The Ontario Hockey League has released its schedule for the upcoming season, with the Barrie Colts hitting the ice on opening night.
The Colts will start their season on Thursday, Oct. 7 with a home game at Sadlon Arena versus the Niagara IceDogs at 7:30 p.m.
Opening night will also see the North Bay Battalion host the Peterborough Petes, while the Sarnia Sting are in Windsor to take on the Spitfires.
“It’s an exciting time of new beginnings for our league,” OHL commissioner David Branch said in a release. “The OHL continues its tradition of developing the world’s best young student athletes and we’re very much looking forward to having players back in OHL communities as they pursue both their hockey and academic-related goals.
“We’re also looking ahead to the safe return of our great fans to OHL arenas this season,” Branch added. “The OHL benefits from a long and storied past on the ice, but the fans, billets and community partners have always played an integral role in making our league so special.”
Divisional alignment remains the same in 2021-22, with each of the league’s 20 teams playing a 68-game, unbalanced schedule predominantly consisting of intra-conference play. Cross-conference match-ups will occur in some instances between opponents of close geographical proximity, according to the league.
The OHL’s three American-based teams – the Erie Otters, the Flint Firebirds and the Saginaw Spirit – will open the season facing each other exclusively through the end of October.
Following opening-night action, key dates on the calendar include Sunday, Dec. 19, which marks the final day before the holiday break, as well as Thursday, Dec. 28 when the schedule resumes.
The final day of the regular-season schedule is Sunday, April 3.
There will also be four school-day games with special morning start times, including Feb. 8 in Mississauga, Feb. 9 in Erie, Feb. 23 in Ottawa, and March 3 in Hamilton. The Barrie Colts are not scheduled for any daytime games this season.
For the full OHL schedule, click here.
