[{"id":32101,"date":"2026-05-13T20:22:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T00:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/?p=32101"},"modified":"2026-05-13T21:35:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T01:35:02","slug":"thank-you-colts-country-2025-26-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/article\/thank-you-colts-country-2025-26-season","title":{"rendered":"Thank You, Colts Country"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

After a season defined by adversity, response, and sustained excellence, Barrie closed out the Ontario Hockey League Championship Series on home ice last night to cap an unforgettable playoff run.<\/p>\n

Barrie concluded the 2025\u201326 regular season with one of the strongest campaigns in franchise history, posting a 45-14-5-4 record and 99 points to capture the Central Division title. The season was further defined by a remarkable mid-season turnaround, as the Colts rebounded from a six-game losing streak with a statement ten-game winning streak in February 2026, reasserting themselves at the top of the Ontario Hockey League standings despite significant roster turnover and the emergence of a new, high-scoring defensive identity.<\/p>\n

That momentum carried into a dominant finish, with Head Coach Dylan Smoskowitz setting a new franchise benchmark in his debut season with 44 wins, surpassing the previous record of 43 held by Bill Stewart.<\/p>\n

Barrie\u2019s success was ultimately reflected not only in the regular season standings, but in the team\u2019s ability to elevate when it mattered most. The Colts carried their form into the postseason, capturing the Eastern Conference Championship<\/strong> and Bobby Orr Trophy after an unforgettable comeback from a 3\u20131 series deficit against Brantford, securing the organization\u2019s first appearance in the Ontario Hockey League Championship Series<\/strong> since the 2015\u201316 season under Hockey Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

As a result of their accomplishments, the Colts will raise two banners to the Sadlon Arena next season, including the franchise\u2019s fifth Bobby Orr Trophy<\/strong> in the past 31 years\u2014another significant chapter in the organization\u2019s storied history. Throughout the season, Barrie became known around the league for its relentless pace, structured physical play, and ability to respond under pressure. Whether eliminating Ottawa in the opening round or winning a decisive Game 7 on the road in Brantford, this group consistently demonstrated its identity in high-leverage moments.<\/p>\n

Individual milestones and league recognition further highlighted the year. Kashawn Aitcheson<\/strong><\/em> was named the recipient of the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL\u2019s Defenceman of the Year, while Cole Beaudoin<\/strong><\/em> earned the William Hanley Trophy as the league\u2019s Most Sportsmanlike Player. Across the roster, the Colts continued to develop high-end talent while reinforcing a team-first culture built on accountability, detail, and compete level.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”32108″ img_size=”large” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Just as impactful as the on-ice success was the environment surrounding the team throughout the season.<\/p>\n

That connection inside the room became one of the defining traits of this year\u2019s Barrie Colts \u2014 a team built on a genuine sense of family. From team meals and long road trips to practices and playoff battles, the closeness of the group remained evident throughout the season and was consistently emphasized by the coaching staff.<\/p>\n

During the club\u2019s final team lunch of the season this afternoon, veteran defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson<\/strong><\/em> shared a message with the organization\u2019s returning players and rookies, reflecting on how quickly the junior hockey experience can pass.<\/p>\n

\n

“These days go by so fast and it feels like just yesterday I had just got to Barrie with guys like Carter Lowe<\/strong><\/em> and Cole Beaudoin<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d said Aitcheson. \u201cKeep putting in the work, but enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Aitcheson\u2019s message echoed the sentiments shared by several veteran players throughout the afternoon as they reflected on the season, the friendships built within the room, and the standard established by the group over the course of the year.<\/p>\n

Those moments served as another reminder of the leadership, culture, and accountability that defined the 2025\u201326 season for the Colts, as the organization\u2019s veteran core leaves a lasting impact on the group and will be greatly missed both on and off the ice.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”32106″ img_size=”large” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead<\/span><\/h3>\n

When asked about the impact this playoff run will have on the group of returning players, Smoskowitz pointed toward the experience gained by Barrie\u2019s young core during the postseason.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s massive. Eamon Edgar<\/strong><\/em>, a rookie, scored a goal in an Ontario Hockey League Final elimination game. That shows the depth we have returning. Players like Arvin Jaswal, Cole Emerton, Nicholas Desiderio<\/strong><\/em>, and Jonah McCormick<\/em><\/strong> are going to be big pieces for us next year.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Thank you for every sold-out crowd, every road trip fans made, every chant, every standing ovation, and every moment spent behind this team. The support from Colts Country helped make this season one the organization will never forget.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see you next season, Barrie.<\/p>\n

To watch interviews and coverage from today\u2019s year-end media with players and staff on CTV News<\/em>, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”32110″ img_size=”large” css=””][vc_single_image image=”32057″ img_size=”large” css=””][vc_single_image image=”32111″ img_size=”large” css=””][vc_single_image image=”32103″ img_size=”large” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Following a historic 2025\u201326 season, the Barrie Colts organization would like to thank Colts Country for its unwavering support throughout a year filled with milestones, playoff memories, and unforgettable moments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":32102,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[751],"tags":[{"term_id":1005,"name":"Bobby Orr Trophy","slug":"bobby-orr-trophy","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1005,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1"},{"term_id":1006,"name":"Eastern Conference Champions","slug":"eastern-conference-champions","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1006,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"2"},{"term_id":992,"name":"OHL 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Colts\u2019 Season Ends in Game 4 Loss to Kitchener"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The Barrie Colts\u2019 season came to a close on home ice, falling 4\u20132 to the Kitchener Rangers in Game 4 of their playoff series.<\/p>\n

Barrie came out with early physical intent and pace, setting the tone through the opening shift and generating chances off the forecheck, including looks from Kashawn Aitcheson and Brad Gardiner that were turned aside by Kitchener goaltender Jackson Kirsch. Mason Zebeski added momentum with a heavy hit and a quality chance on the same sequence, but it was the Rangers who struck first on a bar-down finish from Romano to take a 1\u20130 lead after one.<\/p>\n

The Rangers controlled stretches of the second period and extended their lead shorthanded through Chiarot, before Emil Hemming responded with a high-end individual effort to cut the deficit to 2\u20131. Barrie carried that push into the intermission, trailing by one heading into the third.<\/p>\n

The Colts found their equalizer early in the final frame when rookie Eamon Edgar buried a rebound in tight to make it 2\u20132, igniting the building and shifting momentum firmly in Barrie\u2019s favour. However, Kitchener responded shortly after to regain the lead at 3\u20132 before adding an insurance marker to make it 4\u20132 late.<\/p>\n

Despite a strong push and sustained pressure in the third, including key late defensive efforts from Parker von Richter, the Colts were unable to complete the comeback.<\/p>\n

A resilient postseason run comes to an end, with Barrie showing clear growth, fight, and identity throughout the series.<\/p>\n

To hear Dylan Smoskowitz speak on Game Four click here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UtnOR-Dy3m8[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Barrie Colts fell 4\u20132 to the Kitchener Rangers in Game 4, bringing their playoff run to a close after a resilient effort and strong third-period push on home ice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":32100,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[751],"tags":[{"term_id":1001,"name":"Sadlon Arena","slug":"sadlon-arena","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1001,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"7"},{"term_id":904,"name":"Ontario Hockey League","slug":"ontario-hockey-league","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":904,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":49,"filter":"raw","term_order":"101"},{"term_id":863,"name":"Eamon Edgar","slug":"eamon-edgar","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":863,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":9,"filter":"raw","term_order":"143"},{"term_id":808,"name":"Emil Hemming","slug":"emil-hemming","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":808,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":38,"filter":"raw","term_order":"189"},{"term_id":95,"name":"barrie colts","slug":"barrie-colts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":95,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":96,"filter":"raw","term_order":"384"},{"term_id":505,"name":"Game 4","slug":"game-4","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":506,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":5,"filter":"raw","term_order":"577"},{"term_id":364,"name":"kitchener rangers","slug":"kitchener-rangers","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":365,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw","term_order":"684"}],"class_list":["post-32099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-sadlon-arena","tag-ontario-hockey-league","tag-eamon-edgar","tag-emil-hemming","tag-barrie-colts","tag-game-4","tag-kitchener-rangers","category-751","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/13050910\/szn.jpg",1519,900,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32099\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":32097,"date":"2026-05-12T20:40:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T00:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/?p=32097"},"modified":"2026-05-12T20:53:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T00:53:50","slug":"brad-gardiner-roger-neilson-award-2026-barrie-colts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/article\/brad-gardiner-roger-neilson-award-2026-barrie-colts","title":{"rendered":"Brad Gardiner Earns Roger Neilson Memorial Award for Academic Excellence"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The Ontario Hockey League (Ontario Hockey League<\/span><\/span>) has announced Barrie Colts forward and alternate captian Brad Gardiner<\/strong> <\/em>as the 2026 recipient of the Roger Neilson Memorial Award,<\/strong><\/em><\/a> recognizing the League\u2019s top academic post-secondary student.<\/p>\n

The award highlights Gardiner\u2019s continued commitment to education while competing at the highest level of major junior hockey. Throughout the season, Gardiner posted a 90% academic average through American Public University, excelling across a demanding slate of coursework that included standout marks in Basics of Business (97%) and Information and Digital Literacy (97%), along with strong performances in Principles of Supervision (89%), American History since 1877 (88%), and Planning Your Future with Purpose in Business (80%).<\/p>\n

For Gardiner, the achievement represents a long-standing personal priority alongside his hockey career.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cProgressing my academics while pursuing a pro hockey career has always been a goal of mine,\u201d said Gardiner. \u201cI\u2019m grateful for the support I\u2019ve had from coaches, academic advisors, teachers, and tutors who have helped me stay on track. I wouldn\u2019t have been able to accomplish this without them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

On the ice, Gardiner delivered a career year with the\u00a0Colts<\/span><\/span>, closing out his fifth OHL season with new personal bests in goals (31), assists (34), and points (65) across 67 games. His impact was particularly notable on special teams, where he finished with 14 power-play goals, while also adding three game-winning markers in key moments throughout the year.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBrad\u2019s approach to both his studies and his hockey has been exceptional,\u201d said Colts <\/strong>Academic Advisor Rob Ferguson<\/em><\/strong>. \u201cHe sets a strong example for our group. His discipline and consistency show that success in the classroom and on the ice can go hand in hand.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A native of Aurora, Ontario, Gardiner wraps up his Ontario Hockey League career with 198 points (87 goals, 111 assists) in 321 regular season games split between Barrie and Ottawa. Selected in the third round (40th overall) of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, he was later chosen by the Dallas Stars in the third round (79th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-1, 191-pound centre, and son of former NHL forward Bruce Gardiner, also recorded 25 points in 53 career OHL playoff appearances entering Game 4 of the 2026 OHL Championship Series.<\/p>\n

The Roger Neilson Memorial Award honours the legacy of Roger Neilson, a Hall of Fame coach and former educator who championed the importance of academic achievement throughout his coaching career with the Peterborough Petes.<\/p>\n

Gardiner becomes the first player in Barrie Colts history to receive the award, joining finalists Ethan Miedema of the Guelph Storm and Cameron Arquette of the Kitchener Rangers.<\/p>\n

He will be formally recognized at the OHL Awards Ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto this June.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Barrie Colts forward Brad Gardiner has been named the 2026 recipient of the Roger Neilson Memorial Award, recognizing the Ontario Hockey League\u2019s top academic post-secondary student while balancing a standout on-ice season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":32098,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[751],"tags":[{"term_id":1003,"name":"Roger Neilson Memorial Award","slug":"roger-neilson-memorial-award","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1003,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"3"},{"term_id":1004,"name":"academic award","slug":"academic-award","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1004,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"4"},{"term_id":974,"name":"OHL Awards","slug":"ohl-awards","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":974,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":6,"filter":"raw","term_order":"33"},{"term_id":904,"name":"Ontario Hockey League","slug":"ontario-hockey-league","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":904,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":49,"filter":"raw","term_order":"101"},{"term_id":817,"name":"Brad Gardiner","slug":"brad-gardiner","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":817,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":37,"filter":"raw","term_order":"181"},{"term_id":95,"name":"barrie colts","slug":"barrie-colts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":95,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":96,"filter":"raw","term_order":"384"},{"term_id":120,"name":"ohl","slug":"ohl","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":120,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":178,"filter":"raw","term_order":"779"}],"class_list":["post-32097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-roger-neilson-memorial-award","tag-academic-award","tag-ohl-awards","tag-ontario-hockey-league","tag-brad-gardiner","tag-barrie-colts","tag-ohl","category-751","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/12182232\/Gardiner-Award-Winner-Web-2.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32097"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32097\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":32082,"date":"2026-05-11T22:08:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T02:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/?p=32082"},"modified":"2026-05-11T22:12:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T02:12:34","slug":"colts-look-to-extend-season-game-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/article\/colts-look-to-extend-season-game-4","title":{"rendered":"Colts Look to Extend Season in Must-Win Game 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The Barrie Colts return to Sadlon Arena on Tuesday night, facing their biggest challenge of the season as they prepare for a must-win Game 4 against the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League Championship Series.<\/p>\n

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., with Sadlon Arena officially sold out with no standing room tickets available.<\/p>\n

After falling 4-3 in double overtime in Game 3 on Sunday night, the Colts now trail the series 3-0, but if the weekend proved anything, it is that Barrie has no intention of going quietly. In front of a sold-out crowd on home ice,<\/p>\n

the Colts delivered one of their most resilient performances of the postseason, battling back from multiple third-period deficits before captain Kashawn Aitcheson tied the game with just 12.1 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime for the second straight game.<\/p>\n

The emotional finish reignited Colts Fans and showcased the fight that has defined Barrie throughout the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Aitcheson once again led the charge offensively with a goal and an assist in Game 3, while Emil Hemming and Will Schneid also found the back of the net in the dramatic comeback effort. Between the pipes, Ben Hrebik turned aside 46 shots and continued his standout postseason with several game-saving stops.<\/p>\n

Barrie will look to build off the momentum generated in the third period of Game 3, where the Colts pushed the pace offensively and controlled long stretches of play against a Rangers team that has capitalized on key opportunities throughout the series.<\/p>\n

Special teams and discipline will once again be major storylines heading into Tuesday night. The Colts’ penalty kill was strong in Game 3, limiting Kitchener\u2019s power-play opportunities while creating key momentum swings throughout the game.<\/p>\n

For Barrie, the mindset remains simple: one game at a time.<\/p>\n

With their season on the line and another electric atmosphere expected at Sadlon Arena, the Colts will look to extend the series and force a Game 5 back in Kitchener.<\/p>\n

Game 4 gets Tuesday night underway at 7:00 p.m. at Sadlon Arena.<\/p>\n

Fans attending tomorrow night can access the full Game Day Guide<\/strong><\/em> here<\/a> and Parking Information<\/strong><\/em> here.<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Barrie Colts return to Sadlon Arena for a must-win Game 4 against the Kitchener Rangers on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":32083,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[751],"tags":[{"term_id":1002,"name":"Game 4 Preview","slug":"game-4-preview","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1002,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"5"},{"term_id":1001,"name":"Sadlon Arena","slug":"sadlon-arena","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1001,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"7"},{"term_id":999,"name":"OHL Championship Series","slug":"ohl-championship-series","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":999,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"8"},{"term_id":95,"name":"barrie colts","slug":"barrie-colts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":95,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":96,"filter":"raw","term_order":"384"},{"term_id":364,"name":"kitchener rangers","slug":"kitchener-rangers","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":365,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw","term_order":"684"},{"term_id":460,"name":"OHL Playoffs","slug":"ohl-playoffs","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":461,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":31,"filter":"raw","term_order":"787"}],"class_list":["post-32082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-game-4-preview","tag-sadlon-arena","tag-ohl-championship-series","tag-barrie-colts","tag-kitchener-rangers","tag-ohl-playoffs","category-751","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/11220108\/4.jpg",1440,834,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32082"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32082\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":32080,"date":"2026-05-11T21:56:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T01:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/?p=32080"},"modified":"2026-05-11T21:56:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T01:56:27","slug":"colts-fall-in-double-overtime-thriller-game-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/article\/colts-fall-in-double-overtime-thriller-game-3","title":{"rendered":"Fall in Double Overtime Thriller in Game 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The Barrie Colts battled back twice in the third period, including a dramatic late equalizer from captain Kashawn Aitcheson, but ultimately fell 4-3 in double overtime to the Kitchener Rangers in Game 3 of the Ontario Hockey League Championship Series at Sadlon Arena.<\/p>\n

With the win, Kitchener now holds a 3-0 series lead.<\/p>\n

The opening period featured a tight defensive battle, with both teams limiting quality chances early. Barrie generated pressure off multiple Kitchener turnovers, while Ben Hrebik came up with key saves and helped the Colts successfully kill off two Rangers power plays.<\/p>\n

Kitchener appeared to open the scoring midway through the first, but the goal was overturned following a lengthy review for a missed high-stick. The Rangers eventually broke through late in the period, however, as Sam O\u2019Reilly finished off a one-timer to give Kitchener a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.<\/p>\n

Barrie pushed back in the second period with several strong offensive opportunities from Emil Hemming and Brad Gardiner, but Rangers goaltender Jackson Parsons kept the Colts off the board. Hrebik continued to shine for Barrie, including a highlight-reel diving save on a Kitchener shorthanded chance that brought the Sadlon Arena crowd to its feet.<\/p>\n

The Colts finally broke through early in the third period after Calvin Crombie drew a penalty following a hard hit from behind. On the ensuing power play, Aitcheson made a strong play at the blue line before finding Hemming backdoor for the tying goal.<\/p>\n

Kitchener regained the lead shortly after on a rebound opportunity, but Barrie answered quickly as Will Schneid buried a highlight-reel finish to tie the game 2-2 in a stretch that saw three goals scored in just over a minute.<\/p>\n

Late in regulation, the Rangers restored their lead with 1:12 remaining, but the Colts refused to quit.<\/p>\n

With the net empty and just 12.1 seconds left on the clock, Aitcheson blasted home a one-timer to send Sadlon Arena into eruption and force overtime for the second straight game.<\/p>\n

Both teams traded chances through a tightly-contested first overtime period, with Hrebik continuing his stellar performance between the pipes. Barrie nearly found the winner when Aitcheson set up Ben Wilmott in front, but the chance narrowly missed the net.<\/p>\n

Kitchener eventually secured the win early in double overtime, capitalizing on a rebound opportunity at the top of the crease to earn a 4-3 victory.<\/p>\n

Hrebik finished the night with 46 saves, while Aitcheson recorded a goal and an assist in a standout performance for Barrie.<\/p>\n

The Colts will now look to extend their season in Game 4 at Sadlon Arena.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=F1M06f-xYn8[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Barrie Colts erased two third-period deficits, including a game-tying goal from Kashawn Aitcheson with 12.1 seconds remaining, before falling 4-3 in double overtime to the Kitchener Rangers in Game 3.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":32081,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[751],"tags":[{"term_id":999,"name":"OHL Championship Series","slug":"ohl-championship-series","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":999,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"8"},{"term_id":808,"name":"Emil Hemming","slug":"emil-hemming","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":808,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":38,"filter":"raw","term_order":"189"},{"term_id":766,"name":"Ben Hrebik","slug":"ben-hrebik","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":766,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":42,"filter":"raw","term_order":"229"},{"term_id":95,"name":"barrie colts","slug":"barrie-colts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":95,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":96,"filter":"raw","term_order":"384"},{"term_id":681,"name":"Kashawn Aitcheson","slug":"kashawn-aitcheson","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":686,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":46,"filter":"raw","term_order":"674"},{"term_id":364,"name":"kitchener rangers","slug":"kitchener-rangers","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":365,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw","term_order":"684"}],"class_list":["post-32080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-ohl-championship-series","tag-emil-hemming","tag-ben-hrebik","tag-barrie-colts","tag-kashawn-aitcheson","tag-kitchener-rangers","category-751","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/11215559\/gm3.jpg",1440,834,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32080\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":32078,"date":"2026-05-09T18:48:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T22:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/?p=32078"},"modified":"2026-05-09T18:49:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T22:49:16","slug":"barrie-colts-game-3-preview-kitchener-rangers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/article\/barrie-colts-game-3-preview-kitchener-rangers","title":{"rendered":"Colts Return Home for Crucial Game 3 at Sadlon Arena"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The Barrie Colts return to home ice tomorrow night looking to respond in Game 3 of the Ontario Hockey League Championship Series against the Kitchener Rangers. Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. at Sadlon Arena, with doors opening at 5:00 p.m.<\/p>\n

After dropping the opening two games of the series on the road, the Colts will look to feed off the energy of a sold-out crowd as the series shifts back to Barrie.<\/p>\n

The atmosphere inside Sadlon Arena is expected to be electric with the Colts aiming to cut the Rangers\u2019 series lead in half on home ice. Barrie showed plenty of resilience throughout Game 2, battling back multiple times before eventually falling 4-3 in overtime. The Colts will now look to carry that momentum and urgency into a pivotal Game 3 in front of their home fans.<\/p>\n

Special teams, discipline, and capitalizing on scoring opportunities will once again be key factors as two of the OHL\u2019s top teams continue their battle for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.<\/p>\n

Know Before You Go<\/span><\/h2>\n

Doors open<\/strong> one hour before puck drop at 5:00 p.m.
Puck Drop:<\/strong> 6:00 p.m.<\/p>\n

Arrive early to secure your rally towels<\/p>\n

For parking information, click here<\/a><\/p>\n

To purchase standing room tickets, click here<\/a><\/p>\n

See you back at Sadlon, Colts fans.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Barrie Colts return home to Sadlon Arena for a crucial Game 3 against the Kitchener Rangers with puck drop set for 6:00 p.m. in Barrie.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":32079,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[751],"tags":[{"term_id":1001,"name":"Sadlon Arena","slug":"sadlon-arena","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1001,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"7"},{"term_id":999,"name":"OHL Championship Series","slug":"ohl-championship-series","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":999,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"8"},{"term_id":992,"name":"OHL Finals","slug":"ohl-finals","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":992,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw","term_order":"14"},{"term_id":904,"name":"Ontario Hockey League","slug":"ontario-hockey-league","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":904,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":49,"filter":"raw","term_order":"101"},{"term_id":95,"name":"barrie colts","slug":"barrie-colts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":95,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":96,"filter":"raw","term_order":"384"},{"term_id":364,"name":"kitchener rangers","slug":"kitchener-rangers","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":365,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw","term_order":"684"},{"term_id":120,"name":"ohl","slug":"ohl","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":120,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":178,"filter":"raw","term_order":"779"}],"class_list":["post-32078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-sadlon-arena","tag-ohl-championship-series","tag-ohl-finals","tag-ontario-hockey-league","tag-barrie-colts","tag-kitchener-rangers","tag-ohl","category-751","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/09184609\/GAME3.png",1440,834,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32078"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32078\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":32076,"date":"2026-05-09T00:15:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T04:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/?p=32076"},"modified":"2026-05-09T00:15:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T04:15:33","slug":"colts-fall-in-overtime-game-2-ohl-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/article\/colts-fall-in-overtime-game-2-ohl-championship","title":{"rendered":"Colts Fall in Overtime in Game 2 of OHL Championship Series"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The Barrie Colts left everything on the ice Thursday night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, battling back late before falling 4-3 in overtime to the Kitchener Rangers in Game 2 of the Ontario Hockey League Championship Series.<\/p>\n

In a playoff atmosphere worthy of a championship final, the Colts erased a third-period deficit with a dramatic late power play goal to force overtime, but the Rangers ultimately found the winner in sudden death to take a 2-0 series lead.<\/p>\n

Barrie opened the scoring late in the first period after Brad Gardiner<\/em><\/strong> capitalized at the 18:37 mark to give the Colts a 1-0 advantage heading into the intermission. The goal marked Gardiner\u2019s seventh of the postseason and capped off a strong opening frame for the visitors.<\/p>\n

Kitchener answered back in the second period as Gabriel Chiarot tied the game early in the frame, but the Colts responded once again midway through the period when Emil Hemming continued his impressive playoff run. Hemming buried his 13th goal of the postseason off feeds from Ben Wilmott and Gabriel Eliasson to restore Barrie\u2019s lead at 2-1.<\/p>\n

The Rangers pushed back in the third period with Carson Campbell scoring shorthanded to even the game before Christian Humphreys gave Kitchener its first lead of the night on the power play later in the frame.<\/p>\n

With time winding down and the Colts pressing on the man advantage, Kashawn Aitcheson<\/strong><\/em> delivered a clutch moment for Barrie. With just three seconds remaining in regulation, the Colts’ defenceman blasted home a power play goal off passes from Ben Wilmott and Parker von Richter to tie the game and send it to overtime.<\/p>\n

In overtime, Matthew Andonovski scored the game-winner for the Rangers to secure the 4-3 victory.<\/p>\n

Despite the result, Barrie once again showed the resilience and determination that have defined the club throughout its playoff run, battling through adversity in a hostile road environment and forcing extra time in dramatic fashion.<\/p>\n

For Coach Dylan Smoskowitz<\/em><\/strong> and Parker von Richter\u2019s<\/em><\/strong> post-game media availability, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

The series now shifts back to Barrie as the Colts prepare to return to Sadlon Arena for Games 3 and 4 in front of what is expected to be a sold-out crowd.<\/p>\n

For standing room tickets, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7YYkem3zrao[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Barrie Colts battled back late to force overtime on a dramatic power play goal from Kashawn Aitcheson before falling 4-3 to the Kitchener Rangers in Game 2 of the OHL Championship Series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":32077,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[751],"tags":[{"term_id":1000,"name":"OHL Championship","slug":"ohl-championship","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1000,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"6"},{"term_id":1001,"name":"Sadlon Arena","slug":"sadlon-arena","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1001,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"7"},{"term_id":904,"name":"Ontario Hockey League","slug":"ontario-hockey-league","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":904,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":49,"filter":"raw","term_order":"101"},{"term_id":817,"name":"Brad Gardiner","slug":"brad-gardiner","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":817,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":37,"filter":"raw","term_order":"181"},{"term_id":812,"name":"Dylan Smoskowitz","slug":"dylan-smoskowitz","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":812,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":13,"filter":"raw","term_order":"187"},{"term_id":808,"name":"Emil Hemming","slug":"emil-hemming","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":808,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":38,"filter":"raw","term_order":"189"},{"term_id":95,"name":"barrie colts","slug":"barrie-colts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":95,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":96,"filter":"raw","term_order":"384"},{"term_id":681,"name":"Kashawn Aitcheson","slug":"kashawn-aitcheson","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":686,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":46,"filter":"raw","term_order":"674"},{"term_id":364,"name":"kitchener rangers","slug":"kitchener-rangers","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":365,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw","term_order":"684"},{"term_id":460,"name":"OHL Playoffs","slug":"ohl-playoffs","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":461,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":31,"filter":"raw","term_order":"787"}],"class_list":["post-32076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-ohl-championship","tag-sadlon-arena","tag-ontario-hockey-league","tag-brad-gardiner","tag-dylan-smoskowitz","tag-emil-hemming","tag-barrie-colts","tag-kashawn-aitcheson","tag-kitchener-rangers","tag-ohl-playoffs","category-751","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/09001502\/Artboard-1-1.jpg",1440,749,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32076\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":32074,"date":"2026-05-08T00:47:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T04:47:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/?p=32074"},"modified":"2026-05-08T01:51:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T05:51:19","slug":"colts-game-2-preview-vs-kitchener-rangers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/article\/colts-game-2-preview-vs-kitchener-rangers","title":{"rendered":"Colts Look to Even OHL Championship Series in Game 2 Friday Night"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The Barrie Colts head into Friday night\u2019s Game 2 of the OHL Championship Series looking to respond after a 5-2 defeat in the series opener at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.<\/p>\n

Game 1 opened with a tight, emotional pace before the Rangers began to find separation in the third period, ultimately securing the series lead in front of a sold-out crowd of 7,124 in the first playoff meeting between the clubs since 1996.<\/p>\n

Barrie\u2019s offence was driven once again by Ben Wil<\/strong>mot<\/strong>t<\/strong><\/em>, who continued his standout postseason by scoring both Colts goals. Wilmott has stepped into a leading role at centre, now up to 11 goals in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Kitchener defenceman Andrew MacNiel proved to be the difference, scoring twice from nearly identical areas on the ice \u2014 both shots finding their way through traffic after returning to the lineup from injury. His second goal, early in the third period, stood as the game-winner.<\/p>\n

The Rangers added to their lead with goals from Dylan Edwards and Cameron Arquette, before Sam O\u2019Reilly sealed the result in an empty net.<\/p>\n

Despite the final scoreline, Barrie head coach Dylan Smoskowitz felt there were stretches where his group matched Kitchener\u2019s pace, but acknowledged the execution level will need to rise in Game 2.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThey came at us pretty good in the third,\u201d Smoskowitz said. \u201cWe were OK. We know we need more for Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Colts will look to tighten details defensively while rediscovering the structure that carried them through a deep playoff run to this point, including series wins over Niagara, Ottawa, and Brantford.<\/p>\n

Game 2 is set for Friday night back at The Aud, with Barrie aiming to split the opening two games before the series shifts home for Games 3 and 4.<\/p>\n

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Tune in to Game 2 on the following platforms:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Games are available to stream live on TSN.ca<\/a> and the TSN app<\/p>\n

Watch Live on FloHockey<\/a>
Listen Live on the Radio Broadcast<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After battling back twice in Game 1, the Barrie Colts head into Friday night\u2019s Game 2 determined to even the OHL Championship Series against the Kitchener Rangers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":32075,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[751],"tags":[{"term_id":999,"name":"OHL Championship Series","slug":"ohl-championship-series","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":999,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw","term_order":"8"},{"term_id":994,"name":"J. Ross Robertson Cup","slug":"j-ross-robertson-cup","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":994,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","term_order":"16"},{"term_id":919,"name":"Ben Wilmott","slug":"ben-wilmott","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":919,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw","term_order":"87"},{"term_id":904,"name":"Ontario Hockey League","slug":"ontario-hockey-league","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":904,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":49,"filter":"raw","term_order":"101"},{"term_id":877,"name":"Joe Salandra","slug":"joe-salandra","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":877,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw","term_order":"127"},{"term_id":95,"name":"barrie colts","slug":"barrie-colts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":95,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":96,"filter":"raw","term_order":"384"},{"term_id":364,"name":"kitchener rangers","slug":"kitchener-rangers","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":365,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw","term_order":"684"},{"term_id":120,"name":"ohl","slug":"ohl","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":120,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":178,"filter":"raw","term_order":"779"},{"term_id":460,"name":"OHL Playoffs","slug":"ohl-playoffs","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":461,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":31,"filter":"raw","term_order":"787"}],"class_list":["post-32074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-ohl-championship-series","tag-j-ross-robertson-cup","tag-ben-wilmott","tag-ontario-hockey-league","tag-joe-salandra","tag-barrie-colts","tag-kitchener-rangers","tag-ohl","tag-ohl-playoffs","category-751","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/08004624\/GameTwo.jpg",1366,721,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32074","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32074"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32074\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32075"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":32069,"date":"2026-05-08T00:27:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T04:27:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/?p=32069"},"modified":"2026-05-08T01:02:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T05:02:26","slug":"dale-hawerchuk-ranked-no-10-on-chls-top-50-players-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/article\/dale-hawerchuk-ranked-no-10-on-chls-top-50-players-list","title":{"rendered":"Dale Hawerchuk Ranked No. 10 on CHL\u2019s Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The Canadian Hockey League has announced former Barrie Colts head coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk as No. 10 on the CHL\u2019s Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years list as part of the league\u2019s 50th anniversary celebrations.<\/p>\n

One of the most accomplished players in CHL history, Hawerchuk built his legendary career with the QMJHL\u2019s Cornwall Royals before becoming the first overall selection in the 1981 NHL Draft and one of hockey\u2019s most respected figures both on and off the ice.<\/p>\n

Selected sixth overall by Cornwall in the 1979 QMJHL Draft, Hawerchuk immediately emerged as one of junior hockey\u2019s brightest stars. As a 16-year-old rookie during the 1979-80 season, he recorded 103 points and captured QMJHL Rookie of the Year honours before helping lead the Royals to a Memorial Cup championship. Hawerchuk registered 45 points in 18 playoff games that season, earning QMJHL Playoff MVP honours and becoming the only 16-year-old in league history to receive the award.<\/p>\n

He followed up with one of the most dominant seasons in CHL history in 1980-81, recording 81 goals and 183 points to lead both the QMJHL and CHL in scoring. Hawerchuk was named QMJHL MVP, CHL Player of the Year, CHL Top Scorer, and a QMJHL First Team All-Star while guiding Cornwall to a second consecutive Memorial Cup championship.<\/p>\n

During the 1981 Memorial Cup tournament, Hawerchuk totaled 12 points in five games, including a tournament-record eight goals, earning Memorial Cup MVP honours. He concluded his QMJHL career with 286 points in 144 games without missing a game, along with an additional 80 points across 37 playoff contests.<\/p>\n

Hawerchuk transitioned seamlessly to the NHL following his junior career, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year in 1982. Across 16 NHL seasons, he amassed 1,409 career points, including five consecutive 100-point campaigns and a career-best 130-point season in 1984-85. Internationally, Hawerchuk represented Canada on numerous occasions, winning Canada Cup championships in 1987 and 1991 while also capturing medals at the IIHF World Championship.<\/p>\n

While Hawerchuk\u2019s playing accomplishments cemented his place among hockey\u2019s all-time greats, his impact in Barrie remains deeply significant to the organization, its staff, players, and the community to this day.Hawerchuk served as the head coach of the Barrie Colts for over nine from 2010-2020, helping shape the organization both on and off the ice. Under his leadership, the Colts consistently developed elite talent while fostering a culture centred around professionalism, accountability, and passion for the game. Throughout his tenure behind the Colts bench, Hawerchuk coached and mentored numerous players who advanced to the NHL, while also leaving a lasting impact on everyone connected to the organization and the Barrie community.<\/p>\n

His influence extended far beyond wins and losses, as Hawerchuk became synonymous with leadership, humility, and dedication to the growth of young athletes. His legacy continues to be felt throughout the organization by coaches, staff, alumni, and players alike.<\/p>\n

The Barrie Colts organization proudly congratulates Dale Hawerchuk on this well-deserved recognition as one of the greatest players in CHL history. His legacy continues to inspire generations of players, coaches, and fans across the hockey world.<\/p>\n

To view the first group of players named to the CHL\u2019s Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years list, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hockey Hall of Famer and longtime Barrie Colts head coach Dale Hawerchuk has been recognized as one of the greatest players in Canadian Hockey League history, earning the No. 10 spot on the CHL\u2019s Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":32072,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[751],"tags":[{"term_id":995,"name":"QMJHL","slug":"qmjhl","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":995,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"9"},{"term_id":996,"name":"Cornwall Royals","slug":"cornwall-royals","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":996,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"10"},{"term_id":997,"name":"Hockey Hall of Fame","slug":"hockey-hall-of-fame","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":997,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"11"},{"term_id":998,"name":"CHL Top 50","slug":"chl-top-50","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":998,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"12"},{"term_id":904,"name":"Ontario Hockey League","slug":"ontario-hockey-league","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":904,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":49,"filter":"raw","term_order":"101"},{"term_id":95,"name":"barrie colts","slug":"barrie-colts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":95,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":96,"filter":"raw","term_order":"384"},{"term_id":145,"name":"chl","slug":"chl","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":145,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":11,"filter":"raw","term_order":"455"},{"term_id":92,"name":"dale hawerchuk","slug":"dale-hawerchuk","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":92,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":6,"filter":"raw","term_order":"524"},{"term_id":335,"name":"memorial cup","slug":"memorial-cup","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":336,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw","term_order":"729"},{"term_id":120,"name":"ohl","slug":"ohl","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":120,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":178,"filter":"raw","term_order":"779"}],"class_list":["post-32069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-qmjhl","tag-cornwall-royals","tag-hockey-hall-of-fame","tag-chl-top-50","tag-ontario-hockey-league","tag-barrie-colts","tag-chl","tag-dale-hawerchuk","tag-memorial-cup","tag-ohl","category-751","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/05\/08002724\/CHLTOP50-DHawerchuk-16x9-1-1.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32069\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":32066,"date":"2026-05-07T03:00:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T07:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/?p=32066"},"modified":"2026-05-07T03:03:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T07:03:21","slug":"colts-battle-back-twice-in-game-1-loss-to-rangers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/ohl-colts\/article\/colts-battle-back-twice-in-game-1-loss-to-rangers","title":{"rendered":"Colts Battle Back Twice in Game 1 Loss to Rangers"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

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The Barrie Colts<\/span><\/span> opened the J. Ross Robertson Cup Final<\/span><\/span> on the road Wednesday night against the Kitchener Rangers<\/span><\/span>, battling back twice before ultimately falling 5\u20132.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Kitchener opened the scoring late in the first period as Andrew MacNeil<\/span><\/span> found the back of the net with just over nine minutes remaining to give the Rangers a 1\u20130 lead heading into the intermission.<\/p>\n

The Colts answered back in the second period thanks to Ben Wilmott<\/span><\/span>.<\/strong><\/em> Wilmott buried the equalizer to even the game at 1\u20131 and shift momentum toward Barrie.<\/p>\n

The back-and-forth frame continued as Dylan Edwards<\/span><\/span> restored the Rangers\u2019 lead midway through the period, but Wilmott responded once again, netting his second of the night to tie the game 2\u20132 before the end of the second.<\/p>\n

In the third period, the Rangers pulled away. Goals from Andrew MacNeil<\/span><\/span> and Cameron Arquette<\/span><\/span> gave Kitchener control late in regulation before Sam O’Reilly<\/span><\/span> sealed the victory with an empty-net goal as the Rangers claimed Game 1 by a final score of 5\u20132.<\/p>\n