‘I would trade every game I ever played to relive this season’: Colts head coach finds meaning in defeat

Barrie Colts Head Coach Dylan Smoskowitz reacts to the team's defeat in the OHL Final after the 4-2 sweep on Tues., May 12, 2026 at Sadlon Arena in Barrie, Ont.

After the final horn sounded and the championship celebration got underway, the mood inside the Barrie Colts’ dressing room wasn’t anger or bitterness.

For Head Coach Dylan Smoskowitz, Tuesday night’s season-ending loss (4-2) to the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL Final was painful, but it also became a moment of reflection on a year that changed him both personally and professionally.

• Rangers sweep Colts; win J. Ross Robertson trophy
• The Kitchener Rangers are OHL champions

He spoke less about missed chances and more about growth, relationships and the experience of guiding a group of young men that battled their way to the final.

“What I will say for a first-year coach is the amount I learned this year,” Smoskowitz said. There is no failure, I don’t feel like a failure right now because we didn’t win. Whether it’s practice planning, talking to my players, talking to the media, talking to my assistant coaches, you learn everyday."

The Rangers secured their first OHL championship since 2007-2008 and will move on to the Memorial Cup in Kelowna at the end of May. The Colts are expected to hold their locker clean out Wednesday morning.

But even in defeat, Smoskowitz stayed positive and made it clear that one final score would not define the season.

“When you want to do something, the best way to do it is to actually do it,” he said. “Just do it. To be able to live this moment.”

The Colts hung around in the second period, capitalizing on the power play with Emil Hemming scoring his 15th of the playoffs. Eamon Edgar tied the game halfway through the third but just two minutes later, Christian Humphreys scored the go ahead goal.

Smoskowitz acknowledged how narrow the margin was throughout the series.

“To lose two games in overtime, Game 1 you’re tied 2-2, you go into the third period here in a one-goal game, that’s a bounce or two,” he said. “We’re not talking about a whole player or a whole line. That’s one or two bounces and we’re up in this series.”

Still, his focus returned to the people inside the dressing room.

“Whether it’s a team meal, hanging out in the room, or a team practice, these guys become your friends,” Smoskowitz said.

As the Colts players gathered around goaltender Ben Hrebik after the game before saluting fans to a standing ovation, Smoskowitz reflected on how much the season ultimately meant to him.

“I would trade every game I ever played as a player to relive this season,” he said. “That’s how much this year meant to me.”

With files from CTV’s Luke Simard