SERIES PREVIEW: Ottawa 67’s to battle Barrie Colts in second round

After making quick work in a tight series against the Kingston Frontenacs in Round 1, the #3 Ottawa 67’s will take on the #2 Barrie Colts in Round 2 of the 2026 OHL Playoffs presented by Nissan.

 

Round one recap

The 67’s are coming off of sweeping the Frontenacs in what was, for many players on the team, their first taste of junior playoff action.

“You hear about the playoffs before and how much the game changes,” said Filip Ekberg of his anticipation ahead of the playoffs. “That was the best crowd I ever played for in Ottawa.”

Ekberg would have a big first round, scoring three goals and one assist over the four games, including netting the series-opening and closing goals. “These are the games I love to play,” he said. 

“I don’t think there were any nerves,” said Spencer Bowes. “There was a lot of excitement from the team; everyone was pretty much ready to go and ready to play.”

The 67’s had home ice advantage and knew what they were going up against, having played Kingston eight times this season.

“We had a lot of confidence going into the series,” said overager Cooper Foster. “We did a good job during the year playing against them.”

“Obviously, they were a good team, were well coached, but we matched up well against them all year.”

The 67’s would give the hometown crowd their money’s worth with two big wins to start the series. However, the Barber Poles would face the daunting task of a team fighting for a chance to hold on while in front of their hometown crowd for games 3 and 4.

“We had talked about how they were going to play a lot harder in their rink,” said Bowes on the team’s discussions before going on the road. “We had to stick to their game and not fall into their trap.”

Things would get tight with Game 4, with Ottawa, who were up 3-0 in the series, coming to a 2-2 tie nearing the end of regulation.

Filip Ekberg would have the puck out front and take the extra split second to deke out Frontenacs’ goaltender Gavin Betts to pot home the series winner.

“All the boys were happy,” said Foster. “Scoring with 30 seconds left, we were on a high.”

“We were all pretty pumped up,” said Sam McCue. “We were all thinking we were probably going to overtime with 30 seconds left.”

 

The energy line

Since the end of the regular season and in Round 1, Dave Cameron has relied upon three players to set the tone and grind away at teams to start each game. That line has been Zach Houben, a two-year veteran of the team, and the midseason additions of Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Sam McCue and USHL champion Teddy Spitznagel.

“We’re a great line,” said Sam McCue of his line’s play and chemistry. “Just three big bodies, hard-working guys that muck it up and get to the front of the net.”

“Just starting games and providing an energy boost for our team,” said McCue. “Just getting the boys going.”

The line has provided a physical presence, and in Game 4, set the offensive tone with McCue picking up his second career lacrosse-style goal—and first in the playoffs.

“I just thought about it for a quick second and kind of got it off,” he said. “I’m still in shock… I can’t lie, I still watch it once every couple of days and smile ear-to-ear.”

 

X-tra special

While the For The ‘X’ tradition has been around since the team’s finals run in 2018-19, this is many of the team’s players’ first time unveiling the X after each victory.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Eshkawkogan. “It’s a great tradition that (the organization has), and as a team this year it’s amazing to do it.”

“Each one is another big win,” said McCue. “You are counting down from 16; now there’s 12 more.”

 

Ottawa Connections

Cooper Foster felt a little weird facing off against a one-time teammate in Jack Dever in the first round of the playoffs.

“Obviously, we played him in the last game of the season,” said Foster. “But it’s different playing him four games in a row.”

“It was sad to see Devs in the handshake line,” he said. “A couple of the guys saw him after the game; there was a lot of emotion.”

“He’s got a bright future ahead of him, and there’s nothing bad looking back on his time in the OHL,” said Foster of his former teammate.

He’ll run into another former long-time teammate in Round 2, Barrie overager Brad Gardiner. 

“It’ll be different, too,” Foster said about the chance to face off against Gardiner. “He’s a big part of that team, but I think he’s been solid all year for him and has been having a good playoffs so far.”

While Foster rarely had the chance to face off against Dever ahead of the series, as he only joined Kingston mid-season, he and the 67’s will be much more prepared for what Gardiner has to offer.

 

Looking forward to Round 2 versus Barrie

Looking ahead to the round ahead, Barrie provides a much tougher challenge to Ottawa.

“They are a good team,” said Foster. “They have a lot of high-end skill.”

Not only do they have the “brains” but Barrie carries to brawn, too, with star players Cole Beaudoin, Kashawn Aitcheson, and Emil Hemming—all NHL first round picks—embodying both archetypes into their play.

“It’s gonna be a new challenge than what we had with Kingston,” said Foster.

“It’s going to be a physical and taxing series,” said McCue of the task ahead versus the Colts. “They are a hardworking team with a lot of big bodies that like to play physical.”

Alongside the bump in skill and strength, the series poses a new challenge, too, with Barrie taking home ice advantage due to them seeding higher.

“It’s another rink that’s not easy to play in, including in the playoffs,” said McCue.

While the Colts did finish higher in seeding, the 67’s actually finished higher with two more wins and one more point on the season.

The sweep has given the 67’s a weapon heading into Round 2: rest.

“I think it’s gonna be huge for us,” said Bowes of the extra rest between series. “Rest is big, especially in the playoffs; even in the four games, you can feel it after.”

While the extra bump in recovery may be marginal compared to Barrie, as the Colts closed out their series just one game after the 67’s, it should mean that the team is ready to play from the start of puck drop of Game 1.

As for strategy, the song remains the same. 

“Just staying above them, trusting our process and playing 50/50 hockey,” said defenseman Eshkawkogan. “Our chances are gonna come, we just need to capitalize on them.”