How foe-turned-friend Jaiden Newton can help the Ottawa 67's

Home runs are always nice, but Ottawa 67’s GM Jan Egert wasn’t swinging for the fences when he made a June trade to acquire Jaiden Newton from the team that eliminated his squad in the playoffs two months earlier.

In sending a pair of future draft picks (a third and a fifth) to the Barrie Colts, Egert was looking for an experienced, competitive centre who could add leadership, versatility and a strong presence in the faceoff circles.

But as the 67’s prepare for Sunday’s season opener in Kingston, Newton, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound Whitby native, spoke of how he’d also like to provide some pop to his new team’s order.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

“I want to step up my offensive game, which I know I’m very capable of,” Newton, who scored 14 goals and 31 assists in 216 games (including 42 in the playoffs) over three seasons with the Colts, said before he and other 67’s headed out to play a little pickup baseball on Friday’s day off from the rink. “I just want to be given that chance to be put in those offensive situations. I’m just looking to play a big role here and help the team any way I can.”

“I’ve always played a game where I’m just hard to play against … you’re not going to be having an easy time when I’m playing against you,” Newton said. “Very responsible, all over the ice. I’m not a guy that cheats for offence or stuff like that. I like to compete. I can execute my plays and produce on offence when it’s there.”

Last year, the 67’s didn’t rely on scoring to become one of only three OHL teams to accumulate 100 points. Far from it.

Graduated forward Cooper Foster paced the team with 29 goals and 37 assists, and his 66 points had him tied for 25th on the league leaderboard.

Instead, Ottawa’s success was built on a responsible team defence, great goaltending and a brotherhood that has carried over to this year’s squad.

“We had a good group there last year, and with the players we have coming back, our veteran players and our younger players, it just kind of rolled right into this season,” assistant coach Norm Milley said. “I think the biggest thing you take away is the off-ice stuff. They love hanging around with each other. They compete, they work … in practice they compete against each other, and then there’s the small details in the locker room, even the small details on the bus. The bus is clean when they leave it.

“I’m a firm believer that if you take care of the small details in life, the big details will take care of themselves. I think our young guys and our older guys are doing a good job with that.”