This was a topic of much discussion over the weekend- the potential of the Brampton Battalion shifting their Ontario Hockey League franchise to North Bay.
Well, discussion came much closer to reality yesterday when the Battalion announced on their web site that North Bay has approved an agreement-in-principle to a 15-year lease with the Battalion to play at Memorial Gardens in the city.
The deal also includes a multi-million renovation & expansion to the Memorial Gardens at North Bay.
Of course all of this must be approved by the OHL Board of Governors, but based on the Brampton clubs’ reputation and effort to make OHL hockey fly on Kennedy in the GTA, I don’t foresee an issue
I have mixed feelings on the shuffle.
Brampton was nice and close to Owen Sound and while the crowds seldom flocked to the Powerade centre, that’s not to say the hockey played hasn’t been OHL calibre.
While the Battalion advanced to the OHL Final once, losing to Windsor just 3 seasons ago, you have to admit they’re consistently been a playoff team missing just once after their expansion year
Furthermore, there’s no shortage of Battalion alumni playing at the NHL level…if the NHL was playing.
As for North Bay. It was a great market…… Until 1994.
Then after capturing the OHL title, they fell on hard times and the word around the league a decade ago was the existing owners were losing their shirts.
Now the shirts will be altered with the yellow & black Centennial train to be replaced by the army fatigues of the Battalion come next season.
I’m Fred Wallace