The Barrie Colts are off to the second round of the OHL playoffs, after taking down the Niagara IceDogs in five games.
The Colts firepower was on full display during the first-round series, as they scored at least four goals in all five games. Barrie forward Dalyn Wakely (an Edmonton sixth-round pick in 2024) led the team with a remarkable 12 points during the series, while Anthony Romani (a Vancouver sixth-round pick in 2024) pitched in eight goals, leaving him tied for the OHL’s playoff goal-scoring lead.
Barrie has now advanced to the conference semifinals, where they will square off against the Kingston Frontenacs.
The Colts will once again have home ice advantage, but they don’t enter the series as heavy favourites, as the two teams finished tied in for second in the regular season with 88 points, though Barrie held the tiebreaker.
The two squads faced each other four times throughout the regular season, with Barrie winning three of the matchups.
It’s only the second time Barrie has made it past the first round since 2017-18, while the Colts haven’t won two playoff series since 2015-16.
Should Barrie defeat Kingston, they will take on either the Brantford Bulldogs or the Oshawa Generals, the two teams participating in the other conference semifinal.
Puck drop for game one will be at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Sadlon Arena, with game two set to be played on Saturday. The series will then move to Kingston for two games at the Slush Puppie Place, set to be played next Tuesday and Thursday.
