The 2013-14 season was an exciting one in North Bay as OHL hockey returned to the Gateway to the North after an 11-year absence.
The beloved North Bay Centennials left town in 2002, becoming the Saginaw Spirit and leaving a void on the shores of Lake Nipissing that wouldn’t be filled until the Battalion made the move from Brampton over a decade later.
In three short seasons, the Battalion have made a big impact in North Bay on the ice and in the community, drawing the admiration of fans and supporters who regularly make the trip to the Memorial Gardens for the usual Sunday and Thursday home games.
The Troops have won six playoff rounds over the past three years, developing standout talents within the organization such as present-day NHL farmhands Barclay Goodrow (San Jose Sharks), Nick Paul (Ottawa Senators) and Mike Amadio (Los Angeles Kings) along with franchise goaltending cornerstone Jake Smith.
North Bay hosts Game 3 of the 2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series on Thursday as fourth-year veteran Brett McKenzie represents the OHL in front of what he predicts will be an engaged and enthusiastic crowd.
Often referred to as the “seventh man,” North Bay fans have developed a reputation around the league for their undying loyalty to the boys in green.
“The fans here are behind us through everything,” said McKenzie. “They really step things up once we get to the playoffs where you see a lot of signs and they come to a lot of our road games. It’s inspiring.”
A seventh round pick by the Vancouver Canucks this past summer, McKenzie was an original member of the North Bay Battalion, selected with the club’s first round, 10th overall pick in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection.
The native of Vars, a community southeast of Ottawa, McKenzie cites a few individuals who have left their mark on the city during their time with the Troops.
“(Barclay) Goodrow was always a fan favourite, we jokingly called him the Mayor of North Bay,” he laughed. “He was always really involved in the community. Guys like (2015 OHL Humanitarian of the Year) Nick Paul and Mike Amadio, who was the first 50-goal scorer in the franchise, were great influences on me too.”
McKenzie has played under Stan Butler, the winningest active coach in the Ontario Hockey League, these past four seasons.
Butler is in his 19th season with the franchise dating back to its inauguration in 1998. He says the CIBC Canada Russia Series presents North Bay with a great opportunity.
“I think it’ll be great for the city of North Bay to showcase our city and our arena here,” he told Chris Dawson of BayToday.ca. “It will be great to get national exposure for the city of North Bay.”
Butler will work alongside Erie Otters head coach Kris Knoblauch, who will serve as an assistant coach with the Canadian National Junior Team this December.
“It should be fun, I think Kris (Knoblauch) is one of the best up and coming coaches in the game and it’s going to be fun for me to have to change the D and not have to worry about much else,” he joked.
The Troops are off to a 9-7-2-0 start in year four in North Bay, leading the Central Division with 20 points as they look to continue their steady run of consistency in the OHL’s Eastern Conference.
Butler, McKenzie and Team OHL inherit a Canadian Hockey League 4-2 series lead in points from the WHL headed into Game 3 of the 2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series in North Bay on Thursday, a game that can be seen live across the country on Sportsnet ONE.
