To the Editor,
Our family, you would say, are casual Battalion fans. We go to a game here or there but we never thought that this 2023 team and season was so special.
It started with an outing to watch the team during the regular season and a reason for me to see some Habs prospects from other teams (I know I know..) but the more we came the more we loved the team and got to learn about them.
The best part is my little 10-year-old, when we watch the Habs or any hockey, he will be attentive for a bit (his favourite player was Price) even during Battalion games. I started to notice him ask more and more questions to me when we went to the Battalion games about the penalties, why players do this or that, and of course, he started asking about the specific Battalion players.
I started noticing closer to the end of the regular season that my little guy was attentive all game when they are playing! This playoff, seeing my son on the edge of his seat, cheering players' names, trying to start a GO TROOPS GO chant, to being really worried about injured players, is probably the best gift a man can get. Seeing my son really looking forward to games, asking who they are playing, who’s the best player on the other team and maybe, just maybe, we can bump into Dom (DiVincentiis), Ty (Nelson) or Pasquale Zito among others.
They would make sure we all had our rally towels and for his birthday his uncle and grandma got him a jersey.
The icing on the cake was this past Friday when the troops took over the series against the Petes 3-2. We usually cheer on the team when they leave the ice and go home, but for some reason, we stuck around as maybe he would bump into a player. Our little guy has been just wanting to meet players and he finally did!!
The reason for this note is I hope some family members of the players or the billet families see this post.
We want to thank you as these players took the time to make this little boy's day, a week, perhaps a memory he will never forget. I’ve never seen him so happy. We respect the players after the game so we don’t want to hound them for anything, but my son as respectful as he was, the players came one by one and spoke to him, signed his jersey and hat too for good measure!
To the families, you brought up really professional young men that are kind and courteous, and to the billets, I’m sure you'll continue giving these young men advice and aiding them to the next level. We thank you for your dedication!
I’m sure it’s not easy being away from home for most of these kids and their families, most of them out of the country, going to a new school, playing hockey, it can’t be easy, so to them, kudos. After a game, you’d think you’d want to relax and celebrate with your teammates, family members that came to see you, and friends, but this 5-20 seconds of interaction with my boy means the world to him.
Thank you to the 2022-2023 Battalion family!!
Marc-Andre Robitaille
North Bay
