The North Bay Battalion open their fourth season tonight at the Gardens as they host the Niagara IceDogs.
The new look Battalion will be facing an IceDogs squad that will have at least 12 new players from the team that lost in the OHL Championship Series last spring to the eventual Memorial Cup champion London Knights.
“I think they’re in a rebuilding phase, but they’ve still got half a team of guys that went to the OHL final, and, as we’ve seen in North Bay, I think that means something, when players have that experience and know what it’s like to win,” said Battalion Head Coach Stan Butler.
With NHL camps getting late starts due to the World Cup, Butler will likely be without new captain Riley Bruce and Cam Dineen.
New Battalion goaltender Brent Moran, who looked solid in pre-season action, is believed to have returned from the Chicago Blackhawks training camp on Thursday. He’s expected to start tonight against the visiting IceDogs.
“Obviously Brent Moran is going to be very solid for us,” Butler said about Moran.
“Matthew is a work in progress but has the potential. Defence wise, our defence is good as it’s ever been in the four years I’ve been in North Bay and I’m just hoping that there are some guys on our roster that are going to score more goals than a lot of people around the league think they will.”
Game Day
The box office will opened at 10 a.m. Friday and season ticketholders who have not yet picked up their ticket booklets are encouraged to do so in advance of game time to avoid delays.
There will be a beer garden set up on the terrace in front of Memorial Gardens, which opens at 4:30 p.m. with hot dogs, beverages and music. Rogers Radio will be broadcasting live from the arena beginning at 5 p.m., and doors to the arena will open at 5:30 p.m.
Fans in attendance will be able to meet and speak with a number of Remax brokers and sales representatives who can offer advice and answer questions about real estate. At several locations around Memorial Gardens, fans who donate to the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign will receive a ticket for a draw and five lucky fans will win Battalion gift cards. One lucky fan will have the opportunity to take one shot from centre ice during the second intermission, with the chance to win $10,000.
