In late August we got wind, courtesy of the folks at the Owen Sound Sun Times, that Attack captain and Jets 2023 1st rounder Colby Barlow wouldn’t be reporting to their OHL training camp but that he would instead continue to training in Toronto as he prepared for training camp with the Jets in Winnipeg.
“Owen Sound Attack GM Dale DeGray said Colby Barlow informed the team a few days before training camp that he’s decided to stay and prepare in the Toronto area before the Winnipeg Jets meet for camp next month.”
Fast forward to this past Sunday that saw Colby Barlow as part of the second round of cuts made at Jets camp. He was loaned back by Winnipeg to his junior club.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
The message from Scott Arniel and the coaching staff was clear to the Ontario product which the bench boss of Winnipeg outlined to us a few days later.
“Go down there and try to be in a position to get on that World Junior team. The hard part is when you go back is that you take your foot off the pedal and you kind of relax. He needs to make sure that everyday is a learning day for him. That it’s a growth day, whether that’s in the weight room or whether that’s on the ice. That you don’t get caught out there, those minute and twenty, thirty second shifts, play at half speed. Try to keep that mentality of 45, 50 second shifts and you’re going as hard as you can. Try to make sure that he’s gaining as much as possible in learning experience through this next coming season so when we see him next year, he’ll be one year old, more experienced and probably a little bit longer down the line.”
The season for the Attack is already underway with them having played two games (both losses) and they won’t get any assistance from Barlow as per Greg Cowan of the Owen Sound Sun Times who reported yesterday that:
“Colby Barlow officially informed Dale DeGray and the Owen Sound Attack last night that he wasn’t reporting to Owen Sound and requested a trade.”
And now we know he will be playing for the Oshawa General during the 2024-25 OHL season as the team announced they had acquired him.
