The North Bay Battalion stayed close to home to add a couple of well-respected local up-and-coming coaches.
Matt Marquardt and Nate McDonald have been named assistant coaches with the North Bay Battalion, the Ontario Hockey League club announced Monday.
Marquardt, a North Bay native, replaces Scott Wray, who joined the Owen Sound Attack in June as head coach. McDonald, a goaltending consultant with the Battalion last season, is a North Bay resident who succeeds Mavric Parks as goalie coach.
With returning assistant Bill Houlder, they’ll work under head coach Ryan Oulahen, who served as an assistant with Canada as it won gold at the under-18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament at Edmonton, defeating Czechia 2-1 in the title game Saturday night.
Marquardt made the seamless jump from pro hockey to behind the bench with a successful Western Hockey League team and is excited to be coaching major junior in his hometown.
“I’m extremely proud to be born and raised in North Bay,” said Marquardt, who is the brother of well-known country-rock singer Cory Marks.
The 37-year-old has been an assistant with the Seattle Thunderbirds for the last three seasons, helping guide them to a Western Hockey League championship and Memorial Cup tournament berth in 2023.
The big power forward played four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, three with the Moncton Wildcats and the last with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in 2007-08. In 203 games, he scored 100 goals and earned 64 assists for 164 points while accumulating 203 penalty minutes.
During his time in the Q in Moncton, Marquardt played under former NHL head coach Ted Nolan while playing alongside Boston Bruins star Brad Marchand.
A seventh-round pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2006 National Hockey League Draft, he had a lengthy professional career, primarily in the American Hockey League and ECHL, culminating in 2020-21.
Marquardt brought the ECHL's Kelly Cup championship trophy to North Bay in the summer of 2012 after winning the league with the Florida Everblades that season.
He played four seasons in the Elite Ice Hockey League, also known as the British Elite League.
“I’ve always taken great pride in being an exemplary ambassador for our community in my experiences as both a hockey player and a coach," added Marquardt.
"To now have the opportunity to come home and mesh both worlds, to represent North Bay and the Battalion, is a true honour.
“My goal is to contribute to an already outstanding organizational culture, assist in the development of young players and people and ultimately bring home an OHL championship and Memorial Cup to our deserving community. I look forward to connecting with the best fans in the OHL and feeling the energy and passion at Memorial Gardens.”
Adam Dennis, the Battalion’s president and director of hockey operations, noted the “wealth of professional experience as well as a championship pedigree” that Marquardt possesses.
“Following his playing career, he made an immediate impact behind the bench with Seattle, producing not only a WHL title but also many graduates to the professional ranks.”
See related: Goalie Resiliency w/ Nate McDonald Episode #6
McDonald, 24, was chosen by the Peterborough Petes in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection and set several franchise records with the junior A Powassan Voodoos before tending goal for the Cornell University Big Red of Ithaca, N.Y., for four seasons, during which the club won two Ivy League championships.
“The energy in Memorial Gardens is something truly special, and I vividly remember the thrill of being a young fan watching Jake Smith lead the team onto the ice for the first time during our inaugural season,” said McDonald.
“Being part of the North Bay Battalion is a dream come true. This city has shaped who I am, and I’m committed to giving back by helping our team achieve great things and by supporting our community any way I can.”
McDonald says hiring him as a goalie consultant in the summer of 2023 helped him with the transition from goalie to goalie coach.
“Being part of the North Bay Battalion is a dream come true. This city has shaped who I am, and I’m committed to giving back by helping our team achieve great things and by supporting our community any way I can,” said McDonald in a release.
Dennis noted that McDonald is “another product of our minor hockey program here in North Bay.”
“Nate had success with various junior programs in Ontario, including the Voodoos, before suiting up for Cornell. He’s a quick study and will be a big part of our program before long.
“We look forward to introducing both men to our fans in a few short weeks.”
The Battalion opens a four-day training camp Aug. 29.
