The North Bay Battalion made their team captain announcement in style on Tuesday afternoon.
The club got some help from a familiar face as former Battalion captain and two-time Stanley Cup champion Barclay Goodrow made the big announcment through the big screen at Battalion practice.
"I'm sure the town must be buzzing to be able to see you back on the ice," said Goodrow, now a member of the New York Rangers.
"I had the honour of wearing the 'C' for the Battalion for two years, one in Brampton and one in North Bay, and I know what a privilege it is to be the captain of such a great organization and with that being said, I would like to present the captain for the 21-22 season to Liam Arnsby,"
Arnsby, who turns 18 on Nov. 20, scored four goals and earned 16 assists for 20 points in 55 games in his only OHL season to date, as the 2020-21 campaign was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I hope to bring a competitive attitude every day, to create a positive atmosphere for the team,” said Arnsby, who succeeds Luke Moncada, captain for the last 24 games of the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season after Brad Chenier was traded on Jan. 9.
“I want to show the younger players what it takes to be a team player. We want to make a deep run and give the fans of North Bay a winning team.”
Head coach Ryan Oulahen believes Arnsby fits the mould of a captain.
“Liam is full of character,” said coach Ryan Oulahen. “He prides himself on his work ethic and unmatched competitiveness.
“He’s been a leader his entire life, and we’re extremely proud to name him captain.”
Arnsby becomes the eighth captain in the Battalion’s North Bay era, which dates to the 2013-14 season, following Barclay Goodrow, Marcus McIvor, Mike Amadio, Riley Bruce, Justin Brazeau, Chenier and Moncada.
Arnsby, a five-foot-11, 181-pound resident of Ajax, Ont., was a first-round pick, ninth overall, in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection from the Don Mills Flyers minor midgets.
Named as alternate captains were forwards Brandon Coe and Mitchell Russell, along with defenceman Avery Winslow.
For Liam Arnsby's Captaincy Announcement, we had to contact someone familiar with the position 🎖️
— North Bay Battalion (@OHLBattalion) October 6, 2021
Hear it from "The Mayor", we had #TroopsAlumni and 2x Stanley Cup Champion @bgoodrow23 break the news to the Troops! pic.twitter.com/xdtWrZXAns
