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    <title>North Bay Battalion - Feed</title>
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                  <title>Procyszyn signs with Ducks</title>
        <link>https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/procyszyn-signs-with-ducks</link>
        <pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:14:43 +0000</pubDate>
        <dc:creator>Kerri Morin</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/procyszyn-signs-with-ducks</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — The Anaheim Ducks have signed Ethan Procyszyn of the North Bay Battalion to a three-year entry-level contract, the National Hockey League club announced Tuesday.]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — The Anaheim Ducks have signed Ethan Procyszyn of the North Bay Battalion to a three-year entry-level contract, the National Hockey League club announced Tuesday.

Anaheim selected centre Procyszyn in the third round, 68th overall, of the 2024 NHL Draft.

Procyszyn, a six-foot-three, 192-pound resident of Wasaga Beach, Ont., led the Battalion in points production in 2025-26, scoring 31 goals and earning 28 assists for 59 points with 94 penalty minutes in 65 games.

His Ontario Hockey League totals over four seasons are 257 games, 85 goals, 92 assists, 177 points and 261 PiM. In 43 playoff games, he had nine goals, six assists, 15 points and 32 PiM.

The Battalion chose Procyszyn, who turns 20 on July 11, in the first round, 20th overall, of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection from the North Central Predators U16s.

He has served as the Troops’ captain for the last one and a half seasons.

“Ethan gave everything to this team for the past four years through his hard work, dedication and leadership,” said Adam Dennis, director of hockey operations. “We’re thrilled that he has earned his first professional contract with the Ducks and have no doubt there’s a long career ahead for this young man.

“As much as he’ll be missed, we look forward to watching him take this next step in his career.”]]></content:encoded>
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                  <title>Cali named to Canada&#8217;s U18s</title>
        <link>https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/cali-named-to-canadas-u18s</link>
        <pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:57:01 +0000</pubDate>
        <dc:creator>Kerri Morin</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/cali-named-to-canadas-u18s</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — Ryder Cali of the North Bay Battalion has been named to Canada’s roster for the Under-18 World Championship, Hockey Canada announced Tuesday.]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — Ryder Cali of the North Bay Battalion has been named to Canada’s roster for the Under-18 World Championship, Hockey Canada announced Tuesday.

The addition of Cali brings to 10 the number of Ontario Hockey League players on the roster for the tournament, to be held at Bratislava and Trencin, Slovakia, starting Wednesday and running until May 2.

Canada faces Slovakia at noon ET Wednesday, Latvia, Norway and Finland in group play as it seeks to win a third consecutive championship.

“Following a competitive camp, we are pleased to announce this group of 25 players who will begin the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship for Canada,” said general manager Alan Millar, who spent 12 years in the OHL as general manager of the Guelph Storm and Sarnia Sting and director of hockey operations of the defunct Toronto St. Michael’s Majors.

“We are excited about our group’s competitiveness, talent and character as we prepare to open the tournament tomorrow against the host Slovaks. This team will represent Canada and their respective home towns with pride and humility.”

There are 14 forwards, eight defencemen and three goaltenders on the Canadian roster.

Cali, who played centre and left wing with the Battalion in 2025-26, left for Slovakia after the Troops lost 5-3 last Wednesday night to the visiting Brantford Bulldogs, who captured their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal in four games. He scored a shorthanded goal in a 6-2 exhibition victory Sunday over Czechia.

Cali scored 16 goals and earned 20 assists for 36 points in 47 games this season, being named the OHL’s Rookie of the Week for the period ended Oct. 19. He had one goal and three assists for four points in 10 playoff games.

A resident of Penetanguishene, Ont., Cali was a first-round pick, 18th overall, by the Soo Greyhounds in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection from the Markham Majors U16s. After he declined to report, North Bay acquired his rights in a trade Sept. 13, 2024. Playing in 2024-25 with the junior A Milton Menace, he was called up to the Battalion for five games, in which he didn’t register a point.

Cali, who turns 18 on Sept. 6, is No. 25 in final rankings of North American-based skaters by the National Hockey League’s central scouting department in advance of the NHL Draft to be held June 26-27 at Buffalo.

“Ryder is someone who has come in at a young age and has really impressed us with the daily discipline he brings to honing his craft,” said Adam Dennis, the Battalion’s director of hockey operations. “He was impactful in his first OHL season here in North Bay and is very deserving of this opportunity to represent Canada.

“We look forward to watching him compete in Slovakia and wish him and his teammates all the best in their quest for gold.”

A total of 16 tournament games, including Canada’s group games, the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal games, are to be televised nationally by TSN and RDS.]]></content:encoded>
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                  <title>Troops look back, forward</title>
        <link>https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/troops-look-back-forward</link>
        <pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:06:25 +0000</pubDate>
        <dc:creator>Kerri Morin</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/troops-look-back-forward</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — With players’ exit interviews under way, Friday was a day not only for reflection but also looking forward for the North Bay Battalion.]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — With players’ exit interviews under way, Friday was a day not only for reflection but also looking forward for the North Bay Battalion.

The Battalion was eliminated from the Ontario Hockey League playoffs Wednesday night in a 5-3 loss to the visiting Brantford Bulldogs, the OHL regular-season champions who completed a sweep of the teams’ best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.

That followed a first round in which fifth-place North Bay defeated the fourth-place Peterborough Petes 4-2 in games while Brantford swept the eighth-place Sudbury Wolves.

“I think any time as a coach and a staff we come into it, we try to maximize the group,” said coach Ryan Oulahen. “Did I think that we could maybe give Brantford a better run? I did. I thought we had a chance.

“Maybe things needed to align a little bit better in that we lost (Kaden) Pitre, which is a big injury, for that series, and Peterborough took a lot out of us, and they were able to get through Sudbury real fast. I think if things were evened out that way, we probably would have had a better chance in Game 1 for sure, and you never know what can happen.”

The Bulldogs put their stamp on the series with an 8-1 romp in the opener, followed by a 4-1 victory in the second game, both at Brantford, before a 3-2 win in double overtime in Game 3 at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens.

The Battalion, outscored 31-24 in its 10 postseason games, received exceptional goaltending from Jack Lisson and Mike McIvor. Lisson played in eight games, starting seven, in which he posted a 4-4 won-lost record, a 2.64 goals-against average, a .924 save percentage and two shutouts. Two of his losses came in overtime.

McIvor played in four games, starting three, with a record of 0-2, a 2.46 GAA and a .931 save percentage. One loss was an overtime decision.

McIvor, who turned 20 on March 22, indicated an openness to playing as an overager in 2026-27.

“I love my billets. I love the coaches. I love my teammates. I really want to be here. My rookie year we made it pretty far, and if I can come back next year I feel like I want to go out not losing to the Brantford Bulldogs in the second round. If I come back, I want to win something.

“I don’t know what the plan is yet for next year, but I do love this city and I do enjoy my time here.”

Oulahen said it “would be a luxury to have” McIvor back, while Adam Dennis, director of hockey operations, noted: “Not only is he a great goalie, he’s a great leader, so to have a player like that returning next year is very promising.”

Dennis confirmed that the Battalion’s imports, Evgeny Dubrovtsev, Arseny Pronin and Alexander Karmanov, will be back.

Dubrovtsev was a first-round choice in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft last July, while the Troops have five players taken in the first round of the OHL Priority Selection, including Shamar Moses from the 2023 process and Cam Warren from 2025.

Others, all selected in 2024, are Parker Vaughan, Ryder Cali and Ryder Carey, the only Battalion first-rounder in the trio. Vaughan was selected by the Barrie Colts and Cali by the Soo Greyhounds.

Vaughan led North Bay in playoff scoring with a team-high five goals and two assists for seven points, while Warren had four goals and two assists for six points. Captain Ethan Procyszyn, who’s expected to play professionally next season in the system of the National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks, scored four goals and added one assist for five points.

Cali and Kent Greer each contributed one goal and three assists for four points, and Dubrovtsev produced a team-leading four assists.]]></content:encoded>
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                  <title>NHL ranks three Troops</title>
        <link>https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/nhl-ranks-three-troops</link>
        <pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:37:11 +0000</pubDate>
        <dc:creator>Kerri Morin</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/nhl-ranks-three-troops</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — Ryder Cali tops three members of the North Bay Battalion in final rankings released Thursday by the National Hockey League’s central scouting department.]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — Ryder Cali tops three members of the North Bay Battalion in final rankings released Thursday by the National Hockey League’s central scouting department.

Centre Cali is joined by right winger Parker Vaughan and defenceman Alexander Karmanov on the list prepared in advance of the 2026 NHL Draft, to be conducted June 26-27 at Buffalo, again in a decentralized format.

A total of 62 Ontario Hockey League performers received ratings on a list of 224 North American-based skaters.

Cali, who also played left wing this season, is rated No. 25, marking him as a potential first-round pick. He scored 16 goals and earned 20 assists for 36 points in 47 games after missing time to injury.

A first-round pick, 18th overall, by the Soo Greyhounds in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection from the Markham Majors U16s, Cali had his rights acquired in a trade Sept. 13, 2024. The Penetanguishene, Ont., resident, who stands six-foot-one and weighs 219 pounds, turns 18 on Sept. 6.

Vaughan is ranked 83rd as a possible third-rounder. The Battalion acquired him in a Jan. 5, 2025, trade with the Barrie Colts, who selected him fifth overall in 2024 from the Elgin Middlesex Canucks U16s. The St. Thomas, Ont., resident turned 18 on March 6.

Vaughan, who measures six-foot-one and 194 pounds, scored 14 goals and added 19 assists for 33 points in 68 games this season.

Karmanov is at No. 214, ranked in the seventh and final round, although the projections do not include Europeans. The Battalion acquired the rights to the native of Chisinau, Moldova, from the junior B Brantford Titans in November after he was a third-round pick in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft last July by the Brantford Bulldogs.

Karmanov, who turned 18 on March 22, had two assists in 20 games. He stands seven feet tall and weighs 280 pounds.

The top-rated OHL skater is Soo defenceman Chase Reid at No. 2. He is followed at sixth by Brantford centre Caleb Malhotra.

In addition, a list of 37 North American-based goaltenders, including 10 OHLers, was released, along with European-based international lists of 149 skaters and 23 goaltenders.

The top-ranked OHL goaltender is Ryder Fetterolf of the Ottawa 67’s at No. 11.

The Western Hockey League has 69 skaters ranked, while the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League has 35, giving the CHL a total of 166. Nine WHL goaltenders and six QMJHL counterparts help produce 25 ranked CHL goalies, accounting for all but 12 listed.

Players are first-time eligible for the NHL Draft in the year they turn 18, unless they were born Sept. 16 or later, in which case they must wait until the following year.]]></content:encoded>
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                  <title>Brantford ousts Battalion</title>
        <link>https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/brantford-eliminates-battalion</link>
        <pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:24:33 +0000</pubDate>
        <dc:creator>Kerri Morin</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/brantford-eliminates-battalion</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — Jake O’Brien scored the winning goal at 8:14 of the third period as the Brantford Bulldogs defeated the North Bay Battalion 5-3 Wednesday night to sweep the Ontario Hockey League teams’ best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — Jake O’Brien scored the winning goal at 8:14 of the third period as the Brantford Bulldogs defeated the North Bay Battalion 5-3 Wednesday night to sweep the Ontario Hockey League teams’ best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Adam Jiricek and Marek Vanacker each contributed one goal and one assist, and Gabriel Frasca and Parker Holmes also scored for first-place Brantford, which swept the Sudbury Wolves in a conference quarterfinal. O’Brien added an assist, and goaltender David Egorov made 24 saves in his first appearance of the postseason.

Ryder Carey, Shamar Moses and Parker Vaughan scored for fifth-place North Bay, which erased a 3-0 first-period deficit. Goaltender Mike McIvor faced 38 shots before a crowd of 2,599.

The game, which originally was to be played Tuesday night, was postponed because of heavy rainfall and snowmelt that caused widespread flooding and the closing of streets in the area of Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens. Brantford will face either the Barrie Colts or Ottawa 67’s in the conference final.

“Clear as day, just said how proud we were of the battle,” coach Ryan Oulahen reported of his remarks to the Troops. “When you’re down 3-0 to the best team in the OHL in the regular season, a lot of things could probably go through your head, and you start the game and you get down 3-0, it’s like, ‘Okay, where’s this going to go?’

“All of a sudden, we turned the switch, and the compete of the group is so impressive. I give them a lot of credit. I give our leaders a lot of credit, just dragging everybody into the fight, and that’s what I’m most proud of. You’ve got to create that culture. That culture starts six years ago.”

O’Brien broke a 3-3 tie when he deflected Jett Luchanko's wrister from the slot past McIvor from the lip of the crease.

The Bulldogs thought they had taken a two-goal lead at 11:15 when the rebound of a Ben Danford shot from the blue line eluded McIvor. Referees Ryan Harrison and Brendan Kane reviewed the goal, which was disallowed after it appeared Luchanko directed the puck with his hand.

Danford went off for tripping at 15:59, but the Troops failed to generate a scoring chance. Seconds after the penalty expired, a screened Egorov found Kent Greer’s shot from the blue line and corralled the rebound with Ryder Cali lurking.

McIvor went to the bench for a sixth skater with 1:47 to play, and Vanacker scored into the empty net at 19:43.

Brantford struck for two goals in a span of 20 seconds in the first frame, sparked by Frasca, who beat McIvor between the legs from the left circle at 7:11 to finish off a passing play with Adam Benak and Luca Testa. Defenceman Jiricek then slipped between the hash marks to put a low wrister past McIvor’s glove.

Holmes scored his first goal of the playoffs at 13:44. His initial shot from the high slot hit the right post and caromed off a sprawling McIvor into the net.

Carey’s second goal got North Bay on the board at 17:08 as he wired a high wrister over Egorov’s glove from the left circle. Evgeny Dubrovtsev and Arseny Pronin earned assists.

Moses cut the Battalion deficit to one goal with an unassisted marker, his first of the postseason, at 1:17 of the second period, whipping a wrister off a faceoff past Egorov from the edge of the right circle.

Vaughan tied the game shorthanded at 9:39 with Hayden Barch off for tripping. Egorov, who ventured to the circle to his right to play the puck, delivered a clearing attempt to the stick of Vaughan, who fired the rubber into an open net for his team-leading fifth goal.

The visitors appeared to take the lead at 11:43 when O’Brien swept a loose puck behind McIvor, but referee Harrison immediately waved off the goal, ruling that Vanacker interfered with McIvor.

BATTALION BULLETS: The Battalion has won 22 of 45 playoff series in franchise history, including 13 of 23 since relocation to North Bay in 2013 ... The Battalion has an all-time won-lost record of 111-125 in 236 playoff games, including 61-56 at home. The Troops are 65-59 since relocation, including 38-24 at home ... The Battalion has a won-lost record of 21-25 in the fourth game of playoff series, including 9-16 at home. The Troops are 13-11 since leaving Brampton ... In 10 postseason games, Vaughan had two assists to pace the Battalion in points with seven. Cam Warren had four goals and two assists for six points, and Ethan Procyszyn produced four goals and one assist for five points, both in 10 games ... Egorov’s previous appearance was in a 6-5 home-ice win March 20 over the Battalion ... Each team went  0-for-2 on the power play ... Opening lines included Procyszyn centring left winger Moses and right winger Nick Wellenreiter, Cali centring left winger Sebastien Gervais and right winger Lirim Amidovski and Warren pivoting left winger Nolan Laird and right winger Vaughan. Dubrovtsev centred left winger Pronin and right winger Carey ... Defence pairings were Aaron Enright with Barch, Bronson Ride with Greer and Adrian Manzo with Brandt Harper ... The Battalion scratched Jonathan Kapageridis, Alexander Karmanov, Kaden Pitre and Carter Kunopaski ... Barch marked his 19th birthday ... Among Brantford’s missing were Dylan Tsherna, Philip Govedaris and Camron Hankai.]]></content:encoded>
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                  <title>Series schedule revised</title>
        <link>https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/series-schedule-revised</link>
        <pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:49:00 +0000</pubDate>
        <dc:creator>Kerri Morin</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/series-schedule-revised</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — The Ontario Hockey League has announced a revised schedule for the completion of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series between the fifth-place North Bay Battalion and first-place Brantford Bulldogs.]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — The Ontario Hockey League has announced a revised schedule for the completion of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series between the fifth-place North Bay Battalion and first-place Brantford Bulldogs.

Game 4 of the series, which Brantford leads 3-0 in games, already was postponed to 6 p.m. Wednesday from Tuesday night because of flooding and road closings in the area of North Bay’s Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens.

If the Battalion wins the fourth game to extend the series, the fifth game will be played at Brantford at 7 p.m. Friday. Subsequent games are rescheduled to 2 p.m. Sunday at North Bay and 7 p.m. Tuesday at Brantford.

The original schedule had Game 5 at Brantford on Thursday night, the sixth game at North Bay on Saturday night and Game 7 at Brantford’s TD Civic Centre on Monday night.

“The amended series schedule removes a scenario where the Battalion and Bulldogs would be required to play on back-to-back nights in the event of a potential Game 5 in Brantford, that is now scheduled for Friday,” the league said in a release. “Potential Game 6 and 7 dates have been also been adjusted accordingly.”

Battalion president Adam Dennis addressed the hardship that heavy rainfall and snowmelt inflicted on the community and thanked the City of North Bay for its efforts.

“It’s been a hectic 48 hours, and I’d like to start by giving our thoughts to those affected by the flooding that occurred yesterday. We would like to thank the City staff for all of their work to allow us the opportunity to play today. We currently have no restrictions, and fans should not expect any disruption heading to the game.

“As a result of the postponement, both teams have decided to adjust the remaining potential games to help manage appropriate travel and accommodations. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work through these unforeseen circumstances.”

The Bulldogs posted home-ice wins of 8-1 and 4-1 before a 3-2 victory in double overtime last Sunday at North Bay.]]></content:encoded>
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                  <title>Troops, Bulldogs postponed</title>
        <link>https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/troops-bulldogs-postponed</link>
        <pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:01:54 +0000</pubDate>
        <dc:creator>Kerri Morin</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/troops-bulldogs-postponed</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — The Ontario Hockey League playoff game between the North Bay Battalion and Brantford Bulldogs scheduled for Tuesday night has been postponed because of flooding in the area of Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens, the host club announced Tuesday.]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — The Ontario Hockey League playoff game between the North Bay Battalion and Brantford Bulldogs scheduled for Tuesday night has been postponed because of flooding in the area of Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens, the host club announced Tuesday.

Brantford has a 3-0 lead in games in the teams’ best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series after a 3-2 road victory in double overtime Sunday.

The fourth game has been rescheduled to 6 p.m. Wednesday. Game 5, if necessary, would be played at Brantford at 7 p.m. Thursday in keeping with the original schedule.

Only Gate 6, at the southwest corner of the arena, was considered accessible because of flooded thoroughfares.

“The current conditions present potential safety concerns, including limited access for emergency vehicles and challenges related to the safe entry and exit of those participating and attending the game in the event of an emergency,” the OHL said in a statement.

Widespread flooding resulted in the City of North Bay closing several streets, including Chippewa Street and Fisher Street, with the ground near saturation. Chippewa Creek, swollen from extended rainfall and snowmelt, has filled basements. Chippewa Street, where the arena is located, has undergone flooding.

“Water levels in Chippewa Creek have risen above the banks in some locations, and the storm sewer system is overwhelmed in certain areas, resulting in street flooding,” the City said in a release.

In an email to arena manager Melinda Fry, Gord Young, North Bay’s communications officer, said: “The City is recommending cancellation due to rising water levels and localized flooding restricting access to Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens. With thousands of vehicles relying on a single access route, significant congestion is expected, raising safety concerns and limiting the ability for emergency vehicles and evacuees to enter or exit the facility safely should an emergency occur.”

North Bay was under a yellow level rainfall warning issued by Environment Canada.

The forecast for Wednesday called for overnight rain with a 30 percent chance of drizzle in the morning, followed by a 60 percent chance of showers late in the evening.]]></content:encoded>
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                  <title>Brantford wins in second OT</title>
        <link>https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/brantford-wins-in-second-ot</link>
        <pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 23:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
        <dc:creator>Kerri Morin</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/brantford-wins-in-second-ot</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — Ben Danford scored at 14:33 of the second overtime period to give the Brantford Bulldogs a 3-2 Ontario Hockey League victory Sunday over the North Bay Battalion and a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[NORTH BAY, Ont. — Ben Danford scored at 14:33 of the second overtime period to give the Brantford Bulldogs a 3-2 Ontario Hockey League victory Sunday over the North Bay Battalion and a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Charlie Paquette and Adam Benak also scored for first-place Brantford, which got two assists from Jake O’Brien and 24 saves from goaltender Ryerson Leenders.

Cam Warren and Ethan Procyszyn scored for fifth-place North Bay, while Ryder Cali contributed two assists. Goaltender Mike McIvor, making his second start of the postseason, faced 58 shots before 3,205 at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens.

The Bulldogs, who won the first two games 8-1 and 4-1 at home, will look to wrap up the series in Game 4 on the same ice at 7 p.m. Tuesday, while the Battalion will attempt to force a fifth game Thursday night at Brantford.

“I’m just so proud of the compete, the second effort, the willingness to sacrifice the body right now,” said Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen. “There’s no doubt we’re making strides in the series as it goes on. Really loved our start today. I thought we got after it really good.

“They’re going to have the puck in our zone, so we’ve accepted that and then tried to figure out ways to alleviate their most dangerous chances, and I thought we did a pretty good job of that, trying to keep it to the outside and then win the second puck.

“They’re leaving it all out there. I’m really looking forward to Tuesday now. Our backs are against the wall for the first time in the playoffs, so it’ll be really good to see what we’ve got on Tuesday.”

The visitors had a number of chances in the second overtime period before defenceman Danford found the winner, his first goal of the playoffs, taking a cross-ice pass from O’Brien and snapping a low wrister from the right point that beat the screened McIvor to the stick side.

Brantford held a 10-9 edge in shots in the first overtime frame, when the Troops applied early pressure before the Bulldogs responded. McIvor turned away Marek Vanacker at the lip of the crease in the fourth minute and took a hard shot from Caleb Malhotra off the mask in the 14th. Leenders foiled an early Cali drive, found an Evgeny Dubrovtsev slot shot through traffic in the fifth and denied a Procyszyn wraparound attempt in the 12th.

After a 1-1 tie at the second intermission, Brantford spent much of the first half of the third period in Battalion territory, but a quick breakout led to the Troops taking a 2-1 lead when Procyszyn beat Leenders low to the glove side at 9:26 with a wrister from the left circle off a two-on-one rush with Nick Wellenreiter. Cali and Aaron Enright assisted on Procyszyn’s fourth goal.

The Battalion looked to have extended its lead at 11:26 when Wellenreiter raced around Camron Hankai and slipped the puck past Leenders’s left pad. Referee Damian Figueira, who worked with Mike Cairns, signaled a goal on the ice but, after a video review, it was disallowed for goaltender interference.

“I do feel, three or four feet out, he does get ridden in and pushed in, and his momentum takes him into the contact with the goaltender,” Oulahen said of Wellenreiter. “I do agree that his skate makes contact with the pad, which made the puck go in, but obviously we’re on the wrong side of it.”

Leenders was on the bench for a sixth skater when the Bulldogs tied the game at 18:18 as Benak’s shot from the right circle eluded a sliding McIvor.

Warren gave the Battalion its first lead of the series 34 seconds into the first period, finishing off a two-on-one rush with Parker Vaughan by driving to the net and beating Leenders between the pads. Cali had the other assist on Warren’s fourth goal.

The Bulldogs had a 10-9 edge in shots, with their best chance coming in the 11th minute when Zackary Sandhu emerged from the penalty box and broke in alone on McIvor, who got his right pad on Sandhu’s forehand deke attempt. Leenders foiled Arseny Pronin as he drove to the net off the right wing in the second minute and found an Enright shot through traffic in the ninth.

Paquette tied it on the power play at 2:28 of the second period when he swept the puck past McIvor’s glove from the left circle.

The Bulldogs, who outshot the hosts 15-2 in each of the second and third periods, enjoyed a considerable edge in territorial play. McIvor denied good chances by Paquette, Vanacker, Malhotra, Parker Holmes and Cooper Dennis. The Battalion, which was issued three minor penalties, didn’t have a shot for the final 13:59 of the frame.

BATTALION BULLETS: Onetime Battalion captain Riley Bruce waved the 7th Man flag before the game, accompanied by Calvin Gomes ... The Battalion has an all-time won-lost record of 17-28 in the third game of playoff series, including 6-12 at home. The Troops are 8-15 since relocation to North Bay for the 2013-14 season ... McIvor started for the first time since Game 3 of a first-round series victory over the Peterborough Petes, when he was issued a match penalty in overtime of a 2-1 home-ice loss which went on Jack Lisson’s record. McIvor’s only other appearance in the current playoffs came in relief in the opener at Brantford ... North Bay went 0-for-2 on the power play. Brantford was 1-for-3 ... Opening lines featured Procyszyn centring left winger Sebastien Gervais and right winger Wellenreiter, Warren pivoting left winger Cali and right winger Vaughan and Dubrovtsev centring left winger Nolan Laird and right winger Lirim Amidovski. Left winger Pronin and right winger Ryder Carey had rotating linemates ... Defence pairings saw Enright with Hayden Barch, Bronson Ride with Kent Greer and Carter Kunopaski with Brandt Harper. Adrian Manzo also saw action ... The Battalion was without Jonathan Kapageridis, Alexander Karmanov, Kaden Pitre and Shamar Moses, who was sick ... Among the scratches for Brantford were Dylan Tsherna, Philip Govedaris and Vladimir Dravecky ... Vanacker celebrated his 20th birthday.]]></content:encoded>
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                  <title>Bulldogs win again at home</title>
        <link>https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/bulldogs-win-again-at-home</link>
        <pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 02:20:18 +0000</pubDate>
        <dc:creator>Kerri Morin</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/bulldogs-win-again-at-home</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[BRANTFORD, Ont. — Marek Vanacker scored two goals to power the Brantford Bulldogs to a 4-1 Ontario Hockey League victory over the North Bay Battalion on Friday night and a 2-0 lead in the clubs’ best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[BRANTFORD, Ont. — Marek Vanacker scored two goals to power the Brantford Bulldogs to a 4-1 Ontario Hockey League victory over the North Bay Battalion on Friday night and a 2-0 lead in the clubs’ best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Adam Jiricek had one goal and one assist, and Caleb Malhotra also scored for first-place Brantford. Goaltender Ryerson Leenders faced 21 shots before 3,207 at the TD Civic Centre.

Adrian Manzo scored for the fifth-place Battalion, which got 25 saves from goaltender Jack Lisson.

The series now shifts to North Bay for the third and fourth games at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens at 2 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday night.

“I do feel like we made some really good strides today,” said Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen. “There’s parts of our game where we did a lot more good than we did bad tonight, and this is a tough building to play in.

“Give Brantford credit. They just show you that, on little mistakes, they can turn something out of nothing like real quick. So we’ll learn from it, and the beauty is we’re headed back home for Sunday afternoon in North Bay, where I know we’ll be a refreshed and energized group.”

The Battalion, shaking off an 8-1 loss in the opener Wednesday night, competed on even terms in the first period, but the strong start went for naught when Malhotra struck at 19:54, seizing a Bronson Ride turnover and moving in on Lisson to flick a backhander behind the goaltender. The goal was Malhotra’s league-leading eighth of the playoffs.

Brantford had an 8-4 edge in shots in the frame. Malhotra tested Lisson twice early, and Charlie Paquette hammered the puck off Lisson’s pad in the fourth minute. Lisson snared a Jiricek shot from the high slot in the seventh. The Battalion’s best chance came in the 13th minute when a Shamar Moses drive from the high slot glanced off Leenders and skittered across the crease.

The Bulldogs netted what proved to be the winner at 1:16 of the second period. Jiricek’s shot from the blue line hit Jake O’Brien and landed at the lip of the crease, where Vanacker slid it home.

Vanacker struck again at 9:37 for his fifth goal when he converted a shot-pass from Owen Protz while stationed at the right post. Jett Luchanko drew the other assist.

Jiricek hammered the puck past Lisson’s glove from the high slot to make it 4-0 at 12:43. Paquette and O’Brien were credited with assists on defenceman Jiricek’s fourth goal.

Hard work by Moses along the end boards led to the North Bay goal as he fed the puck back to Manzo, who beat Leenders from the right point at 16:51. It was defenceman Manzo’s first goal.

The Troops, who outshot the hosts 10-9 in the period, had several solid chances. Leenders made two stops on Nick Wellenreiter, sprawled to deny Lirim Amidovski in the 14th minute and made back-to-back saves against Kent Greer and Cam Warren during a late-period power play. Amidovski rang the rubber off the left post in the 10th minute.

The scoreless final frame saw Brantford outshoot the Troops 12-7. The Battalion’s best chance came in the 11th minute when Leenders foiled Amidovski as he raced to the net off the right wing. Lisson made two good stops on Adam Benak and a terrific glove save on a close-in shot by O’Brien in the 14th minute.

BATTALION BULLETS: The Battalion has an all-time won-lost record of 18-27 in the second game of playoff series, including 4-13 on the road. The Troops are 10-13 since relocation to North Bay for the 2013-14 season ... Malhotra leads Brantford in playoff points with 13, including five assists, in six games ... Amidovski, Manzo and Wellenreiter led the Battalion with three shots on goal each. Jiricek and Malhotra paced the Bulldogs with five apiece ... Each team went 0-for-1 on the power play ... Opening line combinations featured Ethan Procyszyn centring left winger Wellenreiter and right winger Parker Vaughan, Ryder Cali centring left winger Sebastien Gervais and right winger Amidovski and Warren skating between left winger Moses and right winger Ryder Carey. Centre Evgeny Dubrovtsev and left winger Arseny Pronin had various linemates ... Defence pairings saw Ride with Hayden Barch, Aaron Enright with Greer and Carter Kunopaski with Brandt Harper. Manzo was a seventh rearguard ... The Battalion was without Jonathan Kapageridis, Alexander Karmanov, Kaden Pitre and Nolan Laird, who was sick ... Barch returned to action after losing two games to an upper-body injury suffered in Game 5 of a first-round series victory over the Peterborough Petes ... Gervais turns 21 on Saturday ... Among the scratches for Brantford were Jeremy Freeman, Nikolas Rosetto, Philip Govedaris and Vladimir Dravecky ... The Bulldogs’ Luca Testa marked his 20th birthday, while Benak turned 19.]]></content:encoded>
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                  <title>Bulldogs dominate opener</title>
        <link>https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/bulldogs-dominate-opener</link>
        <pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:30:19 +0000</pubDate>
        <dc:creator>Kerri Morin</dc:creator>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">https://chl.ca/ohl-battalion/article/bulldogs-dominate-opener</guid>
        <description><![CDATA[BRANTFORD, Ont. — Caleb Malhotra and Jake O’Brien each scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Brantford Bulldogs to an 8-1 Ontario Hockey League conquest of the North Bay Battalion in the opening game of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday night.]]></description>
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[BRANTFORD, Ont. — Caleb Malhotra and Jake O’Brien each scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Brantford Bulldogs to an 8-1 Ontario Hockey League conquest of the North Bay Battalion in the opening game of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday night.

Adam Jiricek had one goal and three assists while Jett Luchanko provided one goal and one assist for Brantford, which finished atop the OHL’s overall standings this season. Cooper Dennis and Luca Testa also scored.

Goaltender Ryerson Leenders contributed 31 saves before 3,174 at the TD Civic Centre as the Bulldogs built period leads of 5-0 and 7-0.

Brandt Harper scored for North Bay, while starting goaltender Jack Lisson surrendered five goals on 19 shots before being relieved by Mike McIvor to start the second period. McIvor, making his second appearance of the postseason, stopped 19 of 22 shots the rest of the way.

The fifth-place Battalion eliminated the fourth-place Peterborough Petes four games to two in the first round, while Brantford swept the eighth-place Sudbury Wolves.

“Clearly, we were just a step behind in all areas of the game today,” said Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen.

“Whether you lose 1-0 or 8-1, it’s a loss in the series. We have a lot of things we can learn from here tonight. It’s a healthy experience for us. Our job is to really rest up and recover here tomorrow so that we’re way fresher and rested and ready to go Friday night.”

Game 2 is scheduled on the same ice at 7 p.m. Friday.

Brantford buried the Battalion with the first-period barrage, starting when Malhotra tapped a rebound home from the right side on the power play at 2:25. O’Brien and Jiricek assisted.

Luchanko scored his first goal of the playoffs at 9:08 when he shoveled the puck off Carter Kunopaski’s leg, assisted by Marek Vanacker and Edison Engle.

Dennis broke off the right wing on a rush and backhanded the puck past Lisson from the lip of the crease at 12:51, and Malhotra struck for his league-leading seventh goal four minutes later.

O’Brien, at the goalmouth, redirected a Vanacker relay from the left-wing boards at 18:37, with the other assist going to Luchanko.

All that followed an apparent Vanacker goal at 1:33 that was disallowed upon video review, which determined that Luchanko was offside on the zone entry.

Jiricek took a pass from Dylan Tsherna from behind the goal line and, slipping around Arseny Pronin, moved in from the blue line to beat McIvor through traffic at 4:35 of the middle frame. Ryder Boulton had the other assist on defenceman Jiricek’s third goal.

Testa was credited with a goal at 14:00, although it appeared the puck never reached him at the left lip of the crease, with an Adam Benak shot instead deflecting off Bronson Ride’s skate. Jiricek had the second assist.

O’Brien connected at 1:46 of the third period, knocking the puck into the net from the right side for his second goal of the playoffs, assisted by Vanacker and Jiricek, before Harper broke Leenders’s shutout bid at 5:28, scoring on a screened right-point drive. Sebastien Gervais and Parker Vaughan drew assists on defenceman Harper’s first goal.

BATTALION BULLETS: The Battalion has an all-time won-lost record of 26-19 in the opening game of playoff series, including 9-15 on the road. The Troops are 13-10 since relocation to North Bay for the 2013-14 season ... Evgeny Dubrovtsev topped the Troops with five shots on goal. Malhotra and Dennis led Brantford with eight apiece ... The Battalion went 0-for-4 on the power play. Brantford was 1-for-1 ... Opening lines included Ethan Procyszyn centring left winger Gervais and right winger Nick Wellenreiter, Ryder Cali pivoting left winger Shamar Moses and right winger Lirim Amidovski and Cam Warren centring left winger Nolan Laird and right winger Vaughan. Dubrovtsev centred left winger Pronin and right winger Ryder Carey ... Defence pairs were Ride with Adrian Manzo, Aaron Enright with Kent Greer and Kunopaski with Harper ... The Battalion was without Jonathan Kapageridis, Alexander Karmanov, Kaden Pitre and Hayden Barch ... Pitre left the last game of the Peterborough series in the second period after falling awkwardly behind the Battalion net and being helped off the ice ... The Battalion bused to accommodations in Cambridge, Ont., after practice Tuesday ... Among the missing for Brantford were Jeremy Freeman, Nikolas Rosetto and Philip Govedaris ... Ben Danford returned to the Brantford lineup after serving a two-game suspension. He was assessed a major for checking from behind and a game misconduct in a 4-2 home-ice win March 29 against Sudbury.]]></content:encoded>
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