Five Questions: Barrie Colts

The Barrie Colts came within a win of a trip to the Eastern Conference Championship Series last spring, coming up short in a Game 7 loss to the North Bay Battalion that saw the Troops score three unanswered third period goals to advance.

The loss marked the end of an era of sorts as the Colts said goodbye to Brandt Clarke, who, when considering his OHL body of work and future prospects at the NHL level, could someday be viewed as the best blueliner to ever suit up for the franchise – though Aaron Ekblad does have a compelling case in that conversation.

Marty Williamson’s Colts turn the page into 2023-24 with some new roles to be established both up front and on the back end. Five Questions examines their transition into a new season.

1. Who leads following the departure of key veterans Clarke, Cardwell, Vierling and McDonnell?

The Colts are faced with a pretty big shake-up in their veteran ranks, with three of the league’s most established overagers in Ethan Cardwell, Evan Vierling and Declan McDonnell all moving on. The added loss of blueliner and captain Brandt Clarke will mean a culture shift in Barrie as the club looks to establish a new identity around a different crop of vets in the dressing room. The overage situation in Barrie is muddled at present, with a number of solid candidates to return including a pair of physical defenders in Connor Punnett and Braden Haché who have held leadership positions in the past. Forwards Jacob Frasca and Tyler Savard are also 2003 births while returning 31-goal scorer Beau Jelsma, entering his 19-year-old season, enters his third tour of duty with the Colts. Beau Akey, who we’ll touch on more in a minute, was a second round pick of the Edmonton Oilers last month and will come back as a veteran member of the Barrie blueline in his third season.

Time to answer some questions! 🎤🤠#GiddyUp | @ConnorPunnett pic.twitter.com/jwX4SuH2st

— Barrie Colts (@OHLBarrieColts) August 2, 2023

2. Can Akey step-in to fill the void left by Brandt Clarke?

Talk about a tall order. Clarke was possibly the most dynamic player in the entire CHL last season and was a scoring threat every time he set foot on the ice. With Clarke off to Los Angeles, Akey, who also shoots right-handed, is in for a big promotion on the back end. Barrie’s first round (19th overall) pick in 2021, the Waterloo Wolves graduate has gotten increasingly more impactful in the OHL, boosting his numbers from 16 points (5-11–16) as a rookie to 47 (11-36–47) in his sophomore season. Get ready to see a lot of him in 2023-24.

💡 📸 🎬

Go behind the scenes with @EdmontonOilers 2nd Round Selection!#NHLDraft | @beauakey pic.twitter.com/vdWLwbPEFM

— Barrie Colts (@OHLBarrieColts) June 29, 2023

3. Who steps up in the goal-scoring department?

Cardwell was one of the OHL’s best pure goal-scorers and could always be relied-upon to come through in a pinch. Vierling moves on as one of the league’s better playmakers, racking up 60 assists in his overage season. The Colts are really working hard to bring in former CHL Import Draft choice Eduard Sale, a talented Czech forward selected 20th overall by the Seattle Kraken last month. There’s also the big addition of 17-year-old Riley Patterson, the OJHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2022-23 with 73 points (30-43–73) over 52 games for the North York Rangers. Depending who stays as an overager, 6-foot-4 centreman Jacob Frasca could provide an offensive push after a 69-point (27-42–69) season in 2022-23. Despite a smaller frame at 5-foot-10, Beau Jelsma plays the game as hard as anyone in the league and scored 31 goals, along with 11 points (5-6–11) in nine playoff games last spring. Cole Beaudoin, who has put on a solid display for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, will return as a 17-year-old looking to build off the good impression he made in his first season. To be competitive however, the Colts will need regular contributions from a few 2004-born forwards including Cooper Matthews, Tai York, Zach Wigle and Roenick Jodoin, who is one of the league’s fastest players.

Beau knows game-winners! 🚨

Beau Jelsma gets loose on a breakaway in the third period and scores the winner for the @OHLBarrieColts on the road! 🎥 pic.twitter.com/af09zTvKvn

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 4, 2023

4. What’s Barrie’s goaltending situation look like?

The answer really hinges on the fate of Anson Thornton, who is currently signed to an NHL contract with the Arizona Coyotes. His ultimate destination will depend on how things play out in the preseason as he heads off to camp with the Coyotes. Pending their minor league goaltending situation, Thornton, who scored a goal last season, could either wind up in the AHL or ECHL, or perhaps even back in Barrie which would further complicate the Colts’ overage landscape. Ben West went 12-7-3-1 in his first OHL season and is a 2003-born option, while former free agent signing Sam Hillebrandt, who hails from Riverview, Florida, is also in the pipeline after splitting 2022-23 between the Colts and the Stayner Siskins Jr. C club.

Celebrate like a goalie who just scored a goal. 🥳@ArizonaCoyotes prospect, Anson Thornton, netted an exciting one last night! 🚨

(🎥: @OHLHockey) pic.twitter.com/BybZIVKPuu

— NHL (@NHL) April 7, 2023

5. Do the Colts own the OHL record for most Beaus?

Seriously, have you checked this out? We’ve got Beau Akey, Beau Jelsma, Cole Beaudoin, and you can throw in new addition Bode Stewart as well. Colts broadcast voices Mike Poirier, Gene Pereira and Thomas West can start warming up for another season of Beaus in Barrie. The Sarnia Sting were in a similar situation a couple of years ago when they cornered the market on Nolans (Burke, Dann, DeGurse, Dillingham).

Beaudoin is COOKING this summer 😤@colebeaudoin11 | #OffSeason pic.twitter.com/fU5k8HO6Hb

— Barrie Colts (@OHLBarrieColts) July 6, 2023

Five Questions is put together by Josh Sweetland (@joshsweetland). Follow along throughout the summer for an offseason look at all 20 OHL clubs.