Monthly Recap: January

Monthly Recap: January

The Colts January was a tale of two months as Barrie fielded two teams throughout the month. There was the version of the Colts that was missing the key pieces of Cole Beaudoin, Emil Hemming, Anthony Romani, Beau Akey, Sam Hillebrandt and Owen Van Steensel.  That depleted roster struggled mightily over the first half of the month, dropping their first five games in January. Barrie didn’t have a full roster until their date with the Battalion in North Bay on the 16th. They didn’t get their first January win until the 18th when they beat Windsor on home ice. After getting off the shneid, they went on a run and rattled off six straight wins. The streaky nature of this team hadn’t reared its ugly head until this month, as the Colts had not lost three straight prior to their early-month skid.

In October, the Colts made a big splash when they traded for veteran centreman Dalyn Wakely from the North Bay Battalion. Wakely has been a big contributor for Barrie ever since, anchoring the Colts’ top line and leading them in goals. Come January it was Barrie’s last opportunity to make any additional trades with the OHL’s trade deadline looming. On January 5th the Colts pulled the trigger on a massive transaction that would bring over both of Wakely’s former linemates in North Bay, Anthony Romani and Owen Van Steensel.

The Colts moved a total of 6 assets including four conditional draft picks in order to acquire the pair of Battalion wingers, here is the trade in its entirety.

The additions of Romani and Van Steensel complete a line with Wakely that amassed a combined 301 points for the Battalion last season.

Romani, a sixth-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks in last year’s NHL Entry Draft, posted a gaudy 58 goals in 68 regular season games in 2023-24. The Pickering native started the season in North Bay playing six games for the Battalion before a broken clavicle shelved him for months. He returned from injury on January 16th only to face his former squad in his first game as a Colt, he’s since begun acclimating to the team, scoring four goals in his nine games played.

For Van Steensel, he was named captain of the Battalion earlier this season after enjoying a breakout campaign with North Bay a year ago, putting up 41 goals and 45 assists in 65 regular season contests. During North Bay’s lengthy playoff run in 2024, Van Steensel had 20 points in 16 playoff games, helping lead them to game seven of the Eastern Conference Championship. The 5’10 winger has seven points through his 12 games so far with Barrie.

On January 25th Barrie announced the signing of 6-foot-3 defenceman Ethan Armstrong. Armstrong was selected by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2023 OHL Priority selection and started this season with the Langley Rivermen of the British Columbia Hockey League. After 21 games in the BCHL, he was called upon by Barrie and made his Colts debut at home against Brantford on January 25th.

Riley Patterson has emerged as the Colts’ leading scorer, his 46 points are six more than anyone else on the team. Top 2025 NHL Draft prospect Kashawn Aitcheson finished the month strong totalling four goals and four assists in the final five games, Aitcheson leads all NHL draft-eligible OHL defenceman in goals with 17. Goaltenders Sam Hillebrandt and Ben Hrebik have shared the net this month, splitting starts evenly at six nods apiece. It seems as though Barrie now employs a tandem in the crease, with neither goalie getting back-to-back starts since January 16th.

In hindsight, it’s likely not a coincidence that the Colts’ slump came at a time when the roster was in a state of limbo as a result of constant turnover. Between players returning from the World Juniors, from injury and players being moved in and out by way of trade, Barrie’s lineup was constantly changing and taking on different looks.

When the dust settled, they were 6-5-1-0 in January, their worst monthly record this season. Ultimately, the Colts’ worst month could have been much worse if they hadn’t ripped off six straight wins in the latter half of it. Despite an underwhelming January by their standards, Barrie managed to maintain their spot atop the Eastern Conference. February is set to be a pivotal month for playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference, as four other teams sit within five points of the Colts, all of whom are vying for the top seed in the East.

Gates Open: Episode Five | All In: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxDX7vCAwGg&feature=youtu.be