Battalion will re-hoist Centennials championship banner into the rafters

The North Bay Battalion will be honouring the city’s first major junior franchise tonight.  

In fact, the Troops will wear Centennials colours along with a special pre-game ceremony which will see a restored 1993-94 championship banner re-hoisted into the rafters of Memorial Gardens.  

All the former Centennials banners were removed during the renovations in 2013.

The ceremony will celebrate North Bay’s only major junior championship between the two franchises.  

A handful of players from that team, including former NHLer Brad Brown, Damian Bloye, Mike Burman, Steve McLaren, Brian Stagg, Scott Roche, and Sandy Allan will be in attendance.   

The J. Ross Robertson Cup, emblematic of the OHL championship, will be in the building for photo opportunities with fans, and a video tribute will show highlights of the final series against the Detroit Jr. Red Wings that ended on May 11, 1994, with a 5-4 win.

Meantime, the game welcomes the Hamilton Bulldogs to town - a team that sports the most local players on it, including former Battalion defender Payton Vescio, goaltender Zach Roy, defenceman Jake Gravelle, and forward Dylan D’Agostino.   

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. tonight at Memorial Gardens.