67’s overagers hungry for playoff success
At the beginning of every junior hockey career, every player has been told to enjoy their time in the league, because it goes by faster than you could ever imagine.
Only one regular season game remains in the careers of Sam Mayer, Braeden Kressler, and Jacob Maillet, and after that, extending their time in the OHL will depend on wins and losses. All three say it hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but they are hoping to block it from their minds for the time being.
“I’m trying not to think about it,” Mayer said. “It’s going to be emotional tonight after the regular season comes to an end.”
The 67’s group of overagers shares the tag of trade deadline acquisition. They have only been teammates for a handful of months thus far, but have quickly come together to be leaders in the locker room, and guide the club through difficult situations.
“Both of those guys are great people, so coming to a new team with them makes it easy,” Maillet said. “Coming in, playing our game, and being good teammates has helped a lot.”
While all three expressed their excitement to come to Ottawa at the deadline, Mayer was thankful for the opportunity to play in front of friends and family on a consistent basis.
“It’s emotional for me and my family, obviously,” Mayer explained. “I can see them more often, and they get to watch me play more than they have before. I’m excited for every game, and being able to see them after games.”
The L’Orignal native was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to return to his old stomping grounds in Peterborough in the final weekend of the season, where he won a championship a season ago.
There, he received one last ovation from the Petes’ home fans, who showed an incredible amount of love to one of their favourite players.
“I can’t thank Peterborough enough for what they did for me in the last two and a half years,” Mayer said. “They helped me go a long way, and developed me into the play I am today.”
When the sentimental nature of the final weekend of the regular season is over, the heat of the playoffs will fill the air in The Arena at TD Place.
“Everyone’s mindset switches in the playoffs, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Kressler said. “We’ve been turning it on, and we’re going to keep that going. We’re going to keep it above the shoulders, and we’re going to have fun with it.”
Locked into the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Barber Poles don’t know who they will face in the first round. It could be any of the Brantford Bulldogs, Sudbury Wolves, or Mississauga Steelheads, but the 67’s are only focused on what they can control.
“We don’t really care what seed we finish, we know the group we have,” Maillet said. “It’s about coming together and playing our game every day. We have the group to go deep in the playoffs.”
Certainly, there’s a belief in the locker room that this roster is talented enough to reach the heights they have dreamed of as kids. Some players have been close, and Mayer has won in the past, but that only drives the desire to win further. For Kressler, all he wants is the chance to lift the J. Ross Robertson Cup high above his head.
“I want that more than anything,” he said. “I’ve always had that mindset, whether it was playing baseball when I was little, or playing hockey now. I’ve always wanted a ring, and I want to have that feeling of winning our last game. It makes me excited to think about.”
“It’s not about me, it’s not about another individual guy or their goals, it’s about the team, and that’s the truth. I just want to win something here, and tell my kids down the road I won an OHL championship.”