The North Bay Battalion saw two of its rostered players and three of its drafted players selected during the 2021 NHL Entry Draft that took place virtually on the weekend and wrapped up with the final pick around 6 p.m. on Saturday night.
Matvei Petrov, was taken in the 6th round, 180th overall in the draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
Many of the scouting organizations had Petrov expected to go within the top 100 picks. The Oilers are hoping they grabbed a diamond in the rough.
The skilled right winger, who was taken first overall by the Troops in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, turned 18 on March 12, is a six-foot-two, 178-pound native of Gus-Khrustalny, 230 kilometres east of Moscow.
Petrov played 58 games this season with the top-level junior Moscow Krylya Sovetov, scoring 22 goals and adding 20 assists for 42 points.
Meantime goaltender Joe Vrbretic's lack of playing opportunity in 2020-21, likely played a big part in how his draft stock slid this weekend.
Big Joe was selected in the 7th round, 214 overall by the Montreal Canadiens.
Vrbetic was rated sixth among 32 North American-based goaltenders for the draft. Only four OHL goalies made the list.
See related: Goaltender expected to lead the Battalion charge at NHL Entry Draft
Vrbetic posted a 4.23 goals-against average, an .881 save percentage, two shutouts and a won-lost-extended record of 14-25-1 in 42 games in 2019-20. A six-foot-six, 180-pound resident of Dunvegan, Ont., Vrbetic was a second-rounder in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Don Mills Flyers minor midgets.
In 2018-19, the 6'6" goaltender finishing with a 2.80 goals-against-average and a .928 save percentage as he led the Powassan Voodoos to the NOJHL semifinals.
Meantime, Justin Ertel, a 3rd round selection of the Battalion in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, ended up getting chosen in the third round, 79th overall by the Dallas Stars.
The 6'2", 187 pound forward, whose father Tyler Ertel played for the North Bay Centennials, split time between St. Andrew's College and the Summerside Western Capitals in the Maritime Junior 'A' League in 2020-21. He has committed to play NCAA Division 1 hockey at Cornell this fall.
