Dave Cameron's Coaching Excellence: Can Ottawa 67's Harness Belief for Playoff Success?
When Dave Cameron was officially named the Ontario Hockey League's Coach of the Year on Wednesday, the announcement felt as inevitable as spring showers in April. This recognition, however, in no way diminishes the impressive accomplishments of the other four candidates for the prestigious Matt Leyden Trophy. Each nominee demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication throughout the demanding 2025-26 OHL campaign.
Dylan Smoskowitz expertly guided the Barrie Colts to an impressive 99 points, securing first place in the Central Division. His roster boasted six NHL-drafted players, including three first-round selections. Jussi Ahokas, last season's award winner, led the Kitchener Rangers to 101 points and the Midwest Division crown with a remarkable twelve players drafted into the NHL, two of whom were first-rounders. Meanwhile, Greg Walters steered the Windsor Spitfires to 97 points and the top spot in the West Division, his team featuring seven NHL-drafted players, including two first-round picks, just two points ahead of Paul Flache's Flint Firebirds, who also had seven drafted players.
A Testament to Coaching Skill
In stark contrast, Dave Cameron operated with a roster possessing significantly less recognized talent. The Ottawa 67's began the season ranked a dismal 19th in the 20-team OHL power rankings. Against these low expectations, Cameron masterfully coached the team to an outstanding 100-point season and a second-place finish in the competitive East Division. This achievement is even more remarkable considering the team had only three NHL-drafted players on its roster—one third-round pick and two seventh-round selections—with two of those players acquired near the January trade deadline.
The most telling statistic highlighting Cameron's profound impact is the team's league-best defensive record. The 67's allowed a mere 160 goals against, the fewest in the entire OHL. This defensive fortress was built despite relying on a first-year starting goaltender, Ryder Fetterolf, and another, Jaeden Nelson, who entered the season with just 35 games of prior experience. While both netminders performed admirably, this stellar defensive performance points directly to a systemic commitment to team defense, a philosophy deeply ingrained by Coach Cameron.
Further demonstrating their resilience, the Ottawa 67's maintained a perfect 38-0 record in games where they led after two periods. This statistic provided a crucial psychological cushion heading into the final period of Tuesday's critical 5-2 playoff victory over the Barrie Colts, a game the team needed to win to stay alive in the series.
Calm in the Storm: Leadership in the Playoffs
The start of that pivotal Game 3 was far from ideal for Ottawa. They were severely outplayed in the opening period, and it appeared certain they would fall behind 3-0 in the best-of-seven second-round playoff series. However, thanks to stalwart goaltending, they managed to trail only 1-0 after the first twenty minutes. They then erupted for three unanswered goals in the second period to seize control of the game.
During the first intermission, as expected, Cameron's voice was among those heard in the dressing room. Yet, his approach was notably different. There was no anger, no barrage of expletives, and certainly no paint was peeled from the walls. Instead, he projected a serene and confident demeanor.
"He's such a calming presence; he never gets too high or too low," explained veteran centre Nic Sima. "He just came in and said, 'Just breathe, we're fine. That was their push. It's only one shot.' It was only 1-0, right? Luckily, Fettzie stood on his head there, but Dave came in just kind of relaxed us because we were all kind of riled up a bit. We went out there in the second period confident and relaxed because we knew our coach had our back. He believed in us, and he wasn't freaking out on us. We definitely feed off him from that."
This calm leadership, coupled with strategic adjustments, proved decisive. Cameron and his coaching staff successfully emphasized the critical importance of discipline heading into Game 3. After the Barrie Colts' powerful power play unit converted four of seven opportunities to decide the first two games of the series, the 67's displayed remarkable restraint. They did not take a single penalty until less than three minutes remained in the third period of Game 3, and that infraction was merely for having too many men on the ice.
The question now looming over the remainder of the playoffs is whether this potent combination of strategic acumen, defensive structure, and unwavering belief instilled by Dave Cameron can propel the Ottawa 67's to sustained postseason success. The team's ability to rally from a slow start and execute a disciplined game plan under pressure suggests that the foundation for a deep playoff run, built on collective belief and expert coaching, is firmly in place.
