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Battalion ink second round pick

'He plays a complete game and is one of the elite goal scorers for his age'
20200420 Dalyn-Wakely-signing-1024x577
Photo courtesy Battalionhockey.com

The North Bay Battalion inked their second-round selection from the recent OHL Priority Selection. 

Centre Dalyn Wakely has signed a standard player’s agreement which includes an education package. The Troops chose Wakely from the Quinte Red Devils minor midgets in the second round, 30th overall, of the OHL Priority Selection on April 4. A five-foot-11, 164-pound resident of Port Hope, Ont., the right shot scored 30 goals and earned 42 assists for 72 points with 62 penalty minutes in 36 games before adding 11 points, including four goals, in eight playoff games.

“A huge moment in my life, thanks to the North Bay Battalion,” Wakely, who turned 16 on March 5, said via text. “Ready to go to war with the boys. Big things coming!”

See related: Battalion OHL Draft Coverage

Adam Dennis, Battalion GM, believes Wakely is another player who brings leadership from a championship program. 

“He plays a complete game and is one of the elite goal scorers for his age. We look forward to helping Dalyn continue in his development,” said Dennis in a release. 

Wakely is the second player selected this year to commit to the Battalion for next season, after defenceman Ty Nelson, the No. 1 overall choice from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens.

Meantime defenceman Braden Henderson has confirmed he will not be returning to fight for an overage spot. The Baxter, Ontario product is planning to attend Georgian College in the fall. 

Henderson scored two goals and earned 13 assists for 15 points in 48 games last season, his third in the OHL. The Battalion acquired him and as many as seven OHL Priority Selection picks in a Jan. 6, 2018, trade with the Sarnia Sting that saw rearguard Cam Dineen go the other way. In 167 career games, Henderson had three goals and 30 assists for 33 points.

On Friday, Nipissing University announced they signed Battalion forward Chad Denault who also still had a year of major junior eligibility. 

See related: Lakers add a Battalion forward and a Voodoos forward 

Denault scored four goals and added four assists for eight points in 35 Battalion games last season after a Dec. 4 trade from the Peterborough Petes. In 187 career games, he had 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points.