Barrie Colts’ fans, take notice—2025 brings a wave of young blood, and if you ask this old hockey dog, there’s no better way to breathe life into a club than with fresh legs and hungry hearts. The roster’s looking different for a reason, and it’s all about making this team tougher, smarter, and hungrier on the ice.
The 2025 pre-season marks a turning point for Barrie, not just with a new Blue-and-White intrasquad tilt or a packed exhibition slate, but because management finally pulled the trigger on high-ceiling prospects. With the OHL Priority Selection in the books, the Colts wasted no time locking down a quartet of potential game-changers. Aleksandr Sementsov, the first-round pick out of Halton Hurricanes, arrives with numbers that’d make any scout’s jaw drop: 51 goals and 85 assists last year, earning him the SCTA’s top honours. Marty Williamson, the club’s boss, made it crystal clear: “He brings a high-end hockey IQ and skill set, and we believe he’ll be an important part of our club in the years ahead.” That’s not just optimism—it’s expectation.
Not to be overshadowed, Eamon Edgar and Joseph Salandra bring their own firepower. Edgar, a second-rounder from Sun County Panthers, showed he’s clutch in the postseason and delivered at rookie camp. Salandra, who left an impression at both Brunswick School and in front of the Colts’ staff, is a pure goal-scorer and a Harvard commit—no slouch on or off the ice. Then there’s Hagan Bach, the lone goaltender selected, who turned heads at Shattuck St. Mary’s by going undefeated in 31 games. Colts’ goaltending director David Belitski raved about his “anticipation and ability to read the game,” and that’s exactly the kind of calm you need between the pipes if you want to go deep.
Here’s the straight goods: Barrie’s rookie camp didn’t just fill out a roster, it created competition. These signings mean the old guard can’t rest easy, and that’s how you build a team with teeth. The new talent sharpens the bench, injects energy, and forces everyone—veterans and rookies alike—to scrap for every shift. Fans who’ve hungered for a spark might just get a bonfire, and the rest of the OHL better keep their heads up when the Colts hit the ice this fall.
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Colts will have fresh faces in camp as OHL pre-season approaches
