The North Bay Battalion is a
junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
team in the
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...
based in
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing. North Bay developed as a railroad centre, and its airport was an important military ...
, Canada. The franchise was founded as the
Brampton Battalion
The Brampton Battalion were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team was based in Brampton, Ontario, Canada and started playing in 1998. As a result of consistently having among the lowest attendance in the OHL (last plac ...
on December 3, 1996, and began play in
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
. The team relocated to North Bay prior to the
2013–14 OHL season.
History
Early years, 1998–2013
The Brampton Battalion's inaugural season began in 1998–99, choosing the Battalion name from community suggestions, and was also adopted by the competitive minor hockey program in Brampton. The team struggled in its first season, winning only 8 of 68 games. However, it would be one of only two seasons (the other being 2001–02) in which the Brampton Battalion would miss the playoffs. The fifteen-season tenure in Brampton saw the Battalion finish with a .484 win percentage in 1,020 regular season games and win four Central Division Championships and one Eastern Conference Championship.
Relocation
During the summer of 2012, it was rumoured the Battalion franchise would relocate as their lease agreement with the Powerade Centre was nearing an end. Attendance was consistently low and declining in Brampton as well as an unfavourable lease. On November 5, 2012, an agreement in principle to move the Battalion to North Bay for the 2013–14 season was agreed upon following a meeting with the city council in North Bay. Nine days later, fans in North Bay had already bought over 2,000 season tickets as per the conditions of the agreement. The Battalion would play out of the
North Bay Memorial Gardens
The North Bay Memorial Gardens is an arena located in North Bay, Ontario. It was built in 1955 and has a capacity of 4,246. The Gardens hosted the North Bay Centennials ice hockey team from 1982 to 2002, before they moved to Saginaw, Michigan. ...
, which had to undergo major renovations in order to meet league standards. Franchise owner
Scott Abbott
Charles Scott Abbott is the co-inventor of the board game Trivial Pursuit along with Chris Haney (Trivial Pursuit), Chris Haney. Abbott is the owner of the North Bay Battalion hockey team of the Ontario Hockey League. For his work in building th ...
stated that the team would continue to use the Battalion moniker in North Bay, paying homage to the city's strong military history.
2013–14
The Battalion began the
2013–14 season with a nine game road trip due to the ongoing renovations at the Memorial Gardens. On September 20, 2013, North Bay played in their first game, losing 5–2 to the
Kingston Frontenacs.
Mike Amadio scored the first goal for North Bay. The following night, the Battalion earned their first victory defeating the
Belleville Bulls
The Belleville Bulls were a junior ice hockey team, founded in 1981 and based in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The team moved to Hamilton, Ontario ...
4–1.
The Battalion played their first home game on October 11, losing 2–1 to the
Peterborough Petes
The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.
...
in front of a sold out crowd of 4,236. On October 14, the Battalion defeated the
Niagara IceDogs
The Niagara IceDogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was originally known as the Mississauga IceDogs and founded in 1996. The team was relocated to St. Cathar ...
5–4 in a shootout for their first home win of the season.
North Bay's finished the 2013–14 season with the best record in the Central Division, going 38–24–4–2 and earning 82 points. North Bay averaged 3,366 fans per game during the season, which represented an increase of more than 1,200 fans per game than in their final season in Brampton.
In the post-season, the Battalion defeated the
Niagara IceDogs
The Niagara IceDogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was originally known as the Mississauga IceDogs and founded in 1996. The team was relocated to St. Cathar ...
in a close seven-game series, as North Bay won the seventh game by a 2–1 score in front of a sold out crowd of 4,249. The Battalion defeated the
Barrie Colts in six games in the second round. In the third round, North Bay defeated the favoured
Oshawa Generals with a four game sweep. The Battalion's run ended in the
J. Ross Robertson Cup
The J. Ross Robertson Cup is a Canadian ice hockey trophy. It is awarded annually in junior ice hockey to the champion of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. It was donated by John Ross Robertson to the Ontario Hockey Association in 1910, and ...
finals, losing to the
Guelph Storm
The Guelph Storm are a major junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the OHL since the 1991–92 season. The team plays home games at the Sleeman Centre.
History
The franchise started as the Toronto Marl ...
in five games.
2014–15
North Bay had another strong regular season in
2014–15, as the club earned a record of 37–20–6–5 and 85 points, a three-point improvement over their point total. The Battalion finished in second place in the Central Division.
Nick Paul won the
Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy
The Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to an Ontario Hockey League player who is a positive role model, and makes a notable humanitarian contribution within his community. Originally known as the OHL Humanitarian of the Year award, it ...
, awarded to the OHL player who is a positive role model.
The Battalion had another long playoff run in 2015, as the club swept the
Kingston Frontenacs in the first round, followed by a five-game series win over the
Barrie Colts. The Battalion season ended in the Eastern Conference finals, as North Bay lost to the
Oshawa Generals in six games.
Attendance for the Battalion improved slightly in 2014–15, as the club averaged 3,447 per game, ranking 14th in the league.
2015–16
The Battalion had another solid regular season with a record of 35–23–6–4 for 80 points and second place in the Central Division in
2015–16 season.
Mike Amadio was awarded the
William Hanley Trophy
The William Hanley Trophy is awarded annually by Ontario Hockey League to the most sportsmanlike player. It is named for Bill Hanley, a former secretary-manager of the Ontario Hockey Association who served in that capacity for twenty-five years. T ...
, awarded to the most sportsmanlike player in the OHL. Amadio became the first Battalion player since the move to North Bay to score 50 goals in a season.
In the post-season, North Bay defeated the
Peterborough Petes
The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.
...
in seven games in the first round, winning the seventh game by a 4–1 score in front of 3,810 fans at home. The Battalion were then swept by the
Barrie Colts in the second round.
Battalion attendance dropped slightly during this season, averaging 3,327 fans per game, ranking 14th in the OHL.
2016–17
Following three straight seasons of 80+ points, the Battalion entered a rebuilding phase during the
2016–17 season. North Bay failed to qualify for the post-season, finishing ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 24–38–5–1 record and 54 points.
Battalion attendance plummeted during the season with an average of 2,601 fans per game, ranking last in the league.
2017–18
The Battalion improved to a 30–28–7–3 record during the
2017–18 season, earning 70 points and returning to the post-season as the sixth place team in the Eastern Conference. In the post-season, the Battalion lost to the
Kingston Frontenacs in six games. The third game of the series was moved from North Bay to the
Sudbury Community Arena due to the
2018 Ford World Women's Curling Championship
The 2018 World Women's Curling Championship (branded as the 2018 Ford World Women's Curling Championship for sponsorship reasons) was held from March 17–25 at the North Bay Memorial Gardens in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The format of the tou ...
held at the
North Bay Memorial Gardens
The North Bay Memorial Gardens is an arena located in North Bay, Ontario. It was built in 1955 and has a capacity of 4,246. The Gardens hosted the North Bay Centennials ice hockey team from 1982 to 2002, before they moved to Saginaw, Michigan. ...
. In game six of the series, goaltender
Christian Propp made an impressive 71 saves, including 43 saves in overtime, as North Bay lost to the Frontenacs 6–5 in triple overtime.
Despite the improvements during the season, Battalion attendance dropped to 2,385 fans per game, still last in the OHL, and loss of over 1,000 fans per game since their peak of 3,447 fans in the
2014–15 season.
2018–19
North Bay struggled during the
2018–19 season, however, the club qualified for the post-season for the fifth time in six seasons since their move from Brampton, as the club had a 30–33–3–2 record, earning 65 points and seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
Justin Brazeau, in his final season with the Battalion, scored 61 goals and 113 points, leading the OHL in goals and finishing second in overall points. Brazeau won the
Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy
The Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy is awarded annually by the Ontario Hockey League since 1972, to the right winger who scores the most points in the regular season. The Peterborough Petes donated the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy in his memory to the top s ...
as the top scoring right winger in the OHL and the
Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy
The Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the best overage player in the Ontario Hockey League, as selected by the teams' general managers. The trophy was donated by the trainers of the league in memory of Leo Lalonde, former chief ...
as the OHL overage player of the year.
In the post-season, the Battalion lost to the
Niagara IceDogs
The Niagara IceDogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was originally known as the Mississauga IceDogs and founded in 1996. The team was relocated to St. Cathar ...
in five games in the first round, making it the third consecutive season that the club did not advance past the first round of the playoffs.
Battalion attendance declined slightly during the season, averaging a league-low 2,350 fans per game. This was the third straight season in which North Bay finished in last in attendance.
2019–20
On December 10, 2019, the team announced that
Stan Butler who had coached and managed the Battalion since its first game in Brampton had been reassigned as a special advisor to the team owner.
Adam Dennis was named the new general manager, and
Ryan Oulahen
Ryan Oulahen (born March 26, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current head coach for the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Oulahen was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the ...
was named the interim head coach.
On March 24, 2020, the team announced that
Ryan Oulahen was named the second head coach in North Bay Battalion history. Oulahen has agreed to a three-year contract to oversee a coaching staff that includes assistants
Scott Wray and
Bill Houlder.
Championships
The North Bay Battalion have won two division titles and one conference championship in its first season in North Bay.
Emms Trophy
The Emms Trophy is presented annually to the regular season champion of the Central division in the Ontario Hockey League. The trophy was inaugurated in the 1975–76 season for the winner of the Emms division, the more westerly of the two division ...
Central Division Champions
* ''2013–14''
* ''2021-22''
Bobby Orr Trophy
The Bobby Orr Trophy is awarded annually to the champion of the Eastern conference playoffs in the Ontario Hockey League. It was first awarded in 1999. The winning team competes for the J. Ross Robertson Cup in the OHL finals versus the Wayne Gret ...
Eastern Conference Champions
*2013–14
Uniforms and logos
The Battalion's uniform is primarily an army-like shade of olive green. The shoulders feature black bars, with white outlining, this is then further outlined in black. Evenly between the shoulder and elbow lie three
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
-style
chevrons
Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to:
Science and technology
* Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines
* Chevron (anatomy), a bone
* '' Eulithis testata'', a moth
* Chevron (geology), a fold in rock l ...
, connoting rank (here,
sergeant) completing armed forces theme.
The logo itself, featuring their mascot, Sarge, gritting his teeth is also army olive green, a mix of yellow and beige, white, fleshish pinky-orange, black, and red. The name Battalion, emblazoned on their uniform is pure red, and is created in a way that it looks three-dimensional.
Arena
The North Bay Battalion play out of the
North Bay Memorial Gardens
The North Bay Memorial Gardens is an arena located in North Bay, Ontario. It was built in 1955 and has a capacity of 4,246. The Gardens hosted the North Bay Centennials ice hockey team from 1982 to 2002, before they moved to Saginaw, Michigan. ...
. Built in 1955, it is best known as the home of the
North Bay Centennials
The North Bay Centennials were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, who played from 1982–2002. The team was based in North Bay, Ontario.
History
The North Bay Centennials or "Cents" as they were popularly known, were named afte ...
from 1982 until 2002, after which they moved to
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
, and became the
Saginaw Spirit
The Saginaw Spirit are a major junior ice hockey team based in Saginaw, Michigan. They are members of the West Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of the Major Junior leagues of the Canadian Hockey League ...
. Most recently, it has served as the home of the
Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league and member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The winner of the NOJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup ...
's
North Bay Trappers from 2002 until 2014, as well as the
Nipissing University
, mottoeng = Spirit of Integrity
, established =
, former_names = Northeastern University (1960-1967), Nipissing College (1967-1992)
, type = Public University
, academic_affiliation = COU, CVU, Universities Canada
, endowment ...
Lakers hockey team playing in
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
U Sports (stylized as U SPORTS) is the national sport governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree-granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is the Ca ...
as a member of the
Ontario University Athletics
Ontario University Athletics (OUA; french: Sports universitaires de l'Ontario) is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providin ...
conference.
With the Battalion's arrival and subsequent 15-year lease, the Gardens underwent a $12 million renovation; the seating capacity increased to 4,246, the ice surface was reconfigured to new OHL standards, ten private boxes were added and a new two-level team dressing room was built.
NHL alumni
List of Battalion alumni who played in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL):
*
Michael Amadio
*
Cam Dineen
*
Barclay Goodrow
*
Nick Paul
*
Ben Thomson
Broadcasting
TVCogeco broadcasts home games, and away games that are televised.
Greg Theberge is a commentator for the Battalion. Country 600
CKAT
CKAT is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 600 AM in North Bay, Ontario. The station, owned by Rogers Media, airs a country, news and sports format.
History
The station originally launched in 1967 at 93.7 FM, and was acquired by Northern ...
broadcasts Battalion games on radio.
Season-by-season results
Regular season
Legend: OTL = Overtime loss, SOL = Shootout loss
Playoffs
*2013–14 Beat Niagara IceDogs 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Beat Barrie Colts 4 games to 2 in conference semi-finals.
Beat Oshawa Generals 4 games to 0 in conference finals.
Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 1 in
J. Ross Robertson Cup
The J. Ross Robertson Cup is a Canadian ice hockey trophy. It is awarded annually in junior ice hockey to the champion of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. It was donated by John Ross Robertson to the Ontario Hockey Association in 1910, and ...
finals.
*2014–15 Beat Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Beat Barrie Colts 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Oshawa Generals 4 games to 2 in conference finals.
*2015–16 Beat Peterborough Petes 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals.
*2016–17 Missed playoffs.
*2017–18 Lost to Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
*2018–19 Lost to Niagara IceDogs 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
*2019–20 Missed playoffs.
*2020–21 Cancelled.
*2021–22 Beat Ottawa 67's 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Beat Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Hamilton Bulldogs 4 games to 0 in conference finals.
See also
*
List of ice hockey teams in Ontario
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:North Bay Battalion
Sport in North Bay, Ontario
Ontario Hockey League teams
Ice hockey clubs established in 2013
2013 establishments in Ontario