New season brings new look
NORTH BAY, Ont. — To hear coach Ryan Oulahen tell it, it’s the first day of school when the North Bay Battalion plays host to the Barrie Colts at 7 p.m. Friday in the Ontario Hockey League season opener for both teams.
“For us, we get to start learning the league,” Oulahen acknowledged Wednesday. “Every team is going to be a lot different from what they were a year ago, starting with our opponent on Friday.”
The Battalion is every bit as changed as clubs across the circuit, with the likes of Ethan Procyszyn, Lirim Amidovski, Ryder Cali and Bronson Ride having departed, while such as Shamar Moses, Parker Vaughan, Ryder Carey, Cam Warren and Carter Kunopaski look to assume larger responsibilities.
In addition, offseason acquisitions left wingers Rene Van Bommel and Max Crete and right winger Nikolas Rossetto pose new promise in the coming campaign.
As in the case of goaltender Cole Vreugdenhil, Rossetto and defenceman Kent Greer haven’t yet seen game action, as they and centre Jax Pereira have been dealing with injuries.
“You see what a Van Bommel’s going to bring to the lineup every night,” noted Oulahen. “A Crete, what he brought, and he’s going to continue to get better with our system, so I think there’s lots to feel optimistic about.”
That said, Oulahen, entering his sixth full season as the Battalion bench boss, is characteristically guarded in his expectations after a season in which North Bay posted a won-lost-extended record of 38-26-4 for 80 points, second in the Central Division to Barrie and fifth in the Eastern Conference.
“I’m always very reserved on what the predictions are. We’re going to get this team better and better as every day goes on and hopefully be right there at the end this season when it really counts down the stretch run.
“We’re going to be tinkering with it as it goes. Everything that I think about, or we think about as a staff, is always going to be interchangeable, for sure. But there’s a sense of who we want in different roles, who are going to be leaned on offensively, defensively, all those types of things. I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of what we’re ready to rock with here on Friday.”
The precise lineup is unknown, as Rossetto and Greer are the only ones considered to be out for some time yet.
“Everyone else is feeling pretty good. Vreugdenhil looked really good in practice. I think he just needs a little bit of time.
“And then the guys who got banged up in preseason and in training camp are slowly getting better, so I’m optimistic for maybe having some healthier bodies back on Friday. Don’t know if it’s going to be everybody, but again, as it being Wednesday right now, I can’t really determine.”
Right winger Vaughan returned Monday from a free-agent tryout at the rookie camp of the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs, while defenceman Hayden Barch was due back Wednesday from an identical stint with the Chicago Blackhawks. Rearguard Alexander Karmanov remains with the San Jose Sharks, who selected him in the seventh round of the NHL Draft in June.
There still are roster decisions to be made, as the Troops had 25 skaters and four goaltenders in tow Wednesday. The goaltenders number overager Mike McIvor, Owen Loftus, who was the team’s first-round choice in the OHL Priority Selection in June, Gavin Zepp and Vreugdenhil.
The Battalion completes its opening weekend by visiting the Oshawa Generals at 6:05 p.m. Sunday.
The season opener is sponsored by Royal LePage Northern Life Realty.
