‘Super exciting’: Colts co-captain and Ottawa native to play first OHL playoff games in his hometown

The Barrie Colts hold a 2-0 series lead in their second round matchup against the Ottawa 67’s as the series shifts to the nation’s capital and their co-captain’s hometown.

When Cole Beaudoin and his Colts teammates face the 67’s in Tuesday’s Game 3 and Thursday’s Game 4, the Ottawa native will play his first OHL playoff games in his hometown.

“Seeing the translation from me being a little kid wanting to get autographs from the 67’s players to now being in a playoff series playing against them is super cool,” said Beaudoin.

Beaudoin remained in the Ottawa region through his mid-teenage years as he made his way through the minor hockey ranks. He played several seasons at Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO) ‘AAA’ levels and four games with the Nepean Raiders in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), before being selected by the Colts with the tenth pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection.

Now four years into his OHL career and almost two years removed from getting drafted by the NHL’s Utah Mammoth (formerly Utah Hockey Club), Beaudoin leads the Colts with 17 points this postseason, including five goals.

He confirms that he will have plenty of familiar faces in the crowd this week at TD Place Arena.

“Parents, my brothers, uncles, aunts,” listed Beaudoin. “A lot of people who have helped me get to where I am now, so it’s super exciting and I appreciate them a lot.”

‘Match their desperation’

Before Beaudoin and the Colts left for Ottawa Monday morning, Dylan Smoskowitz, head coach, spoke about the team’s mindset with a 2-0 series lead.

“We do not want them to be the more desperate team. We have to match their desperation,” he urged. “In our mind it’s a 0-0 series and we’re going in there and treating Game 3 as if it’s Game 1.”

Going back to their first round series against the Niagara IceDogs, the Colts are riding a five-game playoff winning streak.

A Game 3 win for the Colts would make it their longest playoff winning streak since 2013, but of course, Smoskowitz says he and his players are much more focused on going up 3-0 in the series.

“We have to find a way to reenergize ourselves. We have to find a way to get a good practice up in Ottawa and then find a way to prepare ourselves well for (Tuesday) night,” he added.

Puck drop for Game 3 at TD Place Arena is just after 7 p.m. Tuesday.