Justin Ertel has played Canadian Sports School hockey, Maritime Jr A, NCAA Division I, and now the OHL.
The Battalion 3nd round selection in 2019 played last season at Cornell University and thanks to the recent success and the direction the team is going, Ertel decided to jump ship and come to North Bay as a 19-year-old.
"I think for me it was my overall happiness as well as the development that North Bay offers and for me it was an exciting decision but obviously a really hard one, but I am glad to be here," said Ertel after he was introduced to the local media Friday night at Memorial Gardens.
Ertel, a third round selection of the Dallas Stars in the 2021 NHL entry draft, will have the opportunity this summer to attend his first development camp with the Dallas Stars.
"I think I will be a big contributor with my size, my offensive ability as well as taking care of the defensive zone," said Ertel who registered 1 goal and 8 assists for 9 points in his freshman year at Cornell playing with North Bay native Nate McDonald.
"I think that is something I worked on this year and I think that is something I want to bring to this team this year."
Justin does have some hockey roots in North Bay as his father Tyler Ertel, played for the North Bay Centennials in the late 1980s while his grandfather Bob Ertel worked as the Centennials' general manager in the late 1990s.
Dad Tyler is emotional thinking that his son will be playing on the same surface he did some 33 years ago.
"It is a very proud day, he is a very mature young man, you know wherever he was going to end up in life he would be successful but I think this right now is the right fit for him and the direction this organization is going right now is I would argue the envy of the league right now," said Tyler, who was an 11th round selection of the Vancouver Canucks in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.
"I have told Adam that my son is obsessed with winning so to make the decision he made I knew he believed this organization would win and he wants to contribute to that and I love that obsession."
Adam Dennis, Battalion GM was excited to see this become a reality. Dennis hopes a player like Ertel can help fill the offensive void left with the graduation of Brandon Coe and Mitch Russell.
"Everybody has a pathway and I believe everything happens for a reason," admits Dennis.
"The player that Justin is today is because of all the experience that he had. He has been able to step into different locker rooms over the pandemic, then going to university and playing with men, and has been a great person throughout and a contributor wherever he has gone.
"He is a guy that for a long time we wanted to make this happen and thrilled is an understatement."
