OHL: Colts Running away with Division Title

Lead by superstar Bryan Little, the Barrie Colts are the best team in the OHL. A culmination of veterans and improving second year players, the Colts are considered early favourites to capture the OHL championship and represent the OHL in Vancouver for the Memorial Cup.

McKeen's was on hand for several contests featuring the high flying Colts.

Kris Sparre (2007), C, Barrie

Un-drafted, the diminutive centre has produced at an alarming rate, as he is fourth in team scoring at nearly a point a game clip .. fluid skater, great first step, the new rules and an opened up game help him flourish at this level .. can get to the net by darting in and out of scoring areas and his offensive ability is capable of finishing .. defensively he makes good plays in the neutral zone as his speed stops players in their tracks and forces turn overs..

Bryan Little (Atl), C, Barrie

The Colts rely heavily on Little as he makes things happen and is one of the best players in this league .. his ability to curl the puck and stick handle with it at top speed is what makes him so effective as he is constantly advancing the puck .. lighting quick release, he has a hard shot with considerable accuracy .. playing more in the slot as opposed to last year when he used to set up all the time on the half boards as he is taking full advantage of his release .. always challenges defenders in one-on-one situations and with increased strength he should be able to drive right through defenders as opposed to beating them out wide .. his first few steps are quick enough and should not be a problem at the pro level as he has a good second gear and is deceptively fast .... under used at the WJC, he should finally be able to advance this Colts team deep into the playoffs ..

Richard Clune (Dal), LW. Barrie

Has many tools in the box but sometimes only uses one .. lazy back checker he does not apply himself in that regard .. short little bursts of speed as his quick feet eagerly attack the front of the net .. he can shelter the puck well when driving as his low centre of gravity makes it very hard to knock him off the puck .. needs to minimize the amount of mistakes he makes and careless plays he is guilty off .. moving his feet more would help him .. has an aggressive streak and is not afraid to apply himself physically but too often he fails to show the level of intensity that he is capable off .. cycles the puck well and plays a good down low game .. at times, gets too easily frustrated and his body language of the ice is discouraging considering he is supposed to be a leader on this team ..

Tomas Marcinko (NYI), C, Barrie

First Import selection by the Colts .. gives the team some size up front however, it is unfortunate that he does not use it too his advantage .. plays the perimeter and is weak physically, at times it appears that he is afraid to be hit .. galloping stride, he gets to where he needs to be but is not the prettiest of skaters .. lacks one-on-one skills and most times he will dump it into the zone but refuse to chase after it, which is very frustrating .. needs to assert himself more and go to open areas of the ice, using his size and hands in close .. too often, he is content to play beside a defender and does not give himself enough distance to produce a chance should he be the receipt of a rebound or loose puck ..

Mike Weber (Buf), D, Barrie

In an attempt to shore up a relatively thin blue line, the Colts added Weber .. a big, mean defender who makes players pay the price in the corner .. very aggressive he takes up a lot of ice however, his side-to-side mobility is troublesome .. makes poor pinches at the line and needs to be more aware on when to play the line and when not to .. needs to tie up man, not just stay with them because all too often they end up beating him to the outside .. uses his stick effectively against smaller, faster players .. at times, his play is borderline dirty .. playing the PP and is able to distribute the puck ok .. a player who can and will play 20 plus minutes a game and be essential in setting the tone of many games in the playoffs ..

Michael Hutchinson (2008), G, Barrie

The rookie has been getting some looks and has impressed in his starts .. very raw but the fact that he is playing at this level as a fourth round selection speaks volumes as to how much the organization thinks of him .. tall, he covers the net well but will need another year to fill out .. his play behind the net needs some work as the game moves faster than he is used too .. like most young goalies, he goes down too early .. teases with the five hole and is able to close it up fast .. lateral movement still needs work as his skating is slightly off .. play in traffic needs work .. ok stick handler but could not play it when it came on his left side .. taking into consideration he is only 16 he shows tremendous potential and game experience can only help in his development.

Brian Lashoff (2008), D, Barrie

First round selection has had a hard time adjusting to the OHL .. he has decent puck skills but his skating deficiencies are a glaring concern as he displays limited acceleration .. has average mobility both forward and backward .. displays an aggressive offensive mindset as he readily jumps the line and goes to the net ..has an ok shot at the point .. a project that has many things to work on, thankfully time is on his side.