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Battalion hope home ice helps the young team get back on track

Battalion who are 2-3 at home look to break out of a losing streak Friday night when the Wolves come to town
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File photo courtesy Tom Martineau/BayToday.

The North Bay Battalion will be back to, what they hope, are the friendly confines of Memorial Gardens. 

The Battalion take to the ice on Friday night when they host future NHL top draft pick Quinton Byfield and the (9-7) Sudbury Wolves.   Then on Sunday, the Troops host the Peterborough Petes, with a 10-4 record, have an honourable mention in the CHL top 10.   

“Obviously, the two teams we’re playing this weekend are top of the heap in our league and we understand that,” Battalion head coach Stan Butler said Wednesday at the media conference prior to practice at Pete Palangio Arena.

“We’re well aware of our schedule and how it’s been to start the year and how it pertains to teams that we’re playing, but we still have to find a way to win hockey games.”

Despite a 3-11 start, Butler says they will continue to give more ice time to the young players on a squad that is one of the youngest in the entire CHL.  

“Obviously, we dug ourselves into a hole and we’ve got to try to get out of it. We’ve got a plan this year with our young guys, and we’re trying to stick to that and play them,” said Butler. 

“It’s the old adage, development versus winning, and we’re trying to balance the two right now.”

Meantime the Battalion will be without one of their top young players this weekend.

Rookie forward Liam Arnsby is unavailable for the next five games as he has joined Canada White for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge starting Saturday at the Western Hockey League cities of Medicine Hat and Swift Current.