Colts beat 67’s to spoil Campbell’s banner night

Former Ottawa star defenceman sees his No. 44 raised to the south wall at TD Place

Brian Campbell on the ice usually meant an almost guaranteed win night for the Ottawa 67’s.

Unfortunately, the 67’s legend was only out there briefly at TD Place Friday night, just long enough to have his “44” raised to the south wall to join Denis Potvin and Doug Wilson’s No. 7, Peter Lee’s No. 14 and Bobby Smith’s No. 15 in a pre-game jersey retirement ceremony — sincere and nostalgic yet lacking for a few words from one of the 67’s Top 10 performers over 50 years.

Just the same, the 67’s of 2017-18 could sure use a gamechanger like Campbell was from 1995 through 1999.

The visiting Barrie Colts are a team going for it and registered their seventh win in their last 10 games, handing the 67’s a 4-2 setback before a TD Place season-high crowd of 5,642.

That included many family and friends of Barrie’s 17-yearold rookie goaltender, Kal Edmonds, a Carlsbad Springs native and former Cumberland Grad.

Edmonds was solid in his Ontario Hockey League debut, making 27 saves. His first start, appearance and win also allowed for the Colts to move into a tie atop the Eastern Conference with the Peterborough Petes with 21 points, though Barrie holds two games in hand. The two meet Saturday night in Peterborough.

Edmonds wasn’t the difference, as the 67’s were in tough against a Barrie squad poised to make a long run in the playoffs.

It didn’t help that the 67’s spent 16 minutes of the game killing penalties, though they allowed just one power-play goal.

But this night was all about Campbell.

The 67’s made Campbell’s unforgettable No. 44 just the fourth number retired and made him just the fifth former 67’s player to be bestowed such an honour. Campbell pulled the cord to raise his banner at the blue-line and watched it go up on the south wall as he stood with his parents Lorna and Ed, former billet Carl Dowsett, 67’s governor Jeff Hunt, GM James Boyd and former coach Brian Kilrea.

The crowd afforded him a well-earned standing ovation, half the crowd able to remember Campbell hoisting the Memorial Cup that day in May of 1999 on Civic Centre ice. The younger set had to depend on their parents to tell them just how great he was.

Then the new era went out and showed one of the franchise legends why they are a work in progress.

The Colts struck first with Zachary Magwood registering his team-leading 10th goal at 13:38 on the power play.

Ottawa rookie Oliver True finally put the 67’s on the board with his first career OHL goal on the power play at 14:48 of the second and the 67’s seemed to be gaining momentum.

But that was snuffed out less than two minutes later when Barrie’s Lucas Chiodo banked one in off the 67’s Sasha Chmelevski at 16:08.

Barrie’s Luke Bignell then put things away with a goal 5:01 into the third.

Ben Hawerchuk merely dispersed the crowd early, making it 4-1 at 9:14.

Noel Hoefenmayer, the Arizona Coyotes draftee, blasted one in from the point at 17:53 to make it 4-2, but that was as close as the 67’s could make it.

And things get no easier Sunday at 2 p.m. when the 67’s play host to the OHL-leading Sarnia Sting, who come to TD Place after having lost only their second game all year Friday night in Kingston. The Sting have 15 wins in 17 games and a leaguehigh 91 goals for.

Friday’s game ended on a rough note when the 67’s Kevin Bahl was tagged for a check to the head, which led to a couple of minor skirmishes.

The hope is the OHL rules people check their own player guide to see Bahl does stand 6-foot-6 — though a two-game suspension is likely.

It didn’t help that the 67’s spent 16 minutes of the game killing penalties, though they allowed just one power-play goal.