Barrie Colts

Hockey team | CAN_eng = 1
team = Barrie Colts

city = Barrie, Ontario
league = Ontario Hockey League
conference = Eastern
division = Central
founded = 1978-79 (Jr. B.)
May 6, 1994 (OHL)
arena = Barrie Molson Centre
colours = Navy, Yellow, Red, White
coach = Marty Williamson
GM = Gregg Carrigan
affiliates = Couchiching TerriersThe Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. There were two previous Barrie Colts team which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1907 until 1910 and another from the 1920s to 1940s.

Original Colts

The first Barrie Colts played in the junior division of the OHA from 1907 until 1910, prior to the creation of junior A and B levels. One notable alumni is Gordon Meeking who played for the Ottawa Senators and Toronto 228th of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and later in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA).

The Barrie Colts were revived in 1921 and played in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1921 to 1944. The club started out as a Junior-B team, then were promoted to Junior-A around the start of World War II. The Junior B Colts won the Sutherland Cup Championship in 1934-35. One of its original players was Leighton "Hap" Emms. Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Harry Lumley played for this team in 1942-43. Other NHL alumni include Ab DeMarco and Jack Dyte.

Modern Colts

The modern Barrie Colts also started out as a Junior B team. They started in the Mid-Ontario Jr.B league, then moved to the Central Junior B Hockey League in 1978 when the Mid-Ontario league folded. This version of the Junior B Colts won the Sutherland Cup Championship in 1992-93. For the next two seasons (1993-95), the Colts played at the Junior A Tier II level. The team was granted permission to join the Ontario Hockey League as an expansion franchise on May 6, 1994, starting play during the 1995-96 season.

The Colts have been very successful since their inception. Barrie has never missed the playoffs in team history, and were the first OHL team to make the post-season in their inaugural year. The Colts won the J. Ross Robertson Cup in the 1999-2000 season, playing the seventh game on the road, defeating the Plymouth Whalers. Barrie travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia to compete in the Memorial Cup that year, losing to the Rimouski Océanic in the championship game.

The 1999-2000 season was successful on the ice but had many off-ice problems. There was internal dissension centering around Mike Jefferson and Sheldon Keefe (both had David Frost as an agent), and Coach Bill Stewart would later be suspended by the OHL when it was found out that he smuggled an imported Russian player across the Canada-United States border in the luggage compartment of the team bus.

After a rebuilding season, the Colts made a second trip to the OHL finals in 2002, losing to the Erie Otters. Three years later, the franchise celebrated its 10th anniversary in the OHL in 2004-2005.

On April 7, 2006, the Ontario Hockey League announced the approval of the transfer of 46% interest in the team, with Howie Campbell as the new majority owner of the franchise. Campbell is a partner in Superior Electric Supply (SESCO). James Massie is a minor partner in ownership, and also owns Georgian International.

On May 16, 2006 the Barrie Colts announced the resignation of the team's general manager, Mike McCann. During McCann's 25 year tenure with the team, he has also been director of player personnel, and a head scout. Mike McCann has also been inducted into the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame.

The 2007-08 season saw a return of Junior B Colts alumnus Drake Berehowsky to the team. He is currently working with them as an assistant coach.

Championships

Team records

The longest playoff game in Barrie Colts history lasted 103 minutes, and 3 seconds, on April 20, 2006 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. The Peterborough Petes defeated the Barrie Colts 4 to 3 in the third overtime of game one of the eastern conference finals.

Playoffs

*1969-70 Defeated Woodstock Navy-Vets "4-games-to-3" for George S. Dudley Trophy Super "C" Championship
*1992-93 Defeated Kitchener Dutchmen "4-games-to-none" for Sutherland Cup
*1995-96 Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 3 in division quarter-finals.
*1996-97 Defeated Owen Sound Platers 4 games to 0 in division quarter-finals.
Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 1 in quarter-finals..
*1997-98 Lost to Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 2 in division quarter-finals.
*1998-99 Defeated Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Oshawa Generals 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals.
*1999-00 Defeated North Bay Centennials 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals.
Defeated Belleville Bulls 4 games to 1 in conference finals.
Defeated Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 3 in finals. OHL CHAMPIONS
Finished Memorial Cup round-robin in third place (1 win, 2 losses).
Defeated Halifax Mooseheads 6-3 in semi-final game.
Lost to Rimouski Oceanic 6-2 in championship game.
*2000-01 Lost to Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
*2001-02 Defeated Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Belleville Bulls 4 games to 2 in conference semi-finals.
Defeated St. Michael's Majors 4 games to 0 in conference finals.
Lost to Erie Otters 4 games to 1 in finals.
*2002-03 Lost to Brampton Battalion 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
*2003-04 Defeated Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Mississauga IceDogs 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals.
*2004-05 Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
*2005-06 Defeated St. Michael's Majors 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Brampton Battalion 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 1 in conference finals.
*2006-07 Defeated Brampton Battalion 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals.
*2007-08 Defeated Brampton Battalion 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Belleville Bulls 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals.

Uniforms & Logos

The Barrie Colts logo displays an angry horse holding a hockeystick, surrounded by a horseshoe. The Colts colours are red, white, navy blue & gold. The home uniforms are a white background, with red, navy blue and gold trim. The away uniforms are a navy blue background, with red, white & gold trim. Barrie also briefly used a third jersey which was a red background, with white, navy blue & gold trim.

For the 2007-08 season, the Colts have worn a new third jersey. It have a navy blue blackground with white, red and gold trim along the bottom, with the word "Colts" diagonally across the front.

Arenas

The Barrie Colts played at the Barrie Arena during their tenure in the Junior B days and Junior A Tier II days, and also for a portion of their inaugural OHL season until their new arena was completed. The Barrie Arena is located in downtown Barrie and was formerly home to the Barrie Flyers OHA team from 1945-1960 and other senior hockey teams.

Barrie Molson Centre was completed during the early portion of the 1995-96 season. The layout of the arena served as a blueprint for many new OHL arenas built shortly thereafter. There is a Casey's Bar and Grill restaurant located at the west end of the arena. The Barrie Molson Centre is located near the southern entrance of Park Place, close to Highway 400.

:Capacity = 4,195:Ice Size = 200' x 85'

Arena profiles from "The OHL Arena & Travel Guide"
* [http://www.ohlarenaguide.com/flyers.htm Barrie Arena]
* [http://www.ohlarenaguide.com/colts.htm Barrie Molson Centre]

ee also

*List of ice hockey teams in Ontario

External links

* [http://www.barriecolts.com/ www.barriecolts.com] Official web site
* [http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com/ Ontario Hockey League] Official web site
* [http://www.chl.ca/ Canadian Hockey League] Official web site
* [http://www.barriecoltsbooster.com Barrie Colts Booster Club] Official web site