Number 71 is back with the Barrie Colts after two years of pro hockey and the head coach/general manager couldn't be happier.
Tyson Foerster will be in the Colts lineup for the Ontario Hockey League team's upcoming road trip after being loaned back from the Philadelphia Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The 20-year-old Alliston native was selected by the Flyers in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. Foerster has played the past two seasons in the AHL for the Phantoms, registering 20 points (12 goals, eight assists) in 33 games.
The big winger had been sidelined with a shoulder injury since early November.
Foerster was originally drafted by the Colts in the third round (55th overall) of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection.
Through his two seasons with the Colts, he accumulated 103 points (46 goals, 57 assists) over 126 games, including a breakout season in 2019-20 when he led the team in goals (36), assists (44) and points (80) as a 17-year-old.
Foerster put scouts on notice with two goals and an assist in the 2020 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Hamilton, earning player-of-the-game honours for Team White. He was also voted the Eastern Conference’s second-most improved player in the 2020 OHL Coaches' Poll.
Colts head coach and GM Marty Williamson said Foerster is obviously an impact player who will be looked upon for help on the power play as well as just the overall game he brings to the ice.
“Getting Tyson back is a big boost and the timing is perfect for the final month of the season and hopefully a long playoff run,” Williamson told BarrieToday. “A road trip also helps to allow everyone to bond and have some fun.”
The Colts start a three-game road trip in Oshawa on Friday night before a Saturday night game in Kingston and then finish off the weekend in Ottawa on Sunday afternoon.
Barrie fans can cheer Foerster on in person when he returns to the Sadlon Arena on Thursday, March 31 when the Colts host their Central Division rivals, the Sudbury Wolves.
Barrie currently sits fifth in the Eastern Conference with 13 games left in the regular season. They are 10 points back of Kingston and six points up on Oshawa.
“It’s been a crazy year with COVID, some long suspensions and injuries. It feels like we haven’t had the same lineup many nights,” Williamson said.
“I like this team a lot and feel we can go all the way," he added. "We just need these last few weeks to bond and develop our identity heading into the playoffs.”
