The North Bay Battalion opened the OHL season with a 4-0 win over Peterborough Friday night at Memorial Gardens.
Goaltender Mike McIvor stopped all 36 shots he faced to earn the shutout and was named the games first star.
“He looks like he’s mature. Just calm,” says Ryan Oulahen, Battalion coach and assistant GM. “When I look back there and everything is square, where he’s making saves and it’s square and hitting him in the chest, that’s when you know your goalie is on and he was certainly on tonight.”
Forward Andrew LeBlanc scored the game winning goal during a five minute penalty kill in the first period.
Oulahen says that penalty and goal helped change the tempo of the game for his team.
“I thought we had some nerves early. It was to be predicted,” he says. “I think getting through and maybe taking that penalty, you get freed up on the kill. Then all of a sudden you get your legs, you realize you’re in a game. Then boom, the building goes crazy, and you get the first one. Never really nervous tonight, there’s just some things we can certainly clean up.”
The Troops peppered the Petes net with 49 shots in the game.
Defenceman Wyatt Kennedy scored late in the first period with forwards Reyth Smith and Ethan Procyszyn tallying in the third.
Earlier in the day it was announced Owen Van Steensel is the team’s ninth captain in its North Bay era.
“You can put him in a group of the ultimate Battalions,” says Oulahen. “He’s someone I talk to my own kids about. He deserves it. He deserves to wear the ‘C’. I couldn’t be more proud for him and I know he’s going to lead the way for us.”
Kennedy, Procyszyn and Anthony Romani are the team’s Alternate Captains.
Also before the game, the Battalion raised their third straight Central Division Championship banner.
North Bay is back on the ice on Saturday night with a game in Barrie.
