Newton, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound Whitby native, spoke of how he'd also like to provide some pop to his new team's order.

Home runs are always nice, but Ottawa 67’s GM Jan Egert wasn’t swinging for the fences when he made a June trade to acquire Jaiden Newton from the team that eliminated his squad in the playoffs two months earlier.

In sending a pair of future draft picks (a third and a fifth) to the Barrie Colts, Egert was looking for an experienced, competitive centre who could add leadership, versatility and a strong presence in the faceoff circles.

But as the 67’s prepare for Sunday’s season opener in Kingston, Newton, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound Whitby native, spoke of how he’d also like to provide some pop to his new team’s order.

“I want to step up my offensive game, which I know I’m very capable of,” Newton, who scored 14 goals and 31 assists in 216 games (including 42 in the playoffs) over three seasons with the Colts, said before he and other 67’s headed out to play a little pickup baseball on Thursday’s day off from the rink. “I just want to be given that chance to be put in those offensive situations. I’m just looking to play a big role here and help the team any way I can.”

At the same time, he’s also proud of his business card.

“I’ve always played a game where I’m just hard to play against … you’re not going to be having an easy time when I’m playing against you,” Newton said. “Very responsible, all over the ice. I’m not a guy that cheats for offence or stuff like that. I like to compete. I can execute my plays and produce on offence when it’s there.”

Last year, the 67’s didn’t rely on scoring to become one of only three OHL teams to accumulate 100 points. Far from it.

Graduated forward Cooper Foster paced the team with 29 goals and 37 assists, and his 66 points had him tied for 25th on the league leaderboard.

Instead, Ottawa’s success was built on a responsible team defence, great goaltending and a brotherhood that has carried over to this year’s squad.

“We had a good group there last year, and with the players we have coming back, our veteran players and our younger players, it just kind of rolled right into this season,” assistant coach Norm Milley said. “I think the biggest thing you take away is the off-ice stuff. They love hanging around with each other. They compete, they work … in practice they compete against each other, and then there’s the small details in the locker room, even the small details on the bus. The bus is clean when they leave it.

“I’m a firm believer that if you take care of the small details in life, the big details will take care of themselves. I think our young guys and our older guys are doing a good job with that.”

Newton, who turns 19 next month, thought he’d be back with the Colts.

“I was in Barrie for three years and had great billets there, and then randomly one day I found out I’m moving to Ottawa,” he said. “It’s a change for sure, but it’s been good so far.”

Going from foe to friend with players he had butted heads with for nine games last year, including five in the second-round playoff series, wasn’t a difficult transition.

“It’s more like you play hard on the ice and then you respect each other off the ice,” Newton said. “It was funny when I got traded here I was kind of thinking, ‘Oh, yeah, that was a pretty rough series. I wonder how the boys are gonna like me and stuff.’ But that’s the good thing about hockey. You can try to kill each other on the ice, then you go off the ice, and everyone’s best friends.

“It was definitely something I was thinking about, but no, they’ve welcomed me pretty well.”

Barrie won the Central Division with 99 points last season, then went on a strong run in the playoffs by defeating the Niagara IceDogs in five games, the 67’s in five games and, after falling behind 3-1 in the Eastern Conference final to the favoured Brampton Bulldogs, stormed back to win three straight games and advance to the OHL championship series against the eventual Memorial Cup champion Kitchener Rangers.

While every player is optimistic about the coming season during training camp, Newton senses some similarities in this year’s 67’s and last year’s Colts.

“I think we’re going to have a really good run,” he said. “Obviously everyone says that, but we had the same type of feeling last year. I feel like when you show up with a team and you start to get to know the guys and their work habits and what they’re willing to do to win, it kind of shows you how the year is going to be. Everyone is going to think that they’re going to be a good team, but I think we’re a really good team.

“We got a lot of good players on this team, a lot of returning players, which is really important. And it’s the same kind of thing as it was last year … all the boys seem to really like each other here.”