Latest news with #BarrieColts
CTV News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Local hockey coach accused of sexual assault maintains his innocence, lawyer says
The criminal defence lawyer who appeared in court on behalf of a Barrie hockey coach charged with sexual assault maintains the accused is innocent. In a statement to CTV News, lawyer Alex McLeod said Ryan Wood 'maintains his innocence and has confidence in the criminal justice system.' The comments from the defence lawyer came hours after McLeod appeared on behalf of Wood Monday morning in a virtual Barrie courtroom where the Crown imposed a publication ban protecting the identity of the complainant from being revealed. Ryan Wood Ryan Wood is pictured wearing a Purple Cobras ball cap in this photo from December 2024. (CTV News/Chris Garry) The embattled minor hockey league coach and team owner is accused of sexual assault after being charged last month, not long after police confirmed a complainant came forward in May alleging the sexual assault took place in Barrie. Wood, who is well-known in the local hockey community, also served as a billet parent for the Barrie Colts for three years. The OHL team said Wood is no longer a billet parent and the alleged incident took place during the off-season when there were no team-sanctioned events being held. CTV News has confirmed the complainant in the case is not a member of the Barrie Colts or the Purple Cobras Hockey organization, a youth minor hockey association owned and coached by Wood. The Purple Cobras play in the Klevr Super League (KSL) which has since suspended Wood and the Purple Cobras from the league pending a new owner of the team being put in place. The matter is scheduled to return to a virtual courtroom in September. The allegations against Ryan Wood have not been tested in court.
Ottawa Citizen
5 days ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
North Bay Battalion will face Barrie Colts in new OHL 'Rivalry Week'
Article content The North Bay Battalion will play a home-and-home series with the Barrie Colts on Saturday, Oct. 18, and Sunday, Oct. 19, as part of the Ontario Hockey League's inaugural Rivalry Week, it was announced Friday. The teams open at Barrie at 7:30 p.m. on the Saturday before the rematch at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens at 2 p.m. on the Sunday. Article content Article content While the Battalion and Colts, Central Division foes, have a long history of home-and-home sets, with some schedules having featured two such engagements, the 2025-26 series is one of 10 to be conducted across the league between Thursday, Oct. 16, and the following Sunday involving all 20 teams. Article content Some pairings, such as the Ottawa 67's and Kingston Frontenacs, the Oshawa Generals and Peterborough Petes and the London Knights and Kitchener Rangers, are predictable, while others feature a shorter history, including the Brantford Bulldogs and Brampton Steelheads. Article content
CTV News
10-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Barrie Colts make trade with Niagara IceDogs ahead of next season
Alex Assadourian with the Niagara IceDogs in an undated image. (Supplied) The Barrie Colts season might be over but that isn't stopping the team from preparing for next season. Following the Colts' Tuesday announcement, a Niagara player is now set to take the ice at Sadlon Arena. 'We have completed a trade with the Niagara IceDogs,' the Barrie Colts shared in an afternoon social media post. The Colts will be sending defenseman Grayson Tiller to the IceDogs. In return, they will receive forward Alex Assadourian a 2027 5th round draft pick. Tiller has been with the Colts since he was drafted in 2021 racking up 52 points in 214 games. New Colts player, Assadourian has played for both the IceDogs and Sudbury Wolves and has scored 127 points in 215 games.
CTV News
30-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Barrie sees record-setting tourism boom with $113M in visitor spending
Barrie's tourism industry had a record-breaking year in 2024, bringing in nearly $113 million from overnight visitors, a massive leap that officials say is largely thanks to the city's sporting events and key festivals. According to the latest report from Barrie Tourism, more than 631,000 hotel guests visited the city through last year, and millions were reached through digital marketing efforts. 'It was a $51 million increase from 2023,' noted Kathleen Trainor, Tourism Barrie's executive director. 'We tracked 49 sporting events and we were able to track all the festival events because we have some new software that allows us to do some of that data, so it was a combination of more people coming, occupancies up, hotel room costs, revenues are up.' The numbers reveal that of the total economic activity generated, roughly $70 million came from sports-related tourism alone, including tournaments, competitions, and the continued draw of the Barrie Colts, which represented a $43 million share of the total. Signature events, like Kempenfest and the Barrie Air Show, brought in $31 million combined.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Barrie Colts hand reigns to league's youngest head coach in OHL
The Barrie Colts announced Tuesday that Dylan Smoskowitz will assume the role of Head Coach for the Barrie Colts effective immediately on May 27, 2025. (CTV News/Rob Cooper) Marty Williamson started his Ontario Hockey League (OHL) coaching career in Barrie in 2004. He stayed with the club until 2011 then returned after a stint with Niagara. For the past several years, he has acted as both coach and general manager, and with 603 career wins, he says the time is right for him to focus on the general manager duties. 'It's a big job and you know with the landscape right now this is what our organization needs, so I needed to make a decision on which one to give up, you know, at 62 years-old sometimes those bus rides and everything take a toll on you. I think this is the right path for everybody,' shared Williamson. With Marty stepping down from the bench, former Colt and current assistant coach Dylan Smoskowitz moves up to the top job. Barrie Colts locker room Barrie Colts locker room on May 27, 2025. (CTV News/ Rob Cooper) 'Learning from the late and great Dale Hawercuck and learning from Marty Williamson, learning what it takes to be a survivor in this league as a player, learning what it takes to be a coach in this league and be a mentor to the younger guys... and now as I step into this head coaching role I have a lot to be grateful for,' Dylan Smoskowitz shared with CTV News on Tuesday. After his playing career, Smoskowitz joined the team as an assistant coach in 2021. He says he hopes to build on the teams success from last season. 'I'm a players coach and I'm a culture coach. It's not about the x's and o's so to speak for me it's about everyone being on the same page. It's about everyone understanding what the goal and the task at hand is and everyone pulling in the same direction,' Smoskowitz continued. The new head coach Smoskowitz was drafted by the Colts in 2009 in the 10th round 188th overall. He is also the youngest current head coach in the OHL.
