Jake Smith of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images.(Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images.) The Hamilton Bulldogs make the trip north for the first time to play at Memorial Gardens tonight (Thursday).

The North Bay Battalion host the Bulldogs, who moved to Hamilton from Belleville after last season.

Troops netminder Jake Smith has been cleared to play after missing nine games with an upper-body injury.  

Just three points separates the Troops from the Bulldogs for the last playoff spot.

Battalion Head Coach Stan Butler says that doesn’t mean it will be an easy game.

He says “the way we’re playing right now everyone is good. They are where we are in the standings because they’re just as inconsistent as we are.”

The Battalion are coming into the game having lost their last two contests, but had won their previous two before that. North Bay is 9-10-1-1 going into tonight’s game.

Sudbury and Niagara have already made a couple of big roster moves through trades and fans are wondering where the North Bay Battalion sees themselves on the trade market.

Butler says they are looking at ways to make the team better, but he adds “any change we make our anything we do is going to be made with a plan long term and short term. I’ve done this too long to make impulsive decisions.”

He says they aren’t that far behind where they were 2 years ago with their record.

The Battalion look to improve that record tonight when they host the Bulldogs on Country 600 CKAT.  The broadcast begins with the pre-game show at 6:35 pm.