Playoff fever sweeps over Ottawa as big crowds boost 67’s

 

The Ottawa 67’s are back in the Eastern Conference Championship Series for the first time since 2012, and fans in the nation’s capital are taking notice.

With the Ottawa Senators failing to qualify for the NHL Playoffs, the 67’s are the big ticket in town as a team heavy on veteran talent also includes some promising gems for the future.

Bringing @TD_Place to it’s feet!#67s #NoQuit pic.twitter.com/S4lf5ERXhX

— xyz – Ottawa 67’s (@Ottawa67sHockey) April 19, 2019

Considered a top prospect for the 2020 NHL Draft, rookie forward Marco Rossi put up four points in Ottawa’s 6-4 comeback victory over the Oshawa Generals in Game 1, a fast-paced affair played before a crowd of 6,522 on Thursday. That figure follows solid turnouts from Games 1 and 2 of Ottawa’s second round sweep of the Sudbury Wolves that saw crowds of 6,441 and 7,232 head home happy from Landsdowne Park.

“It’s really special for the entire organization but as well for our players and they’ve earned it,” said 67’s head coach Andre Tourigny who is undoubtedly being given consideration for OHL Coach of the Year recognition. “They’ve worked really hard to have that kind of attention and that kind of respect and they deserve it.

“I’m really proud for them and for the organization. The fever around town is fantastic and that’s where I think the franchise has been in the past and where we want to be moving forward.”

The boys are ready.#67s #NoQuit pic.twitter.com/V7J5vWZoMh

— xyz – Ottawa 67’s (@Ottawa67sHockey) April 11, 2019

Down 4-2 to start the third period on Thursday, the Ottawa faithful got behind their team and spurred them on to victory as the Barber Poles struck for four unanswered in the third period. The crowd’s involvement seemed to gradually climb throughout the game, getting big boosts from a big Quinn Yule hit delivered on Oshawa’s Brandon Saigeon before Michael DiPietro drew gasps when he dove to make a poke check and deny the Generals a scoring opportunity.

“Tonight was unbelievable,” said veteran defender Noel Hoefenmayer after netting the game winner. “All playoffs it’s really been a huge factor and kind of given us that extra boost when we need it. A good example would be tonight going into the third period they were loud, they had our backs the whole time and it really helped us out a lot.”

The 67’s aren’t short on characters, with several veterans including Hoefenmayer and 59-goal scorer Tye Felhaber often seen sharing laughs around the rink. As is their playoff custom, the 67’s brought out the war paint and added a fun twist with a Wild West theme. Players wear their cowboy boots and hats on game days, something 67’s fans have also embraced.

“We’ve had a lot of the same guys in the room the last few years and we like to have fun,” said 19-year-old Sasha Chmelevski. “It makes everyone’s job more enjoyable and makes your time at the rink a lot more fun, especially when the fans get involved and we really start a movement.

Eastern: Final
Game: One
Rink: Packed
Yee: Haw#67s #NoQuit pic.twitter.com/PZ9rvhvZKV

— xyz – Ottawa 67’s (@Ottawa67sHockey) April 18, 2019

“The cowboy hats were just something that we wanted to add to our game and with playoffs everybody’s always tense and it’s the right thing to do you always want to be intense and play games hard, but we can also have fun with it and it’s just our idea of having a good time.”

Of course, having a good time is easy when you’re 9-0. The 67’s look to carry their playoff winning streak into double digits on Saturday afternoon, looking to the Ottawa faithful for another show of support when the puck drops for Game 2 at 2:00pm.