House party: Brady Stonehouse returns to 67’s
Ever since becoming an Ottawa 67 in 2021, Brady Stonehouse has been a fan favourite, and after a short time away, he’s back in the lineup on Friday night.
“I’m excited, but a little nervous,” Stonehouse admitted. “It has been a long six months, so I’m excited to get back to doing what I love.”
Selected in the second round – 26th overall – in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, Stonehouse has played in exactly 200 games with the Barber Poles across three seasons, missing only four in that time.
The Blenheim, Ontario native has scored 75 goals in his career, and 136 points, including his 2022-23 regular season, in which he finished second on the team in goal scoring with 37, behind only overage forward, Logan Morrison.
After going undrafted twice in the NHL, Stonehouse signed a free agent deal with the Edmonton Oilers at the start of last season, and attended their training camp in each of the past two years. This year, his bid for the American Hockey League came up short, thanks in large part to a shoulder injury that has held him off the ice for some time.
Of course, the overager had his sights set on professional hockey this season, but he’s used to fighting for every inch he gets, and this is no different.
The fire lit under his backside has been burning for years, the heat is normal.
“I just want to be who I am,” Stonehouse said. “I’m excited every day to be at the rink, there’s a good energy. I’ll just be myself and prove to people that I belong.”
Stonehouse was complimentary of how the 67’s have fought back after a tough start to the season, having now earned points in each of their last four games, saying they have been on an “uphill climb.”
With his scoring prowess in the OHL, he’s hoping to help out at the offensive end of the rink, but there’s a lot more to it than just that.
“I feel like I bring a lot of energy,” Stonehouse said. “I want to lead by example and be vocal. I feel good. I haven’t played in a while, but I’ve been looking forward to it.”
It’s a light weekend for the Barber Poles in terms of their schedule, only playing on Friday night, and getting both Saturday and Sunday off, which seldom happens.
Friday night will be a test, however, as the 67’s welcome the high-octane Brampton Steelheads for their second meeting of the season.
The 67’s, and Stonehouse in particular, aren’t shying away from the opportunity, and relish the chance to measure themselves against the league’s best offensively.
“We need to play the same way we did on Wednesday,” Stonehouse said. “We just have to stick to our system, stick to our identity, and just outwork them. There’s a lot of skill over there, but not many skill teams want to play hard, so we’ll do that.”
