Tonight’s the big night, the North Bay Battalion kick off the 2016-17 season against the Niagara Ice Dogs. The puck drops at 7:00pm. Captain Riley Bruce, and assistants Cam Dineen and Brett McKenzie won’t be suiting up tonight. The trio are still at NHL camps. One player back from camp is goaltender Brent Moran. Moran, the overage goalie, was acquired from Flint in the off-season. He’s expected to get the start tonight.
The roster will be in flux as the result of players being away. Head Coach Stan Butler says people are only going to get a glimpse of what the team looks like in the first few games. Butler poked fun at his record on opening night, saying if you’re a betting man in Vegas you’d probably bet against him. The Battalion has a record all time of 4-12-2 in season opening games, including 3-8-1 on home ice.
As far as preparing for the Ice Dogs, Butler knows his team can’t take them lightly. Butler says they’re in a rebuilding phase now, but return half a team of guys that went to the OHL final. Butler believes he’s got as deep and as good a defensive core this year, as he’s had since the team relocated to North Bay. He also says Brent Moran should give him stability in net, and is challenging his younger players to score more goals than people expect them too.
