The Collingwood Colts will be changing their identity for next season and skating under the name Collingwood Blues.
The team announced the switch Saturday, as the Colts are playing a tribute game to the former Collingwood Blues at Eddie Bush Memorial Arena this afternoon.
“The Collingwood Blues brand was well known in the community and in the junior hockey world and we are proud to bring the name back to Collingwood,” says a press release issued by Collingwood Colts management.
Collingwood’s former junior hockey team skated under the name Collingwood Blues from about 1969 to the early 2000s.
Last year, the Collingwood Colts launched a Junior ‘A’ team, part of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. At the time, team owner David Steele said the Collingwood Colts would serve as a development team for the Barrie Colts.
“The association with the current brand (the Colts) made sense for us when we were looking to bring a Junior ‘A’ team to Collingwood,” stated the press release. “But getting to know more people in the community, and in working with the minor hockey associations in Collingwood, we feel that going back to the Blues name makes sense for everyone. We have received an overwhelming response from our dedicated fans who stressed they want the Collingwood connection in the name and logo.”
Steele said in January the Collingwood Colts were re-negotiating with the Barrie Colts to continue using the name.
However, Steele said today those negotiations didn’t come to fruition.
He said there was never any formal affiliation and, going forward, players will choose to sign with Collingwood or Barrie.
Collingwood forward Vladislav Dvurechenskii played in nine games with the Barrie Colts this season, picking up his first OHL goal. Collingwood goalie Matteo Lalama, who was drafted fourth overall in the OHL's 2019 under-18 Priority Selection, was also called up to Barrie earlier this season, but did not see any game action.
Steele said he hopes Collingwood Minor Hockey also chooses to rebrand as the Collingwood Blues next year.
Currently, the local minor hockey league skates under the Blackhawks name and logo, but has committed to changing both the name and logo by next season.
Steele said he has extended offers to minor hockey to share the logo.
The new Collingwood Blues logo features a blue maple leaf, three mountain peaks and the name Collingwood Blues. The colours are yellow, blue and white.
Bill Redick, part of the original group that formed Collingwood Blues, attended this afternoon’s game and dropped the puck with former Blues captain Rene Dorval, who scored the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the 1998-99 Junior 'A' playoffs.
Redick’s grandson, Will Redick, now plays for the Collingwood Colts and he joined his grandfather centre ice for the ceremonial puck drop.
Redick said he was “devastated” when Collingwood lost its junior hockey team and is proud to see it come back.
“My feeling is, Collingwood always has been a hockey community ranked number one in the sport,” said Redick. “I’m extremely proud of this team … I’m proud of the support they’re getting from Collingwood.”
He helped start the first Collingwood Blues with Donald Jeffery and Jeep Jackson. They picked the name from the St. Louis Blues because “it had a nice ring to it.”
Even though the St. Louis Blues turned down their request to use the name, they went with it anyway.
Redick said he and some others sold program advertising and used the money to finance the team.
“Back then we used to pay the players $5 for a loss, $12 for a tie, and $15 for a win,” he said.
Redick said he likes the new logo.
“I think it’s nice,” he said. “It’s symbolic of Collingwood and area.”
Today's game is the last in regular-season play for the Collingwood Colts, and was nationally broadcast on CHCH. The Colts have qualified for division playoffs.
