Colts clinch Central Division title
Boasting a 41-23-1-2 record for 85 points with one game remaining, the Colts have also secured the second seed in the Eastern Conference standings and will face either the Belleville Bulls or the Peterborough Petes when the 2015 OHL Playoffs open next week.
This marks the club’s sixth Central Division crown in franchise history and second in three years following a successful 2012-13 campaign that also included a Bobby Orr Trophy as Conference champions before falling in seven games to the London Knights in the Championship Final.
Four players remain from that squad including forwards Brendan Lemieux and Justin Scott, along with defencemen Jonathan Laser and Michael Webster who battled alongside OHL stars like Aaron Ekblad, Mark Scheifele, Andreas Athanasiou, and Anthony Camara.
Other division titles in Colts history include 2010 when the club earned a franchise-best 116 points and the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as regular season champions before falling to the Windsor Spitfires in the league final. Prior to that the club won the division in 2007, and back-to-back in 1999 and 2000 en route to capturing the club’s first and only Robertson Cup.
By winning the Central Division the Colts claim the Emms Trophy which was first presented in the 1975-76 season when the OHL was split into divisions with the expansion of the league to 12 teams. The awards originated in recognition of Matt Leyden and Leighton ‘Hap’ Emms for their contributions to junior hockey in Ontario.
The Colts have three of the league’s top-7 scorers including Joseph Blandisi, Kevin Labanc, and Andrew Mangiapane who have all surpassed the century mark in points. This season marks the first time in club history where a trio of players have scored 100 points, while Blandisi’s 51 goals trails only Bryan Cameron on the team’s all-time list, and Labanc’s 76 assists are a new franchise high.
Barrie hosts Kingston on Saturday night to close out their regular season schedule.
