By Frankie Benvenuti/Ottawa67s.com
Between Barber Poles has been providing fans of the Ottawa 67’s, Ontario Hockey League, and the greater sports community some amazing entertainment for the past three weeks, and as many prepared for the season finale on Thursday, the excitement built to a crescendo.
Externally, the series has received rave reviews, not only for being incredibly well produced – credit to Carter Normand – but also for peeling back the blinders, and showing off what it truly means to be a player in the OHL. Internally, however, there have been mixed emotions as the series unfolds, as they wish they could change the outcome of the finale.
“I don’t like how it ends,” said 67’s Assistant General Manager and Director of Scouting Jan Egert, referring to the heartbreaking loss in Game 6 in the second round. “It was a special group, and [the series] is real. The personalities are portrayed exactly as they are, that’s who the kids are, and I like how it’s represented.”
Egert has found himself riding the emotions of the season all over again. He’s relived all of the feelings surrounding the hope and optimism of training camp, followed by the incredible start to the season, but with that also comes the negative.
In Episode 5, as he once again sees Vinzenz Rohrer’s horrific injury, the rush of emotions was hard to deal with.
“It was stunning for me,” Egert explained. “I felt helpless because I was at home watching it on the couch [at the time of the injury]. Those kids are my kids, it felt like one of my own children got injured. It was really hard to watch that.”
Outside of his viewing pleasure – and occasional displeasure – Between Barber Poles has a use to Egert that may not be expected by the general populous. Egert says that he and the 67’s have been using the docuseries as a recruiting tool, and he’s encouraging the rest of the league to do the same.
“The focal point of what we do is the games, and we’re extremely proud of that, but it’s great to showcase what goes on behind the scenes,” Egert said. “That’s not even just for the 67’s, but league-wide. Everyone talks about the games, but 95 percent of what we do isn’t on TV on Friday nights. It’s supporting our players at school, when they’re on the road, and through their ups and downs.”
Because players, coaches, and other staff often forgot that Normand was around, Egert says that everything you see on your screen is real. It’s for that reason that the show has become the perfect representation of what to expect – for both the kids and the parents – when you arrive in Ottawa.
“If you want to see who our coach is, you can go to Elite Prospects and punch in his name, but if you want to get to know him, watch the show,” Egert said. “You get a sense of his humour and an idea of how much he cares, not just about [on the ice], but about the people.”
There’s already precedent for series like this being used as a great recruitment tool. Earlier this summer, soccer giants Arsenal spent £105 million to acquire English midfielder, Declan Rice. When asked why he preferred Arsenal over clubs like Manchester City – the winner of the past three English Premier League championships – he claimed Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s Manager, played a big role.
Rice came to that conclusion after watching Arsenal’s docuseries on Amazon – All or Nothing – exactly what Egert is hoping to replicate.
The premise is slightly different, but showing that there’s no better place to develop than the OHL will hopefully sway some decisions.
“It’s neat to see, and it allows the everyday fan, parents, and prospective players to understand what the Ontario Hockey League is all about,” Egert said. “It really is the best of both worlds – the best of every world, even – where you’re supported as you grow from a 16-year-old, to a 20-year-old and beyond. As a league, we do an outstanding job of developing young people who have a dream.”
When those decisions are made, they can expect to join a family, where they can expect nothing but the best.
“We commit to a partnership here, and we’re in this together,” Egert said. “You get to know people and their families, and you understand what they are all about over an extended period of time as you grow together. You’re seeing that in Between Barber Poles, and that’s cool.”
Stream all eight Between Barber Poles episodes on the 67’s YouTube channel.
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