph 2 (OT)
Sarnia 4 Flint 2
