Mississauga Steelheads sniper James Hardie just scored the biggest goal of his career on Wednesday night, but he had more immediate things on his mind.
“I’ve got about 50 family and friends here that I’m gonna go see right now,“ said the Innisfil native, who played minor hockey in Barrie for the 'AAA' Colts.
Hardie, 20, scored the winner in double overtime. A Colts grad scoring to beat the Colts and tie the series at two games apiece, you couldn’t write a better script.
Unless, of course, it happens again.
So far, there has been virtually nothing to choose between the two clubs. The best-of-seven conference quarterfinal series continues tonight in Mississauga. Game time is 7 p.m.
During a brief chat with BarrieToday after the win, in which Hardie also scored to open the game, he acknowledged the significance of a local player coming home to wear the black hat.
Hardie’s exploits are coming while playing against his former minor hockey teammate, Tyson Foerster.
Foerster has been no slouch, either, scoring once and adding two assists in a tight-checking first-round series.
Hardie has scored four of his team’s seven goals. At least three of them have been using his pro-like shot, a reminder that perhaps NHL clubs made a mistake in not calling Hardie’s name at the draft. Twice.
“All the kid does is score goals,” explained one NHL scout in attendance Wednesday night. “Every team needs players like that in their organization.”
Foerster, of course, was not expected to be taking part in the series. He began his pro career last year after the Ontario Hockey League cancelled its season, allowing under-age players to play in the American Hockey League. Hardie spent some time with the Toronto Marlies, but did not see game action. His 2020-21 season was wiped out due to the pandemic.
Forester, a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2020, would likely have stayed with their Lehigh Valley affiliate had he not been injured earlier this season. The Flyers sent him back to Barrie last month and former Philadelphia star Daniel Briere, now working for the team in a management capacity, was keeping a watchful eye at Sadlon Arena on Wednesday night.
Given there’s almost nothing to choose between the two teams — three of four games have gone to overtime — the series winner, whether it comes Monday night in Barrie in Game 6 or on Wednesday back in Mississauga in Game 7, could come down to Foerster or Hardie.
There are no official records kept of these sorts of things, but hometown players going against one another in significant playoff series is rare. Or, at least it’s rare involving the Colts.
Unofficially, Hardie’s presence in this playoff series is probably the most significant playoff match-up involving a local kid on the opposition since Glenn Crawford’s Sudbury Wolves eliminated the Colts in a conference semifinal series 24 years ago.
The Colts were smarting after Wednesday’s game because they felt the penalty on Evan Vierling that set up Hardie’s winner was a bad call, especially in light of a missed one on Foerster in the first overtime period.
You can understand the Colts’ angst, but it matters little now. Now tied at two games, a Colts series victory would be an immediate boon for a franchise that hasn’t seen the post-season in four years. It will also help set the table for 2022-23.
That’s because many younger players have been forced into bigger roles with injuries decimating the lineup of older ones. The early seasoning will help the young pups, and the club could get lucky if one or two of its NHL-drafted players are sent back to Barrie as overagers next season.
All that will be decided in due course. For now, the Colts have three games and must win two of them to extend their season. All things considered, the Colts have done well to get to this point.
Hardie’s goal on Wednesday night insured one thing: the biggest game in Barrie since these two teams met four years ago will take place on Monday. Barrie prevailed in six games back then.
Local hockey fans need not be reminded what has taken place in the intervening 48 months: Colts head coach Dale Hawerchuk was diagnosed with cancer and died from the disease in August 2020.
It is a quote from Hawerchuk that seems especially relevant now. The Hall of Famer’s message about taking advantage of opportunities greets you as you descend the stairs to the Colts room.
Sadly, Hawerchuk is gone but his words hang thick in the air right now.
