Training camp for the North Bay Battalion hits the ice today (Monday).

Coach Stan Butler expects to have 50 players in camp.

“We have a good group coming back and we have some competition on the back end and up front. And with Luke (Burghardt) going down, an overage and forward spot has opened up,” he says.

It was learned on Friday that forward Luke Burghardt who notched 71 points for the team last season was retiring due to health concerns.

The Battalion will hold four intrasquad games, starting today at 4 pm.

There are also games, with free admission, tomorrow at 9 am and at 4 pm and on Wednesday at 9 am.

Starting Friday, the Troops will take part in Kitchener’s Preseason Showcase.

North Bay took part in a similar event last year in Buffalo.

Butler is a big supporter of the showcase.

“We’re getting to play Moncton from the Quebec League. It’s kind of neat for our kids to play a team from the Quebec league. We get to play Saginaw and Kitchener from the Western Conference. It’s good way for kids to bond and gives us some evaluation tools so we can make some quick decisions on players,” Butler says.

 

The Powassan Voodoos opened the pre-season with a 5-3 loss in Pembroke last night.

Carson Lux, Cade Herd and Joe Whittet scored for the Voodoos in the loss while Ty Sparling made 43 saves.

Next up, the Voodoos travel to Noelville on Wednesday to play French River.

 

The OUA soccer season is underway.

The Nipissing Lakers women’s team collected four out of a possible six points on the weekend, with a 1-1 draw against Ottawa and a 2-nil win over Carleton.

The Nipissing men only had one game this weekend. They lost 2-nil to Carleton yesterday.

Filed under: nipissing-lakers, north-bay-battalion, powassan-voodoos