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Battalion prospects impress at development camp

'The kids came in in great shape and showed really well on the ice'

The North Bay Battalion inked their top selection during a two-day development camp which wrapped up on Sunday morning at North Bay Memorial Gardens. 

Battalion general manager Adam Dennis took the opportunity to ink Ethan Procyszyn, North Bay’s first-round pick in the OHL Priority Selection in April, to a standard player’s agreement, including an education package.

Procyszyn, a right-shot forward selected as a winger from the North Central Predators U16s, may well play centre for the Battalion. The Wasaga Beach product is 6'2" and weighs in at 182 pounds. 

“Ethan had an excellent weekend,” said Dennis.

“We all came away very impressed with how he handled himself on and off the ice. We’re thrilled to have him commit to our program and are looking forward to the next few years.”

The two-day development camp included 31 players and goaltenders who took part in meetings, dryland, and on-ice sessions throughout the weekend. 

The attending players, which included the recent 2022 OHL draft selections, also took in Saturday's game five elimination game by the current Battalion squad as they eliminated the Kingston Frontenacs with a 6-5 win.. 

The competitive camp ended after an intrasquad game Sunday at Memorial Gardens that saw Team White defeat Team Green 8-6. The first and third periods were 15 minutes each, while the second lasted 20 minutes, with a goaltending change at the 10-minute mark.

Battalion scouts ran the benches, Steve Blinn for White and Pat Domenico for Green, while Dennis, assistant gm John Winstanley, coach Ryan Oulahen and assistants Scott Wray and Bill Houlder observed.

“The kids came in in great shape and showed really well on the ice,” said Dennis.

“It’s a huge benefit to have our team playing while this camp is going on, so these new players can experience the home crowd and playoff atmosphere. We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend.”

Chase Thompson, who played junior with the French River Rapids scored two goals to pace White, with goaltender Kolton Bourret from the U18 AAA Trappers, blanked Green in his 25 minutes of action. Aidan Russell and Voodoos forward Chase MacQueen-Spence were credited with two goals apiece for Green.