The North Bay Battalion wrapped up training camp Sunday with 24 skaters and three goaltenders still contending for roster positions with the Ontario Hockey League club.
On Sunday, the Troops announced they signed forward Stepan Chukharev and goaltender Riley Nadon.
Nadon and Chukharev signed education and development agreements with the Battalion after the fifth and final intrasquad game.
Nadon, turning 17 on Monday, was the Troops’ first-round choice in the OHL Under-18 Priority Selection in April. The Aurora, Ont., resident played in 2023-24 with the Sudbury Wolves U18 AAA team.
Chukharev, a native of Russia who turned 17 on Feb. 28, was a fifth-round pick in the 2023 Priority Selection from the Vaughan Kings U16s. He played last season with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U18s, scoring 15 goals and adding 11 assists for 26 points in 37 games.
Local products Jesse Lefebvre, Sam Rivet, Caleb Dawson and Nate Gravelle were all sent back to their respective junior hockey teams.
Goaltenders Mike McIvor, Charlie Larocque and Carter Nadon were retained with nine defencemen, numbering Jacob LeBlanc, Wyatt Kennedy, Bronson Ride, Brayden Turley, Tyson Rismond, Zach Wilson, Declan Gallivan, Aaron Enright and Kent Greer. Gallivan, sidelined by illness, didn’t attend the camp.
A total of 15 forwards are made up of five centres, five left wingers and five right wingers. The centres are Dalyn Wakely, Ethan Procyszyn, Nolan Laird, Dylan Richter and Ryder Carey, while the left wingers number Andrew LeBlanc, Owen Van Steensel, Ihnat Pazii, Reyth Smith and Stepan Chukharev. The right wingers are Anthony Romani, Jacob Therrien, Lirim Amidovski, Stef Forgione and Natan Teshome.
Nadon and Chukharev signed education and development agreements with the Battalion after the fifth and final intrasquad game.
Nadon, turning 17 on Monday, was the Troops’ first-round choice in the OHL Under-18 Priority Selection in April. The Aurora, Ont., resident played in 2023-24 with the Sudbury Wolves U18 team.
Chukharev, a native of Russia who turned 17 on Feb. 28, was a fifth-round pick in the 2023 Priority Selection from the Vaughan Kings U16s. He played last season with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U18s, scoring 15 goals and adding 11 assists for 26 points in 37 games.
Teshome of Finland was a first-round pick in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft in July, joining Pazii of Ukraine in the Troops’ two-man import contingent.
Carey was North Bay’s first-round choice in the OHL Priority Selection in April, while Greer was taken in the second round.
“We’ve been very impressed with the general fitness level of the camp,” said Adam Dennis, president and director of hockey operations in a release.
“It seems to be a recurring theme year over year, but our group has really put in the work this summer, which is very encouraging when you have new faces in the lineup.
“We’ve thought for a while that we’ve had some good drafts over the years and, after seeing them this weekend, we think our fans are going to enjoy meeting the new recruits as well.”
Sixteen holdovers were regulars with the Battalion in 2023-24, while Rismond, Wilson and Smith played 14, six and three games respectively.
The roster includes four overagers, in Wakely, Van Steensel and the LeBlanc twins. Teams may dress three in any given game.
In intrasquad action on the camp’s fourth day, assistant coach Bill Houlder’s Team Green defeated Matt Marquardt’s Team White 8-4 for a second win against three losses, including one in overtime.
The Battalion opens a four-game exhibition schedule against the Ottawa 67’s at Memorial Gardens at 7 p.m. Friday.
Higlights from Sunday, September 1st intrasquad game:
