Hockey playoff excitement has hit the city of Ottawa as the Ottawa 67’s and Gatineau Olympiques prepare for each of their first-round playoff matchups this Friday, and the Ottawa Senators now control their own destiny having moved into an NHL wildcard spot. The Ottawa 67’s players had their day in the sun Wednesday, joining Ottawa’s mayor to raise their team flag at city hall, and debuting their new bleach blonde hair look. “It’s a tradition in Ottawa,” says 67’s forward Cooper Foster. “I think all the past 67’s teams that have won the OHL, won the Memorial Cup here in Ottawa have bleached their hair. So, I thought it was a good thing to do as a group. It brings us closer together.” The 67’s will face off against the Kingston Frontenacs at TD Place on Friday at 7 p.m. for the first game of their best of seven series. The team admits that entering this season, expectations were low, but now Ottawa is the number three seed in the OHL’s eastern conference entering the playoffs. “Early in the year we started off with a seven-game winning streak and then a five-game losing streak,” said team president Adrian Sciarra. “And at that point I was like, ‘which one are we?’ And we came right back and went on another winning streak. And I think that point, which was about the middle of October, we could see that we had some real potential.” “Right from the start we just put our heads down, worked hard, and there’s not a lot of teams like that,” added Foster. “I think we have the most guys in the league that are willing to work hard and not complain about things. So, I think it’s a special group.” The Gatineau Olympiques head into the first round of the QMJHL playoffs as underdogs and will play the first two games of their best of seven series on the road versus the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. And after being part of the chasing pack for much of the season, the Ottawa Senators have officially moved into the second wild card playoff spot in the eastern conference, following a 3-2 win over Detroit. The Sens were last in the Atlantic Division two months ago but have since gone on a run of winning 15 of its last 20 games. Ottawa now controls its own destiny with just 11 games left to play in the regular season. The playoff schedules for the 67’s and Olympiques are lined up as follows: Ottawa 67’s vs. Kingston Frontenacs Gatineau Olympiques vs. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
