The teams finished second and third, all but ensuring they would face off if they won their first round playoff series.

They did that in style.

The second-seed Barrie Colts eliminated Niagara in five games. The third-place Ottawa 67’s swept Kingston in four.

And with first-place Brantford cruising past their competition, the Colts and 67’s will play in the second-round of the playoffs, with Game 1 in Barrie set to go Thursday night.

The winner of the best-of-seven series will play either Brantford or fifth-seed North Bay in the conference championship, with a spot in the OHL title on the line.

The winner of the OHL championship will play in the Memorial Cup.

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They will do so as the conference’s second seed, ensuring home ice advantage for the first round as well as the second — if Barrie gets that far.

The Colts enter the series as heavy favourites against the seven-seed Ice Dogs, who Barrie beat in the first round of the playoffs last year.

Barrie won that series in five.

Game 2 goes Saturday, also at Sadlon Arena.

The series shifts to St. Catharines for games three and four.

The best-of-seven series will return to Barrie next Saturday for game five if it goes that far.

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On the penultimate weekend of the season, Ottawa went a perfect 3-0, starting with a massive 3-2 overtime win on Thursday over the second-place Barrie Colts, who sit a point ahead of them in the conference standings.

Ottawa followed that win with a 5-1 drubbing of the Brampton Steelheads on Friday and closed out the weekend by shutting out the Niagara IceDogs in a 6-0 romp on Sunday.

Sitting third in the conference, Ottawa is six points behind Brantford with only three games left in the regular season. Even if Ottawa were to track down Barrie, the 67’s still wouldn’t nab second in the conference because the first two seeds are reserved for the division winners.

Ottawa plays in the East division with Brantford. Barrie has already clinched the Central division.

The 67’s only chance to take first would involve winning all their remaining games and having Brantford lose their final three matchups all in regulation.

The Colts followed up their loss to Ottawa with a convincing 5-2 win Saturday over Sudbury, which will finish in the eight and final playoff spot in the East. Barrie then ended the weekend with a 6-5 overtime win Sunday over the league-worst Oshawa Generals.

Barrie’s final three games are all against playoff teams. They hit the road to take on Kingston on Wednesday, visit nearby Peterborough on Thursday and close out the regular season at home against Niagara on Saturday.

Ottawa’s final stretch isn’t nearly as daunting. They host the Generals on Wednesday before closing the home-and-home with a trip to Oshawa on Friday.

The 67’s close out the regular season hosting Kingston on Saturday afternoon.

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The Colts finished the weekend with a win over North Bay on Saturday but still sit five points behind Brantford at the top of the conference.

At 93 points, the Colts have already locked up the Central Division, meaning they can’t finish lower than second place in the conference.

Barrie only has six games left in the regular season and will need some help to catch up to Brantford.

It won’t be easy, however. The Colts only play two teams below .500 and have dates left against the Ottawa 67’s, the Peterborough Petes and Niagara Ice Dogs, which occupy the third, fourth and six spots in the Eastern Conference, respectively.

At 90 points, Ottawa is the only team that can catch up to Brantford or Barrie in the race for first in the conference.

The 67’s had an uneven weekend, starting with a 1-0 loss in overtime to Peterborough on Thursday.

Ottawa then lost 2-1 in overtime to lowly Brampton on Saturday but recovered to beat Peterborough 6-3 in a rematch on Sunday.

Still, the 67’s officially clinched home-ice for the first round of the playoffs over the weekend. The team announced that Game 1 and 2 of the playoffs would be played at home on March 27 and 29.

Even if Ottawa has more points, it won’t leapfrog the Colts for second in the conference because Barrie has won its division.

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The Barrie Colts’ double-digit winning streak finally came to an end on Saturday after dropping a 3-0 decision on the road to the Windsor Spitfires.

But if there’s a silver lining there it’s that the loss is unlikely to impact the Colts’ playoff positioning.

Barrie sits 19 points ahead of North Bay in the Central Division. The Colts would automatically take the second seed in the Eastern Conference if they win their division.

And the Colts are already back in the win column, downing Brampton 4-2 in a rare Wednesday day game.

Next up for Barrie is a game Thursday night against the Eastern Conference leading Brantford Bulldogs.

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The Colts start the weekend with a game in Sarnia against the Sting, who sit near the bottom of the league standings and are one of only two teams in the Western Conference outside of the playoffs.

It’s then a short trek to Windsor for a game on Saturday against the Spitfires, who sit third in the Western Conference.

Barrie is second in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the league-leading Brantford Bulldogs.

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Fans packed local bars and restaurants Feb. 22 to cheer on Team Canada in the gold-medal men’s hockey game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, turning sports pubs across the city into a sea of red and white. 

Several establishments opened early to accommodate fans eager to watch Canada take on the United States in the final. By puck drop, many were at capacity. 

At Malone’s Pint House on Bradford Street, general manager Joan McKinnon said the demand rivalled that of major playoff games. 

“It’s incredible. People wanted to be together to watch this game,” she said. 

“We were sold out — we had every table booked a day before the game and we had to turn people away. We had people lined up on the street waiting to get in to get their seats. Everyone just wanted to enjoy the game and watch it all together.” 

Inside, the atmosphere was palpable, with fans erupting at every scoring chance and groaning at near misses. 

Brendan McCarthy, a Barrie resident originally from Toronto, said the energy reminded him of football Sundays. 

“Electric – just like coming in for a football game. Everyone’s cheering,” he said.

“I’m originally from Toronto so I never expected to have a place like this to bring out so many  people. It’s amazing.” 

McCarthy, who regularly visits Malone’s to watch Buffalo Bills games with fellow fans, said  cheering for Canada on the Olympic stage created a strong sense of unity. 

Across the city at Jack Astor’s Bar and Grill on Mapleview Drive, dozens of fans gathered with their eyes fixed on big-screen TVs. 

Sean Nichols attended with his pregnant wife and a group of friends, continuing a tradition he hopes to pass down to his son. 

“It’s nothing but pure Canadian patriotism and the love for hockey,” he said. 

“This is one of those times everybody can put everything aside to come together and just cheer  on for a sport we all love.” 

Nichols said he has made it a tradition to watch Team Canada compete in past Winter Olympic hockey games at Jack Astor’s with family and friends — a ritual he plans to continue in the years ahead. 

The 2026 Winter Olympics ran from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22 in Italy. Sunday’s gold-medal game ended in heartbreak for Canadian fans, as the United States edged Canada 2-1 in overtime. 

Canada finished the Games with 21 medals overall — five gold, seven silver and nine bronze — capping a strong showing on the international stage.

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And the entire junior hockey world is taking notice.

The CHL’s top 10 of the week ranking had the Colts up to sixth place, a four-place jump from the previous week.

It comes as the Colts have won the past seven games, including downing the No. 10 Ottawa 67’s 8-6 on Family Day.

Over the past 20 games, Barrie has gone 18-1-1-0 stretch.

The Colts will look to keep up the winning ways this weekend in matchups against Owen Sound, London, and No. 5-ranked Brantford.

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According to a news release, a total of $15,000 is being donated to support local programs, with each organization receiving $2,500 to help offset rising costs such as equipment, ice time and program development.

The funding will support the Barrie Minor Hockey Association, Orillia Minor Hockey Association, Barrie Jr. Sharks, the Muskoka Bears junior hockey team, the Orillia Eagles Special Needs Hockey Club and the Orillia Girls Hockey Association.

Held at Sadlon Arena in Barrie, the 2025 Boots and Hearts Barn Burner charity hockey game raised $605,210 in support of local charities and organizations across Barrie and Simcoe County.

Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall, who also chairs the Boots and Hearts Barn Burner, said the initiative reflects the broader role hockey plays in the region.

“Hockey is more than just a game — it teaches teamwork, discipline and perseverance,” he said.

“We’re proud to support these organizations and help ensure young players have opportunities to grow both on and off the ice.”

Eva Dunford, co-founder of the Boots and Hearts Music Festival, said youth sports helps in several ways.

“By supporting these associations, we’re investing in the next generation of athletes and community leaders,” she said.

Angie Scott of the South Muskoka Bears said the funding will help send the U18B team to the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights President’s Day Tournament.

“This support is helping our team compete on international ice and represent Muskoka and Canada,” she said.

Organizers state the donations put a spotlight on the Barn Burner’s ongoing commitment to community engagement and inclusive sport.

No date has been set for the 2026 Boots and Hearts Barn Burner charity hockey game.

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The win was enough to allow the 67’s to officially clinch a spot in the playoffs after Sarnia beat Brampton 2-1 in overtime.

Nic Sima led Ottawa with two goals, while Cooper Foster chipped in with a goal and two assists.

Ryder Fetterolf made 32 saves in the win.

The 67’s capped off the weekend on Sunday with a close 5-4 win over the Owen Sound Attack.

Filip Ekberg scored the winner early in the third period after the two teams traded leads in the first two frames.

The win moved Ottawa to 77 points, a point behind Brantford (which won its Sunday game). Despite this, the 67’s sit in third place in the Eastern Conference because they play in the same division as the Bulldogs.

Barrie, which has 76 points, sits in second because it leads the Central Division.

The three teams are the only ones in the conference with 70 or more points.

Barrie beat Brampton on Friday, and downed North Bay on Saturday and Sunday in a home-and-home series.

And after all the dust settled, the Colts officially booked a spot in the playoffs.

But Barrie is hardly done there.

The Colts have a 21-point division lead with 16 games left in the regular season.

Barrie has won its last five games, and 10 of its last 11.

The regular season wraps up on March 22.

*This story has been updated to note that Barrie has officially clinched a playoff spot.

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