The North Bay Battalion concluded its four-day training camp Wednesday with 26 players on the roster, including seven who have yet to play an Ontario Hockey League game.
The preseason roster will be made up of 16 forwards, seven defencemen and three goaltenders, in veterans Christian Propp and Christian Purboo and 2018 2nd round pick Joe Vrbetic.
The forwards are centres Matthew Struthers, Kyle Potts, Adam McMaster, Kurtis Evans and Cameron Peters, left wingers Brad Chenier, Luke Moncada, Daniel Walker, Egor Postnov, Kyle Jackson and Harrison Caines and right wingers Justin Brazeau, Brandon Coe, Rhys Forhan, Andy Baker and Patrick Brown.
The OHL newcomers among the forwards are Peters, a second-round pick in the OHL Priority Selection in April, Postnov, a first-round choice in the 2018 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, Jackson, who was selected in the third round of the OHL Priority Selection, and Caines, a ninth-rounder in 2017.
The defencemen include five who saw action last season in Nick King, Travis Mailhot, Braden Henderson, Simon Rose and Payton Vescio. First-year rearguards are Pacey Schlueting, the Battalion’s first-round pick in April, and David Maier, taken in the second round of the CHL Import Draft.
Jackson and Caines have signed standard player’s agreements including education packages with the club.
The Troops will head to Kitchener on Thursday to prepare for three games in as many days starting Friday in the Preseason Showcase.
North Bay faces the Saginaw Spirit at 2 p.m. Friday in the first of a total of five exhibition games. The Battalion plays the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League at 2 p.m. Saturday and the Kitchener Rangers at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The last of four intrasquad games at the camp, which opened with 47 players on the Memorial Gardens ice, was played Wednesday in three 25-minute periods.
Brazeau and Moncada led camp points producers with seven apiece, as Brazeau scored five goals and earned two assists and Moncada netted one goal and added six assists. Chenier also had a camp-high five goals.