Ottawa 67’s playoff preview
In a year full of surprises from the rise of rookie goaltender Ryder Fetterolf to cracking the 100 point plateau this season, the Ottawa 67’s are now preparing and gearing up for a playoff run that begins with a familiar and old rival in the Kingston Frontenacs.
The 67’s head into the playoffs with the least amount of goals allowed in the entire OHL between the duo tandem of Jaeden Nelson and Ryder Fetterolf. The two goalies were awarded the Dave Pinkney Trophy, which is awarded annually to the goaltending tandem on the team that allows the fewest goals against during the regular season. It was announced on March 23.
Ottawa 67’s goaltender Ryder Fetterolf was also named the recipient of the 2025–26 F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy, which is awarded annually to the first-year goaltender with the lowest goals-against average during the regular season. The team and OHL also announced it on March 23.
This Ottawa 67’s team is filled with the combination of youth and veteran experience that can carry a team far, if every player buys in, chips in and knows that playoff hockey is a whole different beast.
Ottawa 67’s captain Cooper Foster and defenceman Frankie Marrelli have been there and done that when it comes to playoff hockey.
Defenceman David Bedkowski heads into his fourth straight year of playoff hockey as he enters his fourth straight year now with 67’s after his previous three were with the Oshawa Generals.
67’s newbies and young guns, Thomas Vandenberg, Teddy Spitznagel, Brock Chitaroni, Jasper Kuhta, Shaan Kingwell, Zach Houben, Spencer Bowes, Filip Ekberg, Ondrej Ruml, Kohyn Eshkawkogan, Connor Bewick, will all make their playoff debuts on March 27.
The 67’s defeated Kingston in the season series with a regular season record of 6-1-0-1 and defeated the Frontenacs in the regular season finale by a score of 6-1.
67’s forward Thomas Vandenberg spoke on how excited he is to play in the playoffs for his hometown team.
“There’s still kind of a surreal feeling towards it, especially heading towards the playoffs. I got to watch a few playoff games when I was little. It was a great atmosphere and was really good hockey,” said Vandenberg.
The 67’s will have to clean up on the amount of penalties they take as they finished the regular season with 713 PIM (penalties in minutes) which was ranked 15th highest in the OHL of 19 teams.
This is a revived rivalry, 40 years in the making and the first playoff meeting between the two teams since 1981. This will be the fifth playoff series between the 67’s and Frontenacs. Both teams have two series wins against each other, the last two series meetings going to Kingston.
One player to look out for on the Ottawa 67’s is leading goal scorer Jasper Kuhta who is riding a hot streak heading into the playoffs and will enter his first playoff series in the OHL. Kuhta will be looking to translate that regular season scoring over to the playoffs.
For Kingston it will be former Ottawa 67’s forward Jack Dever who was claimed off waivers by the Kingston Frontenacs on Jan. 7. Dever will be out to make a statement and make his former team regret placing him on waivers.
Ryder Fetterolf will have the net more than likely in game one as the starting goalie.
