The regular-season dust has settled and the Barrie Colts will take on the Oshawa Generals to open the 2024 Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
The first-round series gets going Friday in Oshawa.
Games 1 and 2 will take place March 29 at 7:35 p.m. and Sunday, March 31 at 1:05 p.m. at Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa.
The series shifts back to Barrie for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday, April 2 and Thursday, April 4 at Sadlon Arena. Both games are 7 p.m. starts.
The Colts (28-36-4) wrapped up the regular season as the eight seed in the Eastern Conference, 12 points ahead of ninth-place Peterborough.
The Generals (40-19-7-2) hold the first seed in the East after finishing two points ahead of North Bay.
Head-to-head this season, the Colts and Generals both relished home ice. Barrie pelted the Generals, 7-1, back in October at Sadlon Arena, followed by a 3-2 shootout win, also at home, in late January. The Generals won their two home games back in Oshawa by scores of 5-2 on Feb. 25 and 5-1 on March 10.
Colts captain Beau Jelsma led the team this season with 37 goals and 44 assists for 81 points in 67 games, followed by Riley Patterson with 29 goals and 33 assists for 62 points while playing the full 68-game schedule.
Barrie's Cole Beaudoin rounded out the team's top three scorers with 28 goals and 34 assists for 62 points in 67 games.
Over on the Generals lineup will be a familiar face in former Colts captain Connor Punnett, who was dealt to Oshawa at the deadline in January. The rugged blue-liner scored seven goals and added 17 assists for 24 points in 32 games since joining the Generals.
Calum Ritchie, a first-round pick of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, led the Generals in scoring this season with 28 goals and 52 helpers for 80 points in just 50 games. He was selected 27th overall by the Avs in the 2023 NHL Draft.
The well-balanced Generals lineup includes eight players who scored 20 or more goals this season, including Stuart Rolofs (32), Matthew Buckley (30), Minnesota Wild second-rounder Rasmus Kumpulainen (28), Ritchie (28), Beckett Sennecke (27), Vancouver Canucks draft pick Connor Lockhart (26), New York Rangers prospect Dylan Roobroeck (26), and Luke Torrance (21).
In an "unprecedented" finish to the 2023-24 OHL season, all eight first-round playoff match-ups were determined on the final day of the schedule.
In the Eastern Conference, Oshawa defeated the Sudbury Wolves, 5-1, to complete their schedule, grabbing top spot with their 40th win before entering the post-season.
The North Bay Battalion, Saginaw Spirit and Brantford Bulldogs were also victorious on the final day of the season.
The London Knights won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy after a 3-0 shutout win over the Guelph Storm.
The 2024 OHL Playoffs get underway on Thursday night with Kingston at North Bay, Sudbury at Mississauga, Owen Sound at Saginaw, and Guelph at Sault Ste. Marie.
(1) Oshawa Generals vs. (8) Barrie Colts
Game 1: Friday, March 29 – Barrie at Oshawa, 7:35 p.m.
Game 2: Sunday, March 31 – Barrie at Oshawa, 1:05 p.m.
Game 3: Tuesday, April 2 – Oshawa at Barrie, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Thursday, April 4 – Oshawa at Barrie, 7 p.m.
* Game 5: Friday, April 5 – Barrie at Oshawa, 7:35 p.m.
* Game 6: Sunday, April 7 – Oshawa at Barrie, 6 p.m.
* Game 7: Tuesday, April 9 – Barrie at Oshawa, 7:05 p.m.
(* if necessary)
For more information on playoff match-ups, visit the OHL website by clicking here.
