The North Bay Battalion brought Briir Long home as the Troops acquired the local product in a trade with the Brantford Bulldogs.
In exchange for the 17-year-old Astorville product, Brantford received North Bay’s fifth-round pick in the 2027 OHL Priority Selection.
The Battalion still holds what originally was the Barrie Colts’ fifth-rounder that year.
Long, a left shot who stands five-foot-11 and weighs 154 pounds, was a 10th-round pick in 2023 from the Mississauga Senators U16s, with whom he scored 10 goals and earned 14 assists for 24 points in 28 regular-season games.
Long played four games with Brantford this season after appearing in one game in 2023-24, all without recording a point. He skated with the junior B St. Thomas Stars of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League last season, scoring 34 goals and earning 30 assists for 64 points in 48 games. In five playoff games, he had five goals and two assists for seven points.
"Long is a good skater who utilizes his feet to drive offence off the rush, he possesses a good shot and makes smart simple passes," one OHL scout told BayToday about Long.
"He moves the puck efficiently in transition and has a strong hockey IQ. I would describe him as a player who brings a consistent work ethic to each shift, and is always an offensive threat when he's on the ice."
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In 2021-22, Long played 19 regular-season games with the North Bay Trappers U15s, scoring 19 goals and adding 16 assists for 35 points.
His brother, Kaedyn Long, was a 13th-round selection by the Battalion in 2021. The left winger now is the St. Thomas captain.
“Briir is a local kid, and we’re excited to bring him home,” said general manager John Winstanley.
“He plays a competitive style with skill and will easily fit with our forward group and their style of play.
“We’ve been watching Briir over the last couple of years and have seen the consistent development in his game. Last year he won the Western Conference rookie-of-the-year award in the GOJHL and also was named to the GOJHL all-star team.”
Adam Dennis, president and director of hockey operations, called Long’s acquisition “a pretty cool full-circle moment.”
“I remember Briir first as a billet brother to Daniel Walker. He grew up as a North Bay Trapper, and now to see him as a fulltime North Bay Battalion member is pretty special, if you ask me.
“We know him and his family well and feel he’ll do well in our environment once he gets comfortable.”
With right winger Anthony Romani and left winger Ihnat Pazii each sidelined since Oct. 11 with a broken collarbone, the Battalion had only 12 available forwards on the roster before the trade.
