Ryan O'Connor named Colts' Captain

Press Release The Barrie Colts have announced that Ryan O'Connor will be the team captain for the 2012-13 season. Assistant captains will be Mark Scheifele, Alex Lepkowski and Steven Beyers. “Ryan is not only a leader on the ice, but off the ice as well. The guys all look up to him and he’s a great motivator. I know he’ll be great in the role and this will be a marquis year for him”, said head coach Dale Hawerchuk. With Mark Scheifele back in a Colts uniform this year, he is an obvious choice to wear an “A” along with Alex Lepkowski and Steven Beyers. “We’re fortunate to have Mark back in Barrie this season. He will most certainly be one of the best players in the league. His leadership on the ice is obvious, but off the ice, the younger guys really look up to him as someone who’s achieved what they all want … he’s signed to an NHL team, played in the NHL, been on a World Junior Team … he is a great all round asset to the organization”, added Dale Hawerchuk. “Alex and Steven are both solid players on the ice. Both Alex and Steven really stepped up to the plate during our playoff run last year. With so many injuries, we really counted on them to play key roles. Steven was a driving force for us up front and scored some key goals and Alex was real solid on the blue line. Without their leadership on the ice last year we wouldn’t have gone as far as we did. And off the ice, both of them are key guys in the community and in the dressing room”, added GM Jason Ford. The Colts regular season home schedule begins on Thursday, September 27th at the BMC against the Owen Sound Attack. The Colts first three games are on the road with the Colts facing Ottawa on September 20, the Kingston Frontenacs on the 21st and the Mississauga Steelheads on the 23rd. (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)