When the Owen Sound Attack traded Colby Barlow for Tristan Delisle and David Bedkowski, no one really understood how foundational these two incoming Oshawa Generals players would be for this team. Fast forward to 2025 with Bedkowski as the captain and Tristan Delisle beginning the season with an 18-game points streak. On Sunday night in Oshawa, both Delisle and Bedkowski scored on the Gens and thumped their Attack logos for the fans. Their statement was clear: This is where they want to be. With a young squad that’s leading the Mid-Western Division and sitting second in the Western Conference, it’s hard to imagine this team without them. I had a chance to sit down with Tristan to talk about the culture of this team, playing alongside his brother and his school day game natural hat trick. Read on to hear from Tristan about his time so far with the Owen Sound Attack.

Congratulations Tristan. You’ve had a crazy start to the season. What do you think has been the difference maker so far?

Tristan Delisle: Thanks, I always say experience is the difference, especially coming back for my third year in the league. There are a lot of younger players in the league, and I feel more comfortable here in Owen Sound compared to my first year. So I’d definitely say it’s the experience and the comfort in having been here for a while.

Awesome. You rode an 18-game point streak and then you lost it in Sarnia but then you picked it right back up the next game. So I believe you now have points in 19 of 20 games. How are you staying so consistent?

I think it’s just about consistency in your every day schedule. I have the same schedule before a game, before practice and stuff like that. It just helps me keep my mind straight. It’s also about not worrying about the points and worrying more about the team. I think that’s the big thing, just doing everything you can to help the team and if that includes getting points in the win then that’s what it’s going to be.

Right and what is that every day routine?

We normally have workouts at nine a.m. every day and I normally come in with Matthew Koprowski by around 8:10 a.m. Every Tuesday, I have a class at rink school. So I’m pretty much at the rink from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day if I’m being honest.

And how do you feel about that most days? Excited to get here?

I’d say I’m excited Monday all the way until Thursday, and then I get pretty pumped to play Friday and Saturday. I love coming here every day. It’s a privilege to be here.

How would you describe the atmosphere in the room right now and how much this team is believing in each other right now?

I’d describe it as fantastic. Unfortunately, we’ve had a couple of players go down with injuries, and we had to bring in a couple of new guys, but everybody’s super nice and I’d say it’s comforting to these new players. They’re great individuals so it makes for very a positive room. Everybody feels comfortable and that’s why I think we’re performing pretty well on the ice.

Have you guys been surprised with the results so far?

I would say no, because the way we’re playing, we knew we had it in us. It was just a matter of time before the results started to come. It started last year and Dale made some great changes here. We got new equipment in the gym and we were preparing for a big year. So seeing the results it’s just that the extra work we’ve put in is reflected on the ice. It’s awesome.

Caden Taylor is  the newest addition to the team and there have been a few changes already early in the season. When new players come, we always hear they are a good fit for the Scott Wray brand of hockey. What is the Scott Wray brand of hockey?

It’s a guy that sticks the system, plays the body, does what he’s told and has a great attitude. So the first day coming here, I got told that, and I excelled at what he wanted me to do. I think that’s why I’m having success at the moment.

What are the key elements the coaching staff are asking of this year’s roster?

Mostly to stick to structure. I’d say, I believe in my in our coaching staff, and they believe in us. They wouldn’t make us do something if they didn’t think it was going to work. So believing in what they have to say all the time. That’s what’s going to win us games, not everyone being on their own page.

You had a natural hat trick in the second period of the Sarnia Sting school day game. Was that your first OHL hat trick? How did it feel?

Yeah, it was my first multi goal game actually (laughs).

Really?

Yep.

Wow. How’d that feel?

Fantastic. You know, there’s no feeling quite like it like especially since we won 7-3. But the kids were buzzing around the rink and it was loud and it was just such a great atmosphere. It was a great time to get the hat trick.

I was going to ask about. The atmosphere. It was wild in here.

Oh it was incredible. The amount of six sevens was out of the world.

Yeah, I know we should hire those kids to come to every game.

Oh man. We should.

You played a full season with the Oshawa Generals before being traded here early last season in the big move for Colby Barlow. When you found out you were coming to Owen Sound what did you first think?

I’m going to be quite honest here, I didn’t really think it was going to be any good … going from a big market team like the Gens to a small market team like the Owen Sound Attack. I thought it was going to probably be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me. But ever since I got here and I got everything in order and it’s actually the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The people here are fantastic. My billet is fantastic, and the team is so tight and so close together, it makes for life-long friendships that are going to last. It’s awesome.

Your dad, Miguel, played here in Owen Sound for a stint. What had he told you about the city and the Attack?

He was only here for 30 games but he said he enjoyed it here. With my brother, we always knew he wanted to come here to make it a family thing, all three of us having played in Owen Sound.

And how would you compare the atmosphere to the atmosphere in Oshawa. What is that the main difference?

If I’m comparing Oshawa to Owen Sound, there’s obviously more people in Oshawa and there’s obviously a lot of people that come to the games. But here you get the same people that come to practice and to games and for both of them they bring the energy and they bring the passion, every night, day in, day out. It doesn’t matter what the score is or how bad or good our year is going, they’re always here to support us.

I think the Attack fans enjoyed you and David Bedkowski repping the team logo when you both scored against Oshawa on Sunday night. What was it like to be back there with an Owen Sound team that’s enjoying some success?

It was interesting. Obviously you want to show them what they missed out on. Yeah, it’s honestly unfortunate to get traded. But I’m happy to be an Owen Sound Attack player. That’s why me and David both shook the logo, because this is where we want to be; we don’t want to be on the Gens. We want to be here in Owen Sound and we want to tell everybody that we’re happy and that we like being here.

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You played a role with the Generals in the 2024 playoffs, winning the Eastern Conference title and reaching the OHL Championships. What can you bring from that experience to an Attack team hoping to make a deep run this season?

Tons of valuable experience. I’ve learned from the best. I’ve learned from Callum Ritchie, Beckett Sennecke, who are both playing in the NHL right now. The habits that they have like practice habits and playoff habits, so keeping your body right, stretching and that type of stuff, I could bring that here to just show everybody that you have to do the little things to get to that all important moment of the finals. I didn’t have that big of a role unfortunately as a rookie, but making it to the finals, you see the type of excitement people have, the camera crews, and it’s just motivation and dedication that you can put into the season right now to kind of get backto that point.

You picked up a couple of assists didn’t you?

Yeah, a couple of assists. But in the finals we had so many big name players that four minutes a night was kind of my peak.

Well, maybe you’ll  get another shot this year and you’ll be playing a much larger role?

I think our team has it, we’re good enough to make it. It’s just putting all the pieces together, getting the chemistry back to up to par with all the new guys coming in, finding good fits on the lines. And I think if we do that, we keep practicing hard, we keep doing the little things, keep listening to coach, I think we’ll get right back on that track.

Tell us a bit about playing alongside your brother Max.  I know you get asked every interview but how much fun is that?

It’s fun but it’s not fun at the same time.You know, the first couple of days of the week I like seeing him but then he gets on my nerves quite a bit throughout the week. But, you know, it’s my family and I love him very much, and I couldn’t be happier that he’s here with me and that he could pave his own path.

And what had you told him about, about coming? It was a family decision of sorts?

I told him that it’s a great place and that he’s going to love it here. He’s currently living with Sarah Rowes in Owen Sound. Academically, this place keeps you on track. It’s fantastic academically. The community is fantastic as well, and every little part about this place makes it a full OHL experience.

Would you rather compete against your brother or play alongside him?

Always play alongside him. Never, never against… well, obviously, I compete against him on some level here, but it’s always been a dream of mine to play alongside him.

Do you have some good stories of growing up in the Delisle household with him?

I’ve got a couple of interesting ones, but it’s probably not a good idea to mention them due to always ending up in a fight or hair pulling and stuff.

What would you describe as the overall the culture of this team?

Well, I would describe us as a blue collar team, always hard on the fore check and I’m pretty sure this is a hard rink to play in. It feels smaller than any other rink so time and space is limited. We try to run teams out of the rink and make them not want to play here. We’re a full 60-minute team, so if they think they’re going to get out easy, they’re sadly mistaken.

Agreed. What’s your favorite thing about coming here every day?

Probably seeing the guys in the room. Every day, there’s a new memory that I’m never going to forget. Just the jokes the guys make, the way everybody laughs in there, the fun that we have, it’s something that I’m going to look back on when my career is done and say, this is what I miss.

Awesome. I know when I talked to Carter a month ago or something, he was talking about there being a push to stay high in the standing so there would be some encouragement for Dale to make it a go for it year. Is that the feeling you guys have?

I think it’s a go for it year. I think we have all the right pieces. I think if we just put it all together, we will be fine. I think we are in win now mode, just considering the NCAA swooping in and taking a lot of guys, you want to make a push right now while you’re at the top. I think it will be a great year to go for it.

Thanks so much Tristan and good luck this weekend.

Thank you.

This season’s player interviews are sponsored by Burke’s Brick Work. Burke’s Brick Work is a full-service masonry company offering new home construction, as well as restoration work. We service both Grey and Bruce County. We work with all types of materials – brick, Block, and stone. We are available by phone at (289) 200-8290, by email at  burkesbrickwork@gmail.com You can  learn more at our website at https://www.burkesbrickwork.com and you can follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/burkesbrickwork and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/burkes_brick_work