The preseason is underway, with the regular season right around the corner and the North Bay Battalion has swung a trade with the rival Sudbury Wolves.
The Troops have acquired four draft picks in the OHL Priority Selection between 2020 and 2022, in exchange for goaltender Christian Purboo. Purboo was the backup to netminder Christian Propp last season and had a 6-9-3 record with the Battalion last season. Propp was traded earlier in the offseason to the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds.
“We had three goalies and we had to move one,” said Stan Butler, director of hockey operations and head coach via the Battalion website. “We feel it’s a very good opportunity for Christian and we wish him the best.”
The Troops received a fourth-round pick in 2020, a third-rounder in 2021, a fourth-rounder in 2022 and a conditional fifth-round selection in 2021. The 2020 pick originally belonged to the Owen Sound Attack and the 2021 third-rounder to the Oshawa Generals.
The two remaining goaltenders on the Battalion roster are Joe Vrbetic and Christian Cicigoi, who are both entering their first OHL campaigns. Vrbetic appeared in one OHL game, when called up on an emergency basis, last fall. The netminders formed a formidable duo in the NOJHL with the Powassan Voodoos last season, backstopping the then-Battalion affiliated team to the NOJHL East Finals.
The Troops only preseason action so far saw them drop all three games played in Kitchener over the holiday weekend. Purboo, Vrbetic, and Cicigoi each started one game. North Bay completes its exhibition schedule with a home-and-home series with Owen Sound, visiting the Attack at 2:00pm Saturday, Sept. 14, and playing host the next day.
The Battalion opens its regular season schedule at home at 7:00pm on Friday, Sept. 20, against the Barrie Colts.
