The Ottawa 67’s are heading into the OHL season with a couple of clear headliners in Spencer Bowes and David Bedkowski, and both are expected to carry major responsibilities right away.
Bowes, who turns 19 soon, looks like the most obvious source of offence. The Carleton Place winger found his stride after the midway point of the 2025-26 campaign and finished with 23 goals, which ranked sixth on the team.
He also left no doubt in the 67’s first pre-season game last Sunday against the Kingston Frontenacs, when he put up two goals and an assist in a 6-2 win. Skating on a line with rookies Hannu Packalen and Lucas Balanyk, Bowes added five shots on goal and a plus-5 rating.
Selected by the New York Rangers in the fourth round, 102nd overall, in June’s entry draft, Bowes said he spent the summer doing the usual mix of work and downtime after returning from the NHL club’s development camp.
“train, skate and golf”
He also knows the expectations are rising around him.
“I’m expecting that,” he said of the challenge. “I know that it’s going to sort of be my role this year.
So I’m going to live up to theexpectations, hopefully. I want to succeed this year, and I want toproduce this year.”
Bedkowski’s role is just as defined, even if it comes in a very different package. The 19-year-old defenceman already checks in at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, and he said he spent the summer in the gym. Ottawa’s roster has other imposing bodies around the league, including North Bay’s Alexander Karmanov and Barrie’s Gabriel Eliasson, but Bedkowski stands out even in that company.
“My weight’s pretty similar, but I was definitely in the gym,” Bedkowski said of his summer.
As an overager, he also sees himself as part of the team’s leadership group. Last season, he scored five goals and added 24 assists with 118 penalty minutes while splitting time between Owen Sound and Ottawa, but he isn’t measuring his season by numbers.
“I’ll try to help the young guys out as much as I can, as well as some ofthe older guys,” said Bedkowski, who scored five times and had 24 assists with 118 penalty minutes while splitting last season between the Owen Sound Attack and 67’s, but doesn’t look at stats as his “goals” in 2026-27. “Just try to push myself every day … I really wantto keep on track with everything I’m doing in practice, and just havegood day-to-day habits. Really improve upon those and maximizeeverything out of our group.”
The 67’s could also have more NHL camp traffic on the way next week. Bowes and Bedkowski are set to be joined by forward Filip Ekberg, who is heading to Carolina Hurricanes camp, and defenceman Ondrej Ruml, who will attend Colorado Avalanche camp. Both were seventh-round picks in the last two years.
Another name still hanging in the balance is Vilho Vanhatalo, the 52nd pick in the 2026 CHL Import Draft. If he leaves Finland, he’s projected to be a top-line piece for Ottawa and is also a sixth-round pick of the Florida Panthers.
The camp also drew a familiar face from the Senators’ past. Christoph Schubert, who played defence and sometimes wing for Ottawa from 2005-09, was invited to observe. Schubert, now 44 and coaching in Germany, also spent three seasons with the Binghamton Senators, including one under current 67’s coach Dave Cameron.
The final tune-up games are set for this weekend, with Friday’s matchup against the Frontenacs at the Cornwall Civic Complex at 7 p.m. followed by Saturday’s game against the Peterborough Petes at the Arnprior Arena at 4 p.m.
After that, Ottawa gets two weeks before the regular season opener in Kingston on Sept. 20, then another six-day pause before its second game in Peterborough. The home opener is set for Sunday, Sept. 27 at TD Place against the Sarnia Sting.
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