By Josh Sweetland/OHL

An East Division title and a pair of sweeps to advance to the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals had the Oshawa Generals riding high. That’s when the wheels came off.

Captain Scott Laughton and the Generals were dismantled in a 4-0 series sweep at the hands of the North Bay Battalion last spring, not exactly the way they drew it up.

“They dominated us physically,” recalls star winger Michael Dal Colle. “We knew we had to get bigger and stronger and there was no doubt that they were just the better team. The loss made for a real long summer for us returning guys.”

While Dal Colle and the rest of the Generals returned home for the offseason, Roger Hunt’s wheels began to turn. The first move he made was selecting Ottawa Senators prospect Tobias Lindberg in the first round of the CHL Import Draft, adding the Swedish speedster to his deep pool of talent up front.

“We knew we had stars, but we needed guys to come in and fall in line behind Cassels, Dal Colle, Brown, Appleby and our returning core,” said the Dunnville native, who was named general manager of the squad in May after four years behind the bench as an assistant.

If size was the issue, the Generals didn’t waste any time addressing it.

“Right away we targeted McCarron,” Hunt continued regarding his decision to add another 6’6″ forward to join Hunter Smith in the Generals lineup.

“Originally, I wasn’t entertaining the idea of having three overage defencemen, but the more we followed London, the more we saw of Dakota Mermis whose past experience speaks for itself. He won a USHL Championship, an OHL Championship and has played in two other MasterCard Memorial Cups. He’s been our best defenceman on many nights since he joined us.”

For Mermis, the endearment has been mutual.

“I’ve had an unbelievable time in Oshawa,” said the Alton, Illinois native. “I was fortunate to spend two years in London with a great group there, but this whole organization from owner Rocco Tullio right down through all of the staff has treated us so well. We’re a team of blue collar players that play a blue collar style in a blue collar town.”

After Mermis and McCarron donned the blue, red and white, Los Angeles Kings prospect and nearby Whitby native Matt Mistele followed suit along with Carolina Hurricanes draftee Brent Pedersen, formerly of the Kitchener Rangers.

With so many new faces in the dressing room, third-year Generals veteran Michael Dal Colle, says the transition was relatively seamless.

“Honestly, it’s been a lot of fun to get to know all of these guys. I’ve really benefitted from the addition of Mistele who I play with most nights. He has fit like a glove here. Everyone has gelled so well and we have to thank our coaches for helping through that process.”

Though the disappointing Eastern Conference Final sweep was the beginning of the Generals’ story, the end remains unwritten.

Oshawa returned to the Eastern Conference Finals this year after claiming a second straight East Division title, setting regular season franchise records in wins (51), points (108) and goals against (157). They bested North Bay in a six game series to be crowned Eastern Conference Champions, advancing to the Rogers OHL Championship Series where they’d eliminate Connor McDavid and the Erie Otters in five games to claim the 13th Robertson Cup title in franchise history.

After a 3-0 start at the 2015 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Québec City, the Generals will author the final chapter of their tale on Sunday at 7:00pm in the MasterCard Memorial Cup Final, looking to claim national prominence for the first time since 1990.

Sunday’s game can be seen live across the country on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific and throughout Québec on TVA Sports.