With the season down to the short strokes, the North Bay Battalion is in a position to clinch a Central Division title for the second year in a row this evening as the Troops host Masen Wray and the Hamilton Bulldogs at 7 p.m. at Memorial Gardens tonight.
With three game remaining, the Battalion, which boasts a won-lost-extended record of 45-17-3 for 93 points, leads the second-place Barrie Colts, who also have three games to play, by four points. Any combination of points won by the Battalion or lost by Barrie totaling two clinches the division crown and second place in the Eastern Conference for the Troops.
The Battalion, on a season-high eight-game winning streak after a 6-5 overtime decision last Sunday over the visiting Sudbury Wolves, completes the regular season by visiting the Niagara IceDogs on Saturday night and playing host to the Mississauga Steelheads on Sunday.
First up, however, is Hamilton, the reigning OHL champion, which poses a stiff test, with a record of 33-29-4 for 70 points, third in the East Division and fifth in the conference. The Bulldogs are 18-12-0 since the Jan. 10 trade deadline as they have improved after what many would say was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the 2022 champs.
“I think they’ve done a really good job with managing their trades or acquisitions,” coach Ryan Oulahen, whose Battalion is ranked 10th in the Canadian Hockey League’s Top-10 ranking, said Wednesday.
“Some of the people they’ve brought in have been extremely, extremely good for them.
“And then you look at their roster and they still have a lot of guys that are just from that culture of winning. They obviously won the championship last year. They’re just a lot of guys that know how to do it, so I think that plays into why they’ve had success.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Jay McKee. We’ve worked together in the past, and he’s a really good coach. He has them prepared every game, and it’ll be the same tomorrow night.”
Thursday will also mark second homecoming for Bulldogs forward Masen Wray. The former AAA Trappers forward has two goals and five assists for seven points in 52 games with the Bulldogs. Masen Wray is also the son of Battalion assistant coach Scott Wray.
While Justin Ertel has played the last two games since losing 22 to a wrist injury, Oulahen said that Tnias Mathurin isn’t quite ready to return.
He has played one game this season, a 4-2 home-ice loss Oct. 20 to the Ottawa 67’s, the East champions who have clinched the best record in the league.
