Erie feeling for Sault boys
A pair of high performance forwards who were born in Sault Ste. Marie are primed to play a prominent part in the resurgence of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League. They are character kids Evan Headrick and Colin Kennedy.
Headrick, who has a 2008 birth date, is poised to begin his first full season in Erie in ’26-27 after being obtained by the Otters from the Kitchener Rangers midway through the ’25-26 OHL season.
And Kennedy, who has a 2010 birth date, will be an OHL rookie in ’26-27 after Erie made a major statement by taking the youngster with the second pick of the first round at the recent 2026 OHL priority selections draft.
Headrick, who during the off season resides with his family on Garden River First Nation — which is just outside the city limits of the Sault — first came into the OHL in 2024 after Kitchener took him with the 15th pick of the first round from the Oakville Rangers of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.
But Headrick broke his arm in training camp before the start of the ’24-25 campaign and would play in only 19 regular season games for Kitchener, scoring three goals, one assist, four points.
The first half of the ’25-26 season would be even more frustrating for the 5 foot 8, 160 pound Headrick, who got little playing time under Kitchener head coach Jussi Ahokas. Through 32 games with Kitchener in ’25-26, Headrick did not score a single goal and had a mere three assists before the Rangers did him a huge favour and traded him to Erie.
The trade to Erie certainly worked wonders for Headrick and showed what he could when given the opportunity. In 36 games with Erie, Headrick came through with nine goals and added an assist on an Otters team that missed the OHL playoffs by finishing in last place among the 10 teams of the Western Conference.
Now, having shown that he can be a productive OHL performer if given the chance, Headrick looms as a potential point per game player for Erie in ’26-27.
As for the 5 foot 9, 175 pound Kennedy, he heads to Erie as its first round pick in this year’s OHL Draft and as a player known for his skill, speed, smarts and unyielding work ethic. To be sure, Kennedy has enough of an overall package for the Otters to have passed on other high grade talent available and take the Sault kid with the second overall selection of the 2026 OHL priority selection process.
Like Headrick, Kennedy departed the once vaunted Sault Ste. Marie minor hockey scene at age 14 to move elsewhere to play and develop. In Kennedy’s case, he headed to Detroit to play for the Little Caesars program. And after two seasons in Detroit with Little Caesars, Kennedy is now ready to step onto the frozen stage of the OHL in Erie.
Evan Headrick. Colin Kennedy. Got to like what the future holds for both of them.
Yes, there is now a highly skilled two headed forward set from Sault Ste. Marie that has an Erie feeling as the Otters look to rebound in the Western Conference of the OHL.
