Why it’s a big weekend for the Ottawa 67s

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The Ottawa 67’s hope to be without their captain, as well as their head coach, for the next 10 games.

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Yes, you read that right.

That will make the challenge that much more difficult, but the local Ontario Hockey League team would like nothing better than for Luca Pinelli to realize his dream of playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship.

Pinelli attended the selection camp at TD Place as one of 19 forwards vying for the spots.

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As a fourth-round pick of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023, he’s competing with nine guys who were drafted in the first round, five second-rounders, two third-rounders, another (Porter Martone) who is expected to be one of the first players selected in the 2025 draft and another (Gavin McKenna) who is considered a top prospect for the 2026 draft.

If he’s a dark horse, he’s someone who brings a lot to the table. The obvious is his ability to score goals. Once again, Pinelli is among the OHL leaders with 21 goals in 26 games, including 11 on the power play, which is tied for the most in the entire Canadian Hockey League.

And then there are the intangibles he provides for the 67ers.

“I’ll say the obvious … it’s his level of competition on the ice. It’s contagious,” said 67’s assistant coach Norm Milley, who along with assistant Paul Stoykewych will lead the team while Dave Cameron guides Canada through the worlds. “He just brings everybody into the game with him. He has a no-stop attitude.”

Pinelli could be a Canadian asset, whether on one of the top three lines or a spark on the fourth. He played well in Wednesday night’s game, and in Thursday’s game against the USports all-stars, he started at left wing on the fourth line along with Carson Rehkoph and Bennett Sennecke, but was held scoreless.

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What was the reaction to Teddy Bear Brawl?

In case you missed it last weekend, several fights broke out between 67ers and Colts players as fans celebrated Ottawa’s first goal by throwing teddy bears onto the ice, as is traditional during the holiday season.

Talk about exposure for the team.

“I didn’t know we got that much attention until the next day when one of our OSEG executives came down and said we had over a million views on it or something,” Milley said with a laugh. “I couldn’t believe it. Then I saw the video of (someone dressed as) the Grinch throwing teddy bears … It’s a classic. You can’t make that stuff up. It was pretty funny stuff.”

What’s on tap for the 67s?

After defeating the Sarnia Sting 6-1 and falling 2-1 to the Barrie Colts last weekend, the 67’s take their 10-11-6 record and fourth place in the East Division into a busy upcoming schedule. They host the Peterborough Petes on Friday at 19 at TD Place, and follow that with visits to Barrie on Saturday night and North Bay on Sunday afternoon.

The Petes are last in the East with a 5-19-5 mark, while the Colts lead the Central at 20-8-0 and the Battalion are last in the same division with a winning (12-11-3) record.

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“It’s a tough schedule,” Milley said. “We’re fighting for our lives right now so every game is important. The next five are really big for us. We know we’ve got a break after them and we’re going to leave it all out there. We feel that if we stay connected, we stay disciplined in our structure and we compete, we give ourselves a chance every night.”

Who will take over while Pinelli is gone?

Among those who will get an extra look on the power play could be second-year player Nic Whitehead, who has four goals and 12 assists in 27 games, and 16-year-old Nathan Amidovski, the 67ers’ first-round pick, who has none. goal and three assists in 24 games with limited ice time.

The 67s are also without rookie Filip Ekberg, a 17-year-old rookie representing Sweden at the World Junior Championships in Camrose, Alta. Ekberg is sixth in the 67’s with 17 points (seven goals) in 21 games.

“Some guys get the opportunity to step up,” Milley. “We’ve got a lot of young players so we’ll tinker around a bit. Nothing is given here, everything is earned, so if someone is playing well we’ll give them a chance on that flank and see what they can do.”

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Teams have thrived while missing top players before, and the 67’s hope that could be the case now.

“I think when you’re missing some key parts of your lineup, you’re playing a simple hockey game, maybe not as risky,” Milley said. “The guys filling in for (Pinelli) might want to play a little bit more of a different style, at worst, a defensive style first. Losing Lu a little bit here, that’s a big piece for us, for his offense, his engine, but it’s a great opportunity for someone else.”

How has practice been without Cameron?

Wasn’t it always an easier day with a supply teacher when you were in school? Didn’t you relax?

“I remember when I was playing and the head coach was gone, sometimes it got a little loose,” said Milley, a former second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabers who played 29 NHL games in and around American Hockey League stops and before for a long time. stay in Europe. “But I think our management has done a really good job. We usually rate practice and it’s been pretty high, 8.5, the last few days. So they’ve been really good.”

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