The Oshawa Generals kicked off the 2025 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) playoffs with a dominant 7-4 victory over their round one opponents, the Brampton Steelheads, on Friday night.
Despite the win, fans and players are still feeling the sting of last year’s season-ending defeat against eventual 2024 Memorial Cup champion London Knights in a hard fought four-nothing series loss.
“It hurts… to get to the finals and then to be swept in four games sucks,” said Janet Smith, 44 and a 20-year Generals fan attending game one of this year’s playoffs. “But I’ll keep coming and cheering on our boys, like I do every year.”
Meanwhile, the Generals had their eyes focused forward as they got off to a strong start with a tone-setting goal one minute in by Colby Barlow.
Despite a quick response from the Steelheads’ Angus MacDonell, the Generals cruised to a comfortable 4-1 lead by the time the first period had ended, led by two goals from Barlow.
Up in the concourse, fans were ecstatic. Raucous cheers broke out in some areas while the blur of bodies moved from the concession stands and the bathrooms in the brief intermission.
“There’s no way we don’t win this,” said Grace, a fan who attended both home games of last year’s finals defeat at the hands of the Knights. “I think we have a better team this year … I think we can win it all this time. (Ben) Danford and (Beckett) Sennecke will pull us through.”
The Generals went on to defeat the Steelheads, securing a 1-0 series lead – with Barlow earning first star honours after recording four points, including a hat trick.
While the Generals fight to capture their fourteenth OHL championship and sixth Memorial Cup – both Canadian Hockey League (CHL) records – businesses in the surrounding area look to capitalize on the increase in customer traffic around the Tribute Communities Centre (TCC), home of the Generals.
Calling Generals’ home games an “economic boon day” for food and bar venues in the area, Oshawa city councillor Rick Kerr sees the TCC having a “symbiotic” relationship with the other accommodations in the downtown core.
According to a study conducted jointly by MIT and Northwestern University, published in Regional Science and Urban Economics (Vol. 98), there is an increase in visits to food and accommodation businesses within a one-kilometre radius of a sports venue.
When asked what the Generals mean to the city, Councillor Kerr said the team is “much loved” by the community.
“The (Oshawa) Generals are a great source of pride for many residents old and new to the community,” said Kerr.