Battalion Prospect Features: Adam Henrich and Travis Parent
BRAMPTON, Ont. – The Battalion kicked off its third season with a rookie camp at the Bunker on Wednesday and also announced that season tickets will be available for pick-up at Battalion Headquarters in the Brampton Centre on Thursday, Sept. 7 beginning at 12:00 p.m.
The team also announced that its Quartermaster Retail Store will be undergoing renovations during the first two weeks of September but will continue to operate throughout training camp.
“We had unexpected delays in finalizing the season ticket creative and we apologize to our fans for not being able to organize a pre-season barbeque,” said Battalion President Mike Griffin. “However, we are optimistic that we can create a special event for season ticket holders following our regular-season home opener on Sept. 24th.”
Battalion season ticket holders with Club Seat or Suite License contracts with the Brampton Centre will be able to obtain their season ticket packages at Battalion Headquarters between 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., or at the Brampton Centre Club entrance beginning at 5:00 p.m. License fee arrangements with the Brampton Centre must be made before the Battalion is allowed to release season tickets.
Season ticket holders in the end or side sections will be able to visit Battalion Headquarters throughout the day on Sept. 7 to pick-up their ticket packages.
Any season ticket holders unable to pick-up their packages on Sept. 7 are encouraged to contact Lalita Ramos-Reilly at Battalion Headquarters by calling (905) 874-2393 to make other arrangements.
The Battalion rookie camp featured players taken during the 1999 OHL Bantam Draft as well as those chosen at the 2000 OHL Priority Selection.
Battalion Head Coach Stan Butler put his young charges through some spirited drills and kept a watchful eye over a pair of 4-on-4 games.
“I was pleased with the fitness level of the rookies,” said Coach Butler. “I thought the first on-ice session went OK.
“For the kids born in 1984 who can only stay here two days, the rookie camp gives them a chance to see what an OHL camp is like,” Butler explained. “For the other guys, it gives them a couple of days to get in shape before the real camp starts.”
Butler prefers using the 4-on-4 format – which the team also employs during its June mini-camp – for the rookies because “it´s easier to see the skill level of the players which I think is important, but the rookie camp is not a camp where a player can make or break his chances of making the team. We also have a limited number of players available for the rookie camp, so 4-on-4 is better suited to our purposes.”
The full Battalion training camp, which runs through Sunday at the Bunker, will feature many of the returning veterans that are not currently at NHL camps. The camp gets under way on Thursday, August 31 with player medicals and the Troops will hit the ice for the first time on Friday morning. The camp will also feature a daily intersquad game that will begin at 4 p.m
