Colts add horsepower with trade for Romani, Van Steensel
The Barrie Colts are taking a page out of the playbook of one of their Central Division rivals these past few seasons.
After helping the North Bay Battalion reach three consecutive Eastern Conference Finals, the dynamic trio of Dalyn Wakely, Anthony Romani and Owen Van Steensel are all in Barrie Colts blue for a fourth run at glory. The Colts acquired the latter two in a Sunday trade that saw 16-year-old forward Parker Vaughan, overage winger Zach Wigle and four conditional draft picks go back to North Bay.
“It’s an exciting time for the coaching staff and our fans,” said Colts head coach and general manager Marty Williamson. “Anthony and Owen are two highly regarded players in our league who have accomplished a lot. We were on the other side last year with them and Dalyn as a line on North Bay; they were a force who combined for 300+ points, so having them with us is great. With Romani, we’re getting a high-end player and a person who scored 58 goals last season, which isn’t easy. Van Steensel has been a player who has continued to get better each season; he’s always finding a way to be in the right spot at the right time. We’re excited to add both of them to our group and welcome them to Barrie.”
The OHL’s reigning goal-scoring champion, injury has limited Romani to just six games this season and he hasn’t played since Oct. 11th. Last year’s 58-goal surge caught the attention of the Vancouver Canucks, who selected him in the sixth round (182nd overall) of the NHL Draft. The Pickering, Ont. native racked up 173 points (91-82–173) over 194 regular season games along with 16 points (12-4–16) in 36 playoff outings since being the Battalion’s third round (41st overall) pick in 2021.
Named Battalion captain to begin this season, Van Steensel is one of the league’s top penalty killers who also managed to pile up 41 goals and 86 points last season. The 20-year-old from Ilderton, Ont. produced 26 points (13-13–26) through 36 games this season, leaving the Troops with a career regular season stat line that includes 174 points (75-99–174) over 235 games. He tacked on 36 points (15-21–36) over 49 playoff games since being the Battalion’s fourth round (63rd overall) pick in 2020.
“Owen has been a leader and committed member of our community,” said Battalion general manager John Winstanley. “Anthony has brought electricity and excitement to our team. We wish both these remarkable athletes all the best.”
The Battalion brought in former Colts first rounder Shamar Moses in a trade earlier this season and have seen big returns from that move. North Bay acquires the fifth overall 2024 OHL Priority Selection choice in Parker Vaughan in this move, adding a player with goal-scoring projection to their forward group.
“Parker is a player we were very high on leading up to last year’s Priority Selection,” said Winstanley. “He’s a complete player who, at 16 years old, brings scoring, competitiveness and a work ethic that will fit seamlessly with our program.”
A product of St. Thomas, Ont., Vaughan is the reigning ALLIANCE U16 AAA Player of the Year, leading that circuit with 23 goals and 49 points last season. He has seven points (4-3–7) over 32 games so far this season, and won a silver medal with Canada Red at the 2024 World U17 Hockey Challenge this past fall.
Wigle joins the Battalion in his fourth OHL season, having produced 22 points (6-16–22) over 36 games. He’s committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T.) next season. The centre from Oakville, Ont. was Barrie’s ninth round (169th overall) pick in 2020.
“With Zach we get a polished veteran who plays the game the right way. We’ve been watching Zach since his really strong playoff performance last year, and his offensive numbers have grown year after year since starting in our league.”
The 24-10-1-1 Colts currently lead in the Eastern Conference standings, eyeing big things as the second half of the season gets underway.
Winners of three straight Central Division titles, the 14-19-3-0 Battalion currently sit five points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The two clubs meet again on Jan. 16th in North Bay.
Loading ...