Battalion acquire Van Bommel from Knights

The North Bay Battalion have acquired overage forward Rene Van Bommel from the London Knights in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 OHL Priority Selection.

Van Bommel heads to North Bay after spending the first three seasons of his OHL career with the Knights. The Strathroy, ON native recorded 10 goals, 11 assists and 21 points in 66 games during the 2025-26 season, finishing his London career with 17 goals and 40 points in 148 regular season contests.

Originally selected by the Knights in the 11th round (216th overall) of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, Van Bommel was a member of London’s back-to-back OHL championship teams and helped the club capture the 2025 Memorial Cup. He is committed to Lake Superior State University for the 2027-28 season.

“Rene is a young man with high-end character and a winning pedigree that we feel can really benefit our group,” said Battalion Director of Hockey Operations Adam Dennis. “We look forward to welcoming Rene and his family to North Bay.”

The Knights receive a fifth-round selection in the 2027 OHL Priority Selection, originally belonging to the Niagara IceDogs, in return.

Van Bommel becomes the second player acquired by North Bay from London this offseason, joining forward Max Crete, who was obtained in a trade completed in June.