• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • Atlantic Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Metropolitan Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Pacific Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • NHL Rumors
  • THW Podcast
  • NHL Prospects
  • Columns
  • NWHL
  • More…
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • Long Read
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
    • Fantasy Hockey
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Resources
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • Atlantic Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Metropolitan Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Pacific Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • NHL Rumors
  • THW Podcast
  • NHL Prospects
  • Columns
  • NWHL
  • More…
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • Long Read
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
    • Fantasy Hockey
Home
Other Leagues
CHL
OHL

Barrie Colts Name New Captain

By Ryan Noble January 16th, 2019

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

It has been a little more than a month since the Barrie Colts traded captain Justin Murray to the Saginaw Spirit. Since the deal, there has been a lot of talk regarding the captaincy moving forward.

With the season more than halfway completed, there was uncertainty if the team would rush naming a new captain, or wait until next season.  The team has had 19 captains in its history and fans in Barrie were anxious to see the 20th captain named.

Jason Willms Named Captain

Now that the roster is cemented following the passing of the trade deadline, the Colts have made a decision. Jason Willms was named the 20th captain in almost 24 OHL seasons of play. The news was announced in an Instagram post on the team’s official account.

Jason Willms Barrie Colts

Jason Willms of the Barrie Colts. (Terry Wilson / OHL Images)

Willms was drafted by the Colts in the third round of the 2015 OHL priority selection draft. Playing in his third season, he is continuing to put up strong points despite the team’s struggles this season. Through 41 games this season, he has nine goals and 17 assists. Last season he set his career high in points with 27 goals and 32 assists in 68 games.

Related – Barrie Colts Rebuild At Deadline

While it doesn’t appear that he will match the production from his previous campaign, it is worth noting the team doesn’t have the depth it did last season. The current roster is building to be stronger over the next couple of seasons as evident by the trade deadline.

Iron Man & More

Willms is one of the most complete players on the roster. He is praised by the coaching staff for his ability to play a 200-foot game and his willingness to play a physical game. On top of that, he is incredibly durable having not missed a single game in his OHL career. He is also the team leader when it comes to faceoffs, with a 55.1 percent success rate. For comparison’s sake, Ryan Suzuki has the second-highest percentage among players who have taken over 400 faceoffs. Suzuki is 43.4 percent at taking draws and has taken 244 fewer faceoffs than Willms.

Related – 2019 NHL Draft: Fisher’s Top 186 for December

Durability and draws are a few attributes that make Willms stand out. However, you can’t evaluate his game without noticing his net-front presence. He does an incredible job screening goaltenders. Majority of his goals, especially last season were off rebounds. He also does an outstanding job generating shots on goal. His 111 shots this season are tied for the team lead with Tyler Tucker and Matej Pekar.

Other Willms Notes

Willms was not drafted by an NHL team in his draft-eligible years but still got noticed by the Chicago Blackhawks. He was invited to and participated in the 2018 Traverse City Prospect Tournament with them. He had a strong showing there and no doubt is on the team’s radar. Expect him to attract NHL scouts this season and he will likely generate additional interest from other teams. Especially with many scouts attending Colts games this season to look at Suzuki, a top prospect.

Jason Willms Barrie Colts

Jason Willms of the Barrie Colts (Terry Wilson / OHL Images)

The Captains Wall

As mentioned already, Willms is the 20th captain in team history. Like his predecessor Murray, Willms’ picture will be added to the captains’ wall at Barrie Molson Centre. He will join players like Aaron Ekblad, Bryan Little, B.J Crombeen, Sheldon Keefe, Daniel Tkaczuk and Erik Reitz.

In addition to the team naming Willms the captain, they also shared who the three alternate captains will be – Tyler Tucker, Ben Hawerchuk and Suzuki. Both Suzuki and Tucker will be returning players next season while Hawerchuk, an overage player, will be moving on. It is team leadership that is built on skill, experience and high energy.

Colts Galloping Forward

While it has been a struggle for the team this season, it is hard not to be excited about their future. With skilled rookies, solidified goaltending and now a leadership core, the team appears to have a bright future. Over the remainder of the season, the team will work to develop current roster players as well as recently-signed prospects.

  • Tags
  • Barrie Colts
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Facebook Comments

Our Hockey Podcast
hockey podcast
Bruce’s Picks
2019 NHL Trade Deadline: Deal Tracker

2019 NHL Trade Deadline: Deal Tracker

2341
Recent Posts
Feb 23rd 11:20 AM
San Jose Sharks

Sharks Fabulous February, so Far

Feb 23rd 11:05 AM
Trade Deadline

3 Potential Golden Knights Trade Targets

Feb 23rd 10:05 AM
St Louis Blues

Blues Would Make Mistake in Promoting Berube

Feb 23rd 9:50 AM
Ottawa Senators

Senators Rebuild and the Duchene Trade

Feb 23rd 9:35 AM
Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings’ Trade Deadline in an Alternate Universe

Feb 23rd 9:20 AM
Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets Land Duchene, What’s Next?

Feb 23rd 9:05 AM
Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins Would be Foolish to Pursue Chiasson

Feb 23rd 8:35 AM
Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens’ Kotkaniemi Comes As Advertised

Feb 23rd 6:16 AM
Vegas Golden Knights

Jets Beat Golden Knights – Laine Scores Twice

Feb 23rd 6:11 AM
Anaheim Ducks

Flames Down Ducks for 4th Straight Win

Stay in Touch
Contact Us

Via our Newsletters
RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Our Partners
HFBoards

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

Join over 18 000 Subscribers of our free bi-weekly Newsletter.

© The Hockey Writers 2018. All rights reserved.
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • Search THW
  • NHL Rumors
  • The Goalie Page
  • Atlantic Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
  • Metropolitan Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Dallas Stars
    • Minnesota Wild
    • Nashville Predators
    • St Louis Blues
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • Pacific Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Vegas Golden Knights
    • Vancouver Canucks
  • Selections From Our Archives
  • Podcast
  • Prospects
  • NHL Salary Cap Information
  • Join Our Team