Between Barber Poles holds a deep meaning for 67’s players
The first two episodes of Between Barber Poles have Ottawa 67’s fans talking, as they get insight into the behind-the-scenes life for the first time ever.
While they sit in anticipation of the rest of the season, with the next two episodes dropping on Thursday morning, the players have enjoyed the whole series, reminiscing on the year that was before anyone else. Their viewing pleasure has brought plenty of different emotions, ranging from sheer excitement, to fond memories, and even sadness.
Cam Tolnai, who graduated from the 67’s program after the 2022-23 season with 152 points in 241 games, couldn’t help but see the progression in everyone as the season rolled on.
“It just reminded me how crazy the season was,” he said. “It was crazy how fast it went, but then you look back at the start of the year and you see how long ago it was. You see how much growth there was for so many people, and you look back at all the funny haircuts and everyone looking so young, because come playoffs, everyone looks three or four years older.”
As the players reached the end of the series, the emotions got heavier, and for Tolnai in particular, saying goodbye was a challenge.
“It definitely brought out some emotions, reminiscing on my junior career, sitting down with Carter Normand (the show’s producer) after it was all done, talking about what it all meant to me,” Tolnai said. “Ottawa gave me a chance at 16, and it didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, and we had so many chances, but I was really grateful for the opportunity.”
It wasn’t just the overagers who struggled to make it through the final episodes, but the young players, as well.
“The end almost had me in tears,” rookie defenceman Henry Mews admitted. “We had such a great group of guys, and for the season to end like that wasn’t what we wanted.”
Between Barber Poles does more than just bring fans behind the scenes of a historic season, it creates something tangible that players will be able to use forever to remember the group, and serve as a landmark in the franchise’s history.
No matter what’s next for the players on the squad, they’re bound together, and will always be able to share in the memories that they made this year.
“It will be really good to look back on this in 10 or 15 years,” Tolnai said. “Some guys will still be playing, others will have moved on to other things, but we’re always going to have this series, and hopefully, it helps inspire other people.”
As to how players view the series… it all depends on the point they are at in their lives. Tolnai’s junior career is over, and he can only look backward at the things he did with the 67’s, but comparatively to where he started, all he can feel is pride.
“It’s great to see how the culture has changed, and how we helped put Ottawa back on the map,” Tolnai said. “Being a small part of that is something I’ll cherish.”
For other players, this was only the beginning, and seeing the show’s end sparks a light for more.
“It gives you fuel,” Mews said. “It gave me a reason to work harder in the offseason, but I want the season to start right now. You just want to get back to work. I think our group has that special something.”
You can stream Between Barber Poles with two new episodes every Thursday on the 67’s YouTube channel.
