Editor's Note: This week, we'll take a look back at some of the biggest news stories of the year in Orillia. For our fourth feature, we'll focus on the incredible journey of Orillia's Colby Barlow, who was selected in the first round of the NHL entry draft by the Winnipeg Jets.
For Colby Barlow, 2023 was quite a year.
The Orillia teen was named Orillia’s athlete of the year on Feb. 9.
Following the presentation of the award at a ceremony at the Orillia Recreation Centre, Barlow said it was “a massive honour” to win the award that has been granted by the city since 1952.
“There are a lot of well-known names on this trophy and a lot of great people of this community,” he told OrilliaMatters after the presentation. “It’s definitely an honour to be a part of that.”
Barlow, who was born and raised in Orillia, played minor hockey in Orillia and then graduated to the region's 'AAA' program, where he played with the North Central Predators.
He says he didn’t expect to be honoured by his hometown with such an award this early into his hockey career.
“If you told me this was going to happen five months ago, I wouldn’t have believed it,” he said. “I didn’t even expect to be a part of the conversation, but I got the call this week and it became real.”
Barlow, who was the youngest player ever named captain of the Owen Sound Attack, is coming off a strong second year in the OHL. He finished fifth in league goal scoring with 46 goals in 59 regular season games.
In April, Barlow represented Canada at the 2023 Ice Hockey U18 World Championships in Switzerland.
The tournament marked the first time the 18-year-old left-winger has played in Europe.
“It’s always a huge honour to play for your country,” he said. “To be named a captain of the team makes it even more special.”
On April 27, Barlow was named the OHL's Scholastic Player of the Year. The rugged winger became the first player in Owen Sound history to win the prestigious award.
“I’m truly honoured to be awarded the Bobby Smith Trophy,” Barlow said in a media release. “Playing hockey at an elite level and excelling at academics are really two sides of the same coin. It would be inconsistent for someone with the dedication it requires to perform at an elite level in sports, not to apply that same dedication to their academic studies.
"To excel in hockey it requires talent, but more importantly it requires discipline. The skillsets in athletics and academics are interrelated and I appreciate everyone with the Owen Sound Attack who has helped me as I continue to try and excel in both of those areas," Barlow said.
Then in June, he was named the Canadian Hockey League’s scholastic player of the year.
"It's pretty special. It's a pretty special award to win and to be the first (from the Attack) to win it is pretty cool," Barlow, 18, told reporters after accepting the award Saturday night at the annual CHL awards gala in Kamloops, B.C. as part of the Memorial Cup festivities.
The CHL Scholastic Player of the Year Award is presented annually to the CHL player who is best able to combine success on the ice with success in the classroom.
All those things are why Barlow was such a hot commodity heading into the NHL draft.
John Walters, an NHLPA-certified agent for The Willsports Group, said prior to the draft that Barlow was “a special human being” who “would crawl over glass” to help his team.
“Whether you want him to kill a penalty, protect the lead, score a goal, or make a play at the end of the game, he’s that guy,” Walters said.
No moment has ever seemed too big for the Orillia teen. In a feature interview prior to the NHL draft, he credited his parents, brothers, billets, friends and others for his success.
His parents recounted how as a youngster, Colby liked boating, fishing, and playing lacrosse, but his passion in the winter was always hockey.
“While watching hockey, he would be taking notes about how Auston Matthews shoots,” said Carla Calverley, his mom. “He would dissect it and look at how he does it ... Everything was hockey.”
Growing up, Colby would play for a Stanley Cup made from a Molson Canadian Bubba in his Severn Bridge garage with his older brother and his friends.
“That was pretty competitive, and it was almost every weekend,” Colby said. “I always wanted to play with my older brother and his buddies, so I’ve obviously taken a few beatings from them.”
It all paid off on June 28 in Nashville when the Winnipeg Jets selected Barlow 18th overall in the NHL entry draft.
He says it was a "surreal" feeling being up on the draft stage holding the Jets jersey while standing beside Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff.
Barlow said he was feeling nervous during the hours leading up to the draft as he sat with family and friends at Bridgestone Arena.
"It's your dream coming true," he said. "There is excitement, there are nerves, and you are all over the place in your mind. You never know where you are going to play ... so it's a special day."
The Owen Sound Attack captain says he is ready to get to work with his first professional franchise in his home country.
"It's super special to be able to play for a Canadian team," he said. "I'm a Canadian boy who grew up watching Saturday night games so it's surreal to be a part of the Winnipeg Jets."
Barlow thanked his parents, step-parents, the Bertucci family, and everyone who has helped him along on his journey on Wednesday night during his media availability.
On Sept. 21, the Jets signed Barlow to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal carries an annual average value of US$1.2 million.
Barlow did not get into any pre-season games with the NHL team after his stint was cut short by a stomach bug. He returned to Owen Sound where he vowed to do his best to ensure the Attack could avenge last year's surprising first-round playoff exodus.
But it's been a tough season in Owen Sound. The Attack fired their head coach seven games into the season.
Barlow got off to a strong start, scoring nine goals and 14 points in his first 14 games. But he went down with a back injury and hasn’t played since Nov. 8. That injury has not only cost him a big chunk of the regular season it also cost him a chance to represent Canada at the World Juniors, which started on Boxing Day.
