JUNIOR CLUB BEGINS 51ST SEASON MUCH LIKE THE FIRST ONE

Blowout in Barrie doesn’t bode well for club celebrating half-century of OHL existence

If it seems like every 50 years the Ottawa 67’s begin a half century of play by losing by nine goals ... well, maybe they do.

Fifteen days short of the 50th anniversary of the first game in 67’s history, the second half-century began much like the first.

Wait, maybe the start to the second half-century was really worse.

The Barrie Colts got five goals from rookies and all 11 at evenstrength to steamroll the 67’s 11-2 on Thursday night in front of 2,855 at the Barrie Molson Centre in the Ontario Hockey League season opener for both clubs — not to mention the head coaching debut of Andre Tourigny and Co.

That’s no way for the 67’s to begin a season to celebrate a rich 50-year history that, for those old enough to remember, all started with a 9-0 loss in their inaugural season opener back on Oct. 6, 1967 in Niagara Falls.

That original team had a builtin excuse. They were an expansion team.

This year’s edition of the 67’s is by no means an expansion team, though the Colts certainly made them look like one.

It’s worth noting the Colts were the OHL’s worst team last season to earn the first pick overall.

Worse, the loss came against former 67’s No. 1 netminder, Leo Lazarev, who was dealt to Barrie last weekend.

Barrie barely gave the 67’s time to catch their bus legs before Nathan Allensen beat 67’s overage netminder Olivier Tremblay just 2:45 in with a screen shot from the point.

Six minutes later, Justin Murray made it 2-0 and Andrei Svechnikov made it 3-0 at 10:22 as the 67’s ended the first 20 minutes badly outplayed and outshot 9-6.

Barrie outscored the 67’s 5-1 in the second on goals by Luke Bignell, rookie Curtis Douglas and the first by No. 1 overall pick Ryan Suzuki before Tourigny mercifully pulled Tremblay in place of Olivier Lafreniere.

Tremblay allowed six goals on 17 shots in his OHL debut.

But the goaltending change mattered not as Lucas Chiodo and Svechnikov made it 8-1 after 40 minutes.

Mathieu Foget had Ottawa’s goal in the second period.

The third was no better as Zachary Magwood, Jason Willms and Douglas again scored against a goal by 67’s rookie Seva Losev.

And the 67’s have little time to lick their wounds as they are right back at it against the Mississauga Steelheads on Friday night at the Hershey Centre.

Mississauga is everyone’s favourite to win the Eastern Conference.

Then it’s back to TD Place for Sunday night’s home opener against the Erie Otters, who began their swing through Central and Eastern Ontario on Thursday in Peterborough and Friday in Kingston.

Oh, and Erie is the defending OHL champions.

The opener will also include a celebration of the first decade of the 67’s franchise, with many notable ex-players returning.

They include Blake Dunlop, Murray Wilson, Gary Doyle and Pierre Jarry.

That may be the highlight of the opening weekend.