Stan Butler is always great with his analogies.
This one is a good one.
“Confidence is like the Wizard of Oz, I can’t give somebody a heart and I can’t give somebody confidence, that’s an internal thing and it’s something the players have to figure out themselves,” the Battalion bench boss told the media on Wednesday afternoon.
The Troops are getting healthy as Jake Smith is expected to make the start Thursday night as the Hamilton Bulldogs - the former Belleville Bulls franchise - makes its first stop in the Gateway city since the summer relocation.
The team is coming off a pair of disappointing losses to Kingston and Mississauga, with the former being a humbling 7-0 defeat at the chocolate centre last Friday.
Butler says the key is the squad needs to get back to a good work ethic and play hockey the right way.
“Right now we are a very, very soft team, we are like the weather outside, we are always melting and it’s something we’ve got to get better at,” he said.
“Last year I never had to challenge the players to compete as a group on a nightly basis, this time it’s a daily occurrence even in practice, it’s a nice group of boys but sometimes a nice group of boys doesn't make the greatest team.”
With the up and down play that has kept them hovering around the .500 mark, Butler and his hockey operations staff are keeping a close eye on the progress now and in the next few weeks to see if they will need to make more changes.
“We are looking at ways to change our team and we’ve got some guys who have got to start bringing it more,” said Butler.
“Any change we make and we do is going to be made with a plan - long term and short term - I’ve done this too long to make impulsive decisions.”
The Battalion announced a couple of moves along with Jake Smith's return, as Kyle Moore is being reassigned to the Powassan Voodoos, while defenceman Brady Lyle is getting closer to making his regular season debut.
Big Ticket Night
The Battalion will be hosting Big Ticket Night on Thursday in support of Special Olympics. There will be three signed NHL jerseys up for silent auction in the North Concourse donated by Bill Houlder from the North Bay & District Girls Hockey Association.
Special Olympic athletes and law enforcement officials will be in attendance, including some local athletes who will be competing in the upcoming Special Olympics Ontario Winter Games. A bucket pass will occur during the second period and the Troops hope the 7th man will donate generously to this great cause.
All proceeds from the night will go to Special Olympics Ontario.
